Get Your New Year Off to a Healthy Start with Our Top Stories of 2014

Another year, another step toward a healthier you. Health and wellness topics were hotter than ever in 2014, a year of breakthroughs, outbreaks and trends that had people all over the world talking. So what did we learn in 2014? Read on for some of the year's top health advice from Meridian experts.

1. Sleep Disorders Are No Walk in the Park

   Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli's decision to undergo surgery to treat his sleep apnea was yet another call to action for public discourse on the seriousness of the ongoing struggle roughly 18 million Americans have with this potentially life threatening disorder, characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. Read the full article here.



2.  Do Our Kids Need More Sleep?

   Meridian Health Director of Sleep Medicine Dr. Carol Ash took on this hot-button issue during a visit to CBS This Morning. Hear what she had to say here.



3. What's Making Us So Tired?

   On a visit to the TODAY Show, Dr. Carol Ash joined Julie Bain, Health Director of the Ladies Home Journal to discuss answers to the commonly posed health question, "Why am I so tired?" Listing common causes that include diet and stress, both Ash and Bain agreed that most cases of daytime fatigue can be remedied with adjustments to both habit and lifestyle. Watch the full clip here.



4. Sleeping Apart Could Boost Mind, Body and Relationship

   He likes it cold; she likes it hot. She's a mover and a shaker; he's down for the count. Opposites may attract, but when it's time to call it a night, some differences come at a cost. It sounds extreme, but on an episode of "The Doctors," Dr. Carol Ash discussed how sleeping separately from your partner could provide a healthier night's sleep all around. Read all about it here.



5. Healthy Sleep Impacts School Performance

   According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), two-thirds of American children age 10 and younger have sleep problems. They noted 60 percent of children under the age of 18 complained of being tired during the day, and 15 percent fell asleep at school. So what can a parent do? Read on to find out.

Dr. Carol Ash on "CBS This Morning" discussing the effects of sleep issues on "brain drain"

For Tom Brady, the perfect 'night out' is a night in

When a Super Bowl MVP and star NFL quarterback has a night to himself, you might imagine him spending it out on the town, partying till dawn, and indulging in a few of the all star "perks" of being a celebrity baller.

(Photo by Stephan Savoia/Associated Press)

“I’m not doing anything like that. That time has come and gone in my life. I did a lot of charger work last night - sleeping," said Patriots QB Tom Brady during an interview on WEEI's "Dennis and Callahan Show."

"This is my first time away from my kids in a while, so I finally get some decent sleep," he added.

While teammates Rob Gronkowski, Jonas Gray, and Shane Vereen were attending a recent Clippers game, Brady had no qualms admitting his ideal "night out" is often a night in - catching up on some much needed sleep, according to Jordi Lippe of Yahoo Health.

Dr. Carol Ash on Fox's Shepard Smith Show discussing long-term affects of sleep loss

Dr. Ash Visits Dr. Oz

Does caffeine really keep you up at night? Will going to bed earlier really help you sleep better? Watch as Dr. Ash visits with Dr. Oz to set the record straight.

Al Roker sets new Guinness World Record (With a Little Help From Dr. Carol Ash)

Friday, TODAY weatherman Al Roker set a new Guinness World Record by reporting on the weather for 34 consecutive hours. Dubbed "#Rokerthon," the feat kicked off at 10:05 p.m. Wednesday and concluded around 8 a.m. Friday morning with a TODAY studio celebration complete with confetti and balloons.

In preparation for the 34-hour weather weather-cast,  TODAY featured Meridian's own Director of Sleep Medicine Dr. Carol Ash, who offered up a few health tips for Roker on how to stay the course.

Inadequate Sleep Detrimental to Teens' Physical and Mental Health

This year the American Academy of Pediatrics came out in support of delaying the start of the school day for older students to allow teenagers to get more sleep.

As reported in the Asbury Park Press, New Jersey State Senator Richard Codey supports the recommendation, announcing a bill last week that would direct the state Department of Education to study the benefits of delaying school start times.

“Studies are showing that our current school start time is flipped the wrong way,” Codey said. “Middle and high school start times are too early, and elementary and pre-k classes are too late.”

Lack of sleep is detrimental to mental health, making adolescents more prone to automobile crashes and hindering their academic and athletic performance, according to Dr. Carol Ash, director of sleep medicine at Meridian Health.

The physiology of teenagers makes it difficult for them to fall asleep quickly, she adds. Teenagers naturally require more time than adults to "wind down" before falling asleep, and distractions such as cell phones and television only exacerbate the problem.