Health roundup: Alcohol and sleep don't mix, study says

Your Wednesday morning health roundup:

Drinking and sleep: Drinking alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but is likely to disrupt your sleep later in the night and leave you less rested, a new review of 27 studies confirms. Alcohol also can contribute to sleep apnea, a disruption in breathing during sleep. The negative effects are strongest in people who drink the most, researchers say. (WebMD)

Hip failures: An all-metal replacement hip made by Johnson & Johnson was predicted to fail in nearly 40% of patients within five years in an internal analysis the company conducted in 2011, a year after the device was recalled. The report was made public in court documents. Thousands of patients still have the Articular Surface Replacement, or A.S.R., implants. (New York Times)

Melamine concerns: Want some melamine with your soup? You may be getting some. A new study found heightened levels of the compound in the urine of volunteers who ate hot soup from melamine bowls. Whether it's enough to pose a health concern is unknown. (Time)

Today's talker: Close couples do many things together -- including, apparently, gaining weight. Researchers who followed 169 newlywed couples through the first four years of marriage found that those who were most satisfied with each other gained the most weight. It's possible that unsatisfied spouses keep an eye on their weight to prepare to reenter the mating game. But it's also possible that happy pairs do things that tend to increase weight, such as eating out or eating together more often. (HealthDay)

Kim Painter, Special for USA TODAY