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Amanda Blankenship

Lack of Z’s Costs the U.S. $411 Billion a Year: How to Catch Up on Sleep

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Catch up on sleep

There isn’t a single person out there that doesn’t wish they could get more done in a single day. Typically, when we are busy we let important health aspects of our lives slip, like diet, sleep, and exercise. However, lack of sleep is the only one that costs the U.S. economy $411 billion in lost productivity per year.

You read that right. Billion. Although it seems most of us are too busy for a good night’s sleep, consider one of these tricks to catch up on sleep.

The Impact of Sleeplessness

The reasons most of us don’t get enough sleep are plentiful. Whether it is your work/travel schedule, deadlines, bingeing TV, or other stresses of life keeping you awake at night, there is a huge impact on your overall health when you’re not getting enough rest.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder took a look at a group of healthy adults who agreed to be examined in a sleep lab. Some of the individuals were allowed to sleep no more than five hours per night for five nights. They found the following to be true.

  1. Lack of sleep leads to weight gain.
  2. People who don’t get at least seven hours of sleep on a regular basis are more likely to become pre-diabetic.
  3. Your concentration and productivity will suffer when you don’t get enough sleep.
  4. There are ways to catch up on sleep and reverse these negative effects.

Strategies to Catch Up on Sleep

Researchers found that, although lack of sleep can have a negative impact on your health, you can make up for it. For instance, if you only got four hours of sleep last night, you can hit the bed early tonight and it will even out for your health and body.

Most people need seven hours each night or 49 hours per week. So, you can take naps and/or sleep in on the weekends if you aren’t able to get a full seven hours every day during the week. Here are a few strategies to help you catch up on sleep.

  1. Sleep in on the weekend, but be careful. You don’t want to overload on sleep. Too much will leave you feeling groggy.
  2. Take a nap. But make sure you don’t lay down after 3 p.m. If it is late afternoon, just wait until you’re ready for bed!
  3. Snooze after your cup of joe. This method is a “caff nap.” Coffee typically takes about 20 minutes to fully kick in, so you can take a quick nap and wake up energized. (This method is popular with people driving long distances.)

All in all, the long-term effects of not getting the proper amount of sleep can be detrimental. If you can, the best thing to do is carve out some time to catch up on sleep and practice self-care. Remember, you’re wasting time and money if you aren’t getting the proper amount of sleep each night.

Readers, how often do you get the recommended seven hours?

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New Guidelines Suggest Aspirin Has No Impact on Preventing Heart Attacks

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Aspirin

Stop wasting your money on aspirin! Recent findings have shown your daily dose of aspirin is, at best, a waste of money for healthy adults.

For decades, doctors have told patients a daily dose of aspirin could help you prevent heart attacks and heart disease. However, it is no longer being recommended as a preventative measure for older adults. According to guidelines released Sunday by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, the decades-old recommendation is no longer valid.

Like most things with medicine, doctors and researchers are learning more every day. Because of this, they regularly change health recommendations. European guidelines have warned against using anti-clotting medication (like aspirin) at any age.

“For the most part, we are now much better at treating risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and especially high cholesterol,” said cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell. “This makes the biggest difference, probably negating any previously perceived aspirin benefit in primary prevention.”

Researchers pointed out clinicians should be selective in prescribing aspirin to individuals that do not have existing cardiovascular disease. It is more important for patients to focus on lifestyle changes, such as smoking and healthy eating.

Now, Dr. Campbell stated, it is now a class 2b recommendation, which means it isn’t necessarily the best course of action when it comes to preventing heart disease. The data simply isn’t definitive. All in all, doctors need to individualize treatment for patients.

That isn’t to say aspirin doesn’t have its benefits. For older high-risk patients (folks who have had a stroke, heart attack, or open-heart surgery), it can be life-saving. It can also help lower cholesterol and manage blood sugar. As long as the patient has no risk of internal bleeding, it should be safe.

