MenzShed sheds save lives - but we need more of them
MenzShed sheds improve member's emotional and pyhsical wellbeing, and provide men with a positive sense of belonging and purpose. A new report issued by MenzShed and conducted by The Selwyn Foundation highlights their impact - and is out today. The report paints a picture of sheds offering our ageing men health by stealth through connection with others. MenzShed chairman David Broadhead says the charity needs more land, buildings and funding to cater for the future need. He joins Jesse.
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6 hours ago
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RNZ News
a day ago
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Iwi Māori Partnership Boards concerned their role minimised under Pae Ora Act changes
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RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Why is sleep sometimes not restful?
Photo: Unsplash Sleep should be restful, but sometimes it is not. So why is that? New research from the University of Otago has found that stress-controlling brain cells - called corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons - switch on and off in a steady rhythm about once every hour while we are asleep - even when nothing stressful is happening. It is world-first research that could reveal how these patterns affect health, mood, and sleep. Senior author Associate Professor Karl Iremonger, of Otago's Department of Physiology and Centre for Neuroendocrinology, told Saturday Morning that these bursts of brain cell activity seem to act like a natural 'wake-up' signal, and often lead to a rise in stress hormones, or cortisol. He said there were a lot of things that can disrupt the circuitry in our brain that controls the release and response of stress hormones - such as chronic stress, which is associated with negative health consequences. "So now we're really interested in trying to come up with treatments and drugs that can dampen down the activity of these stress neurons in these states where they're too active," Iremonger said. The study was conducted with rates and mice, as the stress-controlling brain cells are too deep down in humans to be recorded, Iremonger added. It was found that these brain cells were not only controlling our stress, but also our arousal or wakefulness state too, which can both affect the quality of our sleep as well as cause disorders like insomnia. "Knowing how these brain signals work will help us understand the links between stress hormone levels, alertness, and mental health." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
