It may be a new year, but for many, the same old problem exists: how to deal with sleep troubles. As we get older, we may get less sleep- not because we need less sleep but rather due to a myriad of problems associated with aging that cause disrupted sleep. For a basic review about problems with sleep during our senior years, take off that eye mask and read here.

In fact, sleep problems appear to be the new focus of the tech world, as Silicon Valley has determined there’s no problem that can’t be fixed with a good gadget. Washington Post technology columnist Geoffrey Fowler recently wrote about the drive to digitize your sleep and the new products coming to market to help send you into a deep slumber. While there’s probably more hype than help on the horizon, there is promising research going on that may lead to real benefits. For example, new research just published in Current Biology reports that a rocking motion for adult sleepers is associated with longer periods of deep sleep and fewer arousals during the night, in addition to improved memory. It seems our human brains are programmed to positively respond to rocking, just as we did when we were babies. While the research is in its early stages, it promises real help for those who are sleep-deprived. So pull up that rocker and read more here. And if you’re curious, a new rocking bed has come to market- find out more here.

Finally, to underscore the importance of sleep for your aging brain, take note of recent research that suggests that sleep may be essential for delaying or slowing down the onset of Alzheimer’s. And if your partner’s snoring is disrupting your sleep and driving you to consider divorce, there’s a better way to solve that problem- read about the trend for a “sleep divorce” here.