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What Are The Chances? Woman Won the Lottery 30 Times in One Day

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Woman Won the Lottery 30 Times in One Day

Most of us are floored when we hit $5 on a scratch-off ticket. Could you imagine if you hit multiple lottery tickets in one day? Here’s how one Virginia woman won the lottery 30 times in one day.

The Odds of Winning the Lottery

First, to understand how unbelievable winning 30 times in a single day is you have to understand the odds of winning in the first place.

In Virginia, where the woman won, the odds of hitting the jackpot for the game are one in 10,000. Those aren’t terrible odds when you consider your chances of winning most other sweepstakes and lotteries. For instance, the odds of winning Albertsons Monopoly 1 in 404 million. The chances you’ll win the USA Mega Millions is 1 in 302.6 million.

But, when you consider one in 10,000 odds, winning 30 times in a single day is still kind of unbelievable. Although none of them were million-dollar jackpots, she was still able to collect $150,000 in one day.

How One Woman Won Lottery 30 Times in One Day

So, how she do it?

Pure luck. In fact, she’s even told news outlets she “felt something different” the day she bought the tickets.

That’s right. Deborah Brown collected $150,000 and had no real strategy to win the lottery at all. On February 11, she bought 30 Pick 4 lottery tickets. She played the number 1-0-3-1.

“A couple of times during the day, I saw those numbers,” she said. Each of 30 lottery tickets won her $5,000, bringing her total jackpot to $150,000. “I nearly had a heart attack.”

For now, Brown doesn’t have any clear plans for her winnings. She is considering renovating her home but hasn’t made any concrete plans (yet).

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Spring Forward from Daylight Savings to Sleep Awareness Week 2019

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sleep awareness week

The National Sleep Foundation launched Sleep Awareness Week – set for March 10 through March 16, 2019 –  falls right around daylight savings. Here is a look at Sleep Awareness Week and how it might affect your sleep schedule.

About Sleep Awareness Week

Sleep Awareness Week begins on Sunday, March 10, 2019; the same day people across the country have to spring forward for daylight savings. Transitioning to Daylight Saving Time typically means “losing” an hour. Once the clock strikes 2:00 am on March 10, we all shift forward in time, so it is actually 3:00 am instead.

Scheduling Sleep Week to start in conjunction with daylight savings may seem ironic. Many people sacrifice an hour of sleep that day, and it can take time to adjust to the new schedule. However, that is also why it is a perfect time to promote getting a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, daylight savings is harder to handle.

The National Sleep Foundation wants people to understand the importance of sleep. Their mission also includes helping in the fight against sleep disorders.

Both insomnia and not making enough time for sleep can be detrimental to your health and your performance, harming your immune system, making it hard to concentrate, and even increasing your risk of developing depression, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Healthy Sleeping Habits

While exactly how much sleep you need to feel your best and remain healthy can vary somewhat from person to person, most experts agree, including those at the National Sleep Foundation, that adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each day. Anything more or less than that can come with consequences, so aiming for that window is wise.

However, babies, children, and teens have different needs. Here is a look at the recommendations:

  • Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours of sleep each day
  • Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours of sleep each day
  • Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours of sleep each day
  • Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours of sleep each day
  • School-age Children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours of sleep each day
  • Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours of sleep each day

Now, this does not mean that all of that sleep has to be in a row. For example, younger children may sleep for about 8 hours at night and then need naps during the day.

The Importance of a Sleeping Schedule

How much sleep you get is not the only thing that is important if you want to remain healthy and productive. Sticking to a sleep schedule is also beneficial, so you need to try and head to bed at the same time every night and wake up near the same time each morning. And this advice does not just apply to weekdays. Following the schedule on weekends too gets you into a sleep rhythm, which is a better approach.

Other Tips for Healthy Sleep

While sticking to a schedule is one of the most important things you can do, there are other steps that can improve the quality of your sleep. For example, having a relaxing bedtime ritual can get you into the right mindset before you try to get some shuteye.

