Early bird gets the worm—Here’s how to become a “morning person”
Your chronotype describes your body’s natural circadian rhythm trends. Are you an early bird or more of a night owl? Although this predisposition to waking and sleeping at a certain hour is, in fact, partially genetic, you can change your body’s natural behavior with some easy tricks. Here’s Read More...
5 Factors that influence our dreams
Dreams can feel shockingly vivid, depicting wonderful dreamlands or frightening nightmares, but there is a lot we still don’t know about our nighttime visions. Some psychologists argue that dreams are our way of processing and reflecting on events we experience in real life, while others argue Read More...
Want better sleep? Try getting outside
Spending time in nature has been shown to boost children’s cognitive development and improve mental health. One study even showed that just listening to nature is good for your health. Now, further research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders shows that one big aspect of time outdoors Read More...
New research links REM sleep and dreaming to healthy brain blood flow
Most of our dreaming occurs during REM cycles of our sleep, but there is still some debate in the scientific community surrounding the purpose of dreaming and different sleep cycles. Hoping to shed some light on why we sleep and dream, researchers from the University of Tsukuba decided to look at Read More...
7 Foods to avoid for a good night's sleep
You probably already know not to consume coffee before bed if you want a good night's sleep. However, if you find yourself still struggling to get some shut-eye after you politely declined that delicious smelling post-dinner espresso shot, then there may be other foods that may be to blame. Here Read More...
5 tips for better sleep from Olympians
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM We all know that sleep is vital for our health and wellbeing, and athletes are especially in tune with the critical nature of a good night's rest. The Olympics have now ended, but in the spirit of health and athletic performance, we're sharing five tips from Read More...
How to tell how well you're really sleeping
Good sleep is key to good health, but how can you be sure you're really getting the rest you need? Today we bring you four ways to determine how well you're sleeping for improved rest and overall wellness. Length of sleep How