Stress, worry, an overly full stomach, noises….all conspire to steal shuteye from even the soundest sleepers. An estimated 50 million to 70 million people struggle with sleeping and almost everyone has issues no and again. A good night is important to your health, especially since if you eat well and exercise, you lose less fat when you’re not getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation, along with a multi-disciplinary expert panel, issued its recommendations that most working adults need between 7-9 hours a night. So here are the best hacks to fall asleep faster!
Pretend to be in REM sleep
This idea is a little out there, but it makes some sense. REM is short for rapid eye movement, signaling that super deep sleep where our eyes move behind our eyelids and we rest deeply. Lay down comfortably in bed and try to avoid thinking about anything. Close your eyes and follow the random patterns that appear behind your eyelids.
According to Lifehacker, you should know you’re on your way to sleeping once you start to see complete images, which is super trippy but sounds like solid advice.
Guided Imagery
Recalling a serene memory or imagining a peaceful setting can help reduce the stressors of the day to prepare your mind and body for sleep. Take slow, deep breaths and focus on sensory details, including sights, sounds, and smells to immerse yourself in an imagined space. You may find it helpful to use a pre-recorded soundtrack to direct your thoughts. Guided imagery soundtracks are widely available online.
Sleep during the night
Photo by Ivan Obolensky via Pexels
Sleeping at night is very important, offering benefits long naps and mid-day sleeps are unable to provide. Sleeping during the day is harder and it may also disrupt your circadian rhythms, which have been associated to heart conditions, weight gain, cognitive impairments, and more.
Don’t go to bed hungry or full, and perhaps eat foods that promote the development of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your wakefulness. Foods containing tryptophan, such as chicken, eggs and cod, are good for sleep since they promote the development of this hormone.
Make sure your room is sleep proofed
One of the best ways to ensure you sleep like a baby is having a room that’s dark, quiet, and comfortable, allowing you to make the most out of the hours you spend in bed. If redesigning your room is too much work, you can always use comfortable earplugs and a sleep mask. Avoid doing any type of work in your bed to it is a relaxing, fun place.
May any and all of these work of you, sweet dreams.
New York’s premier cannabis lifestyle festival is set to take over Brooklyn on Saturday, April 19, 2025. MARY Fest—curated by the team behind MARY Magazine—is an immersive experience blending cannabis, fashion, music, health and wellness, design, and technology into a one-day festival that connects brands with consumers in an authentic and engaging environment.
All aboard! The Cannabis Experience, Colorado’s first-ever licensed mobile consumption lounge, is rolling out its Roots, Rhythm and Reefer tour — a love letter to Black history in Denver that blends education, cannabis and culture. The BYOB (bring your own bud) tour lasts about ninety minutes and kicks off in historic Five Points, once known as the Harlem of the West. There, guests make a quick pitstop at Denver Kush Club to stock up on goodies and spark up.
The are portrayed as sweet, kind and fun, but what’s up with them downing people like jello shooters?
The open waters are full of potential dangers including sharks, jellyfish, people on jet skis and more….but there is a new one recently which is surprising everyone. Why do whales keep swallowing people. The chance of a whale swallowing you is smaller than winning the Powerball, but it is happening…and science isn’t quite sure why.
There have been a few extraordinary incidents where people have been swallowed by whales, sparking both fascination and concern. These events, though extremely rare, have garnered significant attention due to their unusual nature. Such incidents are rare because whales generally do not target humans as prey. Humpback whales, for example, feed on small fish and plankton using baleen, making it physically impossible for them to swallow a human whole.
In the last couple of days, a humpback whale briefly swallowed a 24-year-old kayaker last Saturday during a father-son excursion out on the icy waters around Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region. After being spat out of the whale, the son swam towards his dad’s pack raft and holds onto it as they pull away.
Another documented case is Michael Packard, a lobster diver from Massachusetts. In June 2021, Packard was briefly swallowed by a humpback whale while diving off the coast of Provincetown. He managed to survive with minor injuries, including soft tissue damage and a dislocated knee. Experts believe that poor visibility and the whale’s feeding behavior likely contributed to this accidental encounter.
Two girls were swallowed by a humpback whale while kayaking in California. The whale spat them out after a few seconds, highlighting the accidental nature of such incidents.
In addition, Since 2020, orcas off the Iberian Peninsula have been attacking sailboats, with at least three vessels sunk and hundreds damaged. These coordinated attacks typically involve orcas targeting the rudder, often approaching from the stern. Scientists believe that a traumatic event, possibly involving a female orca named White Gladis, may have triggered this behavior, which is then imitated by other orcas. Theories suggest the attacks could be for hunting practice or revenge. Despite the incidents, no human fatalities have been reported, but sailors are increasingly concerned about safety in these waters.
Whales, particularly humpbacks, feed by lunging through the water with their mouths wide open to engulf schools of fish. If something lies directly in their path, they might not always detect or avoid it in time. This feeding behavior, combined with factors like poor visibility, can lead to accidental encounters with humans. So it is always good to be clear of you environment and what type of wildlife frequent the area.