Because learning about your brain and sleep can be fun . . .
Maybe you have very bad vision and are worried about it getting worse. Maybe you’re involved in optics for some reason If not, a concern about the effects of blue light (also known as High Energy Visible or HEV light) on the eyes and skin may seem offbeat. Even overblown. Nobody can see blue light.…
A study of one allows you to see whether a given change improves health or life. A lot of things can be studied by you studying one individual, you. Two good areas are a change in diet or effects relating to a new exercise program. Studying yourself or doing a study of one is different…
Sometimes doing an action can take the place of taking a certain medication. Positive morning affirmations can work like an antidepressant. Grounding can decrease inflammation. Chiropractors routinely prescribe exercise routines to relieve pain. Some doctors have said, “If exercise were a drug, I’d give everyone a prescription.” Sometimes what you’re doing is making a drug…
Fifty-one years ago the nightly news was full of gory, gut-wrenching images from Vietnam. Nevertheless, the prospect of fighting that war or fleeing didn’t keep people up at night the way smartphones do today. The smartphone is apparently worse for sleep than a war. The effect of screens on sleep Adults often read and tell…
Meet the glymphatic system. It might be the most obscure system in the human body. By way of introduction, let’s remember that the three pillars of good health are diet, exercise, and sleep. Everyone knows that if you don’t exercise or move around, you affect your cardiovascular system. They also know exercise is also good…
Remember back to the last time you had a great night of sleep. What did you do then? That would make a great starting point in finding a regular course of bedtime rituals. When you find the most successful bedtime rituals for yourself you’ll have a starting point to find the best rules for you to live by.
Your dreams can be compared to the vital signs they take in a doctor’s office. Dreams are useful for self-diagnosis. It’s a rough morning. You feel sick after a restless night. You’re coughing up slimy yellow-green junk. You feel dizzy and vaguely nauseous. It’s time to go see your doctor, you decide. You call in…
In our secular society, suggesting that someone use prayer beads (also known as a rosary) to go to sleep is unconventional. It shouldn’t be. It’s a time-honored, effective drug-free way to soothe your mind, relax, and get your mind on the long term. The blessings are a bonus. I once met a man who had…
The circadian clock is built into our genes. Having a job and working nights is a violation of everything natural. Many otherwise tough people have tried to do it and failed. They found it too challenging mentally, physically, and socially. When the night shift people are coming, the day shift people are going—Vice versa. It’s…
To nap or not to nap: that is the question. Some people swear by the power of naps, actually calling them “power naps.” They’re powerful, they say, because they feel recharged, refreshed, and rejuvenated after they wake up. Others, not so much. They insist that if you’re struggling through your day after a night of sleeplessness,…