MONDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Teens who don't get enough sleep or have poor-quality sleep run the risk of elevated blood pressure, a new study finds.

It's the first study to make such a connection, said study senior author Dr. Susan Redline, director of the University Hospitals Sleep Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

(HealthDay News) -- Many factors, both physical and emotional, may keep you awake while you're expecting. But it's important to get plenty of quality sleep while you're pregnant.

Here are suggestions to help alleviate insomnia during pregnancy, courtesy of the American Pregnancy Association:

* Find a comfortable and -- perhaps a new -- sleep position.
* Relax before bedtime with a massage or a warm bath.
* Keep your room at a cool and comfortable temperature, and play relaxing music or nature sounds.
* Try relaxation techniques before you sleep.

Since my insomnia is raging at the moment, it was timely that I ran across a story about women and insomnia.

Apparently I don't walk alone. 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders and an additional 20 million suffer occasional problems.

Nap pods are a relatively new thing. These are pods to lay in (claustrophobic persons take note: they closely resemble an MRI machine), with vibrations and music, and cost about a dollar a minute to take a nap - safely cocooned in a salon near you!

(HealthDay News) -- If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, it's important to understand the reasons for your insomnia.

Here's a list of possible reasons for your sleepless nights, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

* Discomfort or illness.
* Depression.
* Stress or anxiety.
* Drinking caffeine or alcohol, smoking, or taking certain medications or illicit drugs.
* An inappropriate sleep environment, including one that's too bright or too noisy.
* Related activities that affect your sleep, such as taking naps or going to bed too early.

THURSDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- The reason healthy adults sleep less in their 60s than they did in their 20s might simply be because people need less sleep as they age, new research suggests.

If true, the observation could mean that what many elderly people interpret as insomnia could be a completely normal reflection of an age-related shift in their internal clock.

A health education sleep study released in last months Sleep Journal says tai chi chih can help older adults receive a better night’s rest.

Nearly two-thirds of the study participants experienced a “significant improvement in sleep quality” from the lullaby-like, rhythmic movements of tai chi.

According to the Tai Chi Chih organization, it is not martial arts, but a group of 19 movements and one pose “focused on the development of an intrinsic energy called chi.”

It is uncanny: I can fall asleep in exhaustion during the day. Or more accurately: I could.Then, when it is time to sleep, I can't. I doubt that there is much I have not read or done to help this condition. A sleep-study showed that I don't haver apnea. Medications have produced uneven results, and I am weary of them as a longterm solution. Gayle Greene's book: Insomniac, is right after my heart - but alas it offers no solutions. She has recommended a new book to a friend: I Want to Sleep- Unlearning Insomnia by: Dr. Siegfried Haug.

(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch:

Insomnia

Volunteers aged 21 and older in remission from cancer who have difficulty sleeping are needed for a study investigating the ability of an Internet intervention to reduce insomnia.

The research site is in Charlottesville, Va.

More information

Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studi....

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Osteoarthritis

I have so much trouble sleeping. Help!

THURSDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- A session of moderate aerobic exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve the quality of sleep for insomnia patients, according to a Brazilian study. Heavy aerobic or moderate strength exercises don't have the same effect.

Researchers at the Federal University of Sao Paulo divided 28 women and eight men with primary chronic insomnia into three exercise groups -- moderate aerobic, heavy aerobic, and moderate strength -- and one control group.