Teens often sleep more than adults, but as recently featured on The Today Show, an English girl suffers from a rare disorder that makes her a real-life sleeping beauty.

Just 15 years old, Louisa Ball can spend days and even weeks asleep. She is afflicted with a rare neurological disorder called Kleine-Levin syndrome that is known to affect only a few thousand people in the world. Its cause is not known. The syndrome is characterized by hypersomnia, or an excessive desire to sleep and time spent sleeping, that occurs episodically. There can be other associated symptoms including: confusion, apathy, hallucinations, depression, and even hypersexuality. The afflicted person may briefly awaken during the spells, but seems to be in an almost dream-like state.

The hardest part for Ms. Ball's family is keeping her weight up during her prolonged sleeping episodes, as she is reluctant to eat or drink. As she dozes, her life slips past her, just like in a fairytale.

The disease course can be quite varied, with intermittent long periods of sleeping, but most people with Kleine-Levin syndrome grow out of it in a matter of years. In some cases, the disorder may last decades however, which makes one wonder whether historical cases may have been the inspiration for the children's stories of Sleeping Beauty and Rip Van Winkle.

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According to a study released in the February 3 issue of JAMA, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) seems to be linked to low levels of the neurotransmitter called serotonin.

This preliminary research suggests that low levels of serotonin in the brainstem may increase the risk of an infant developing SIDS. The area of the brainstem called the medulla oblongata is critical in breathing control and may be compromised during sleep in affected infants. SIDS may represent an inability to respond to life-threatening events during sleep, resulting in asphyxia.

SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants aged one month to one year. Recent public health efforts including the "Back to Sleep" campaign, in which parents are instructed to place their infants on their backs to sleep, have worked to reduce its incidence.

Source: JAMA. 2010;303[5]:430-437.

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Recently in Wisconsin, a 6-month-old child was smothered by his father during the night. They were sharing a bed and it seems the man unwittingly rolled on top of the infant and smothered it.

Is it safe to co-sleep with your baby? Some think it is an excellent way to bond with a child, but when instances like this occur, the risks seem apparent.

Following better sleep guidelines would suggest that the infant may be better served by having its own sleeping space.

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The saying goes that there isn't much new under the sun. However, you may not believe that if you explore the various applications pertaining to sleep available for Apple's iPhone.

Part of the iPhone's appeal are the thousands of applications, or apps, available for download to the device. These serve astounding, varied, and impressive purposes, and many are designed by entrepreneurial software designers. It is relatively surprising how many relate to sleep.

There are a variety of alarm clocks as well as sound machines that are meant to produce sleep-inducing background noise such as calming streams, rainstorms, or crickets chirping. There are apps designed to serve as sleep diaries to log your hours of slumber. If you are seeking dream interpretation, hypnosis, and various attempts at sleep analysis, your cup will runneth over.

Many of these apps seem to be of most benefit for entertainment purposes and there are few that will likely be of much direct benefit to your sleep. Nevertheless, if you have found a favorite, please feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

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