Having a quality mattress and pillow, adjusting the temperature of your bedroom based on your comfort, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and not using electronic devices an hour before bed can also help. Daily exercise is also recommended, as it can improve the quality of your sleep.

Getting the right amount of sleep each night can have a positive impact on your well-being. Sleep deprivation can lower your cognitive ability, negatively impact performance, hinder concentration and productivity, and lead to serious health problems. By getting enough sleep, you might not only feel better, but you could also have an easier time managing the challenges of your day. As a result, reaching your goals could require less effort.

Does daylight savings hurt your sleep schedule? Tell us why in the comments below.

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Mark Zuckerberg Switches Focus to Facebook User Privacy

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Facebook user privacy

Is social media past its prime? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks the needs of SoMe users are changing. Because of this, the popular social media site is taking a look at how to increase Facebook user privacy.

People are looking to connect in the world’s virtual “living room,” whereas Facebook is is more of a “town square” experience in present. Here are the changes Zuckerberg is looking to make.

Increasing Facebook User Privacy

The latest set of changes announced by Zuckerberg in a post on Wednesday reflects the change in the behavior of social media users. In the post, Facebook’s creator and CEO said his main focus since the launch of the site has been addressing the needs of users on the site. Zuckerberg stated:

Over the last 15 years, Facebook and Instagram have helped people connect with friends, communities, and interests in the digital equivalent of a town square. But people increasingly also want to connect privately in the digital equivalent of the living room. As I think about the future of the internet, I believe a privacy-focused communications platform will become even more important than today’s open platforms. Privacy gives people the freedom to be themselves and connect more naturally, which is why we build social networks.
What Zuckerberg is referring to is the growing popularity of closed Facebook groups, private messaging, group messaging, as well as communicating one-on-one and within small communities.

Changes Being Made

Facebook user privacy

Later in his post, Zuckerberg went on to detail specific changes the platform is expecting to make. Here is how he outlined them.

  • Private interactions. Everyone should have the ability to easily communicate in a private space where no one else can see what they share. For this, Facebook executives are focusing on the development of WhatsApp to create a place where users can privately chat.
  • Encryption. Facebook developers will be working on integrating end-to-end encryption within its apps. All private communications (messages and calls) will be secured. Zuckerberg noted there will be challenges in keeping those who desire to do bad to not use encrypted messaging to do any harm. However, with time, this will add to the overall user experience, safety, and privacy.
  • Safety. Facebook aims to do everything it can to keep users safe while using its services, within the limits of the encrypted service.
  • Reducing permanent posts. Messages and stories won’t be available forever. Social media has a way of creeping up on people. So, anything shared to stories or via message won’t be available any longer than you want them to be.
  • Inoperability. Right now, if you want to message someone on Instagram, you have to direct message them. On Facebook, you use Messenger. In WhatsApp, you use the app. Facebook is hoping to integrate these platforms in a way where you can communicate seamlessly (and securely) between the apps.
  • Secure data storage. Zuckerberg points out in the post that the best way to secure your data is not to store it. Plain and simple. For this reason, Zuckerberg and his team have decided not to store encryption keys on any of their sites moving forward.

Can Social Media Really Be ‘Private?’

Both Facebook and its sister site Instagram have helped millions of people connect with friends, family, and different communities around the world. Since its launch, Facebook has been a public platform. More recently, its users have begun to shift their desire to more private, intimate communications.

Zuckerberg plans to make the changes mentioned above because he believes privacy-focused communication is the future of social media platforms like Facebook. However, he isn’t ignorant to the irony of Facebook focusing on privacy either.

I understand that many people don’t think Facebook can or would even want to build this kind of privacy-focused platform — because frankly we don’t currently have a strong reputation for building privacy protective services, and we’ve historically focused on tools for more open sharing. But we’ve repeatedly shown that we can evolve to build the services that people really want, including in private messaging and stories.
I believe the future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure and their messages and content won’t stick around forever. This is the future I hope we will help bring about.
All of these changes will be made slowly over time, as with any other Facebook update. Zuckerberg will continue to communicate with users about upcoming changes to the world’s favorite social media platform.

Facebook Stock Performance

Facebook Inc. (FB) closed the day on Wednesday, March 6 at $172.51 (+1.25). This is a six-month high on the stock market for the social media website. After recent privacy scandals, it seems Facebook may have finally found a way to recover: focus on regaining the confidence of its users.

Readers, what do you think about the latest changes to increase Facebook user privacy?

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Signs It’s Time to Take a Mental Health Day

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Mental health day

Your mental health has a profound impact on other aspects of your life, including your finances. Although we often joke around about taking a mental health day, most of us could benefit from one from time-to-time.

“Fake” Sick Days

Most of us throw around the words “mental health day” like they are a joke. The benefits of taking a day for yourself are just as big as taking a day to recover from illness. In fact, even though most folks have paid vacation and sick leave, they don’t take advantage of it.

However, mental health days are truly important to your overall well-being, whether you realize it or not. If you have the ability to take a day off and tend to your personal needs, you should, especially if you’re experiencing any of these signs.

Signs You Need a Mental Health Day

Everyone has hit a wall where they feel like they need a vacation. Once you’ve got there, it is typically a breaking point though. Usually, there are a few signs you need to take a day off before you reach your wit’s end.

1. Your sleep schedule isn’t right.

If you have been having trouble sleeping or have been sleeping at odd hours, consider taking a day off. Taking the day to rest and reset your body’s clock can make all the difference in the world for your mental health and overall sense of well-being.

2. You seem to be struggling to control your emotions.

When your mental health needs attention sometimes you’ll have trouble controlling your emotions. You may find yourself crying more than usual or having mood swings. If this is the case, consider taking a day to unplug and relax. Do a few of your favorite things.

3. You have a low tolerance for the presence of others.

Another sign of a much-needed mental health day is an overall low tolerance being around others. Small things that normally wouldn’t bother you are getting under your skin and it seems everyone in the workplace’s main goal is to drive you insane. If that’s the case, stay home and stay to yourself for a day. Watch some of your favorite movies, take naps, eat your favorite foods, and unplug from technology.

Mental health day

4. You find yourself having to talk yourself into going in.

If you have been sitting in your car outside of work considering whether or not you should go in, you are probably in need of a mental health day. Sometimes the stresses of our jobs can get to us. Maybe you haven’t had the time to do other things that are important to you. Whatever the case may be, this is a sign that you need to cash in a PTO day and stay home.

5. There’s a lack of enjoyment in everything you do.

This is a sign you are starting to slip into a depression. If you aren’t enjoying anything and have no enjoyment in the workplace, it is time for a day off! Maybe even make it a Monday or Friday to get the benefits of a three-day weekend.

6. Making any kind of decision seems daunting.

If decisions seem to cause immense anxiety, you need a day off. Stress and being overworked can often add to anxiety and make regular everyday tasks seem daunting. Stay home for the day and take it easy.

7. Focusing on anything seems impossible.

When you are so overwhelmed by your own mental health and environment, focusing can be difficult. If this seems to be happening to you, take a day off to regroup. Practice self-care in the form of organizing, planning, and doing things that will make focus a bit easier.

8. Your health has been suffering.

Sometimes stress and mental health problems can take a serious toll on your physical well-being as well. Stress, anxiety, and being overworked can cause your immune system to be compromised and lead you to fall ill more often. If you find yourself catching the common cold a little too often, it may be time for a vacation!

9. You genuinely can’t remember the last time you took time off.

We all know someone that works so much they can’t really remember the last time they took actual time off. If that’s you, take a day now! You have no idea what benefits taking a single day off can have for your health and even your productivity at work.

These are just a few signs that you may be in need of a mental health day. If you’re feeling at all overwhelmed, consider taking a day off for yourself. When you come back refreshed and able to conquer your tasks in a productiv manner, you’ll be glad you did. Heck, you might even get a raise…

Readers, when was the last mental health day you took? 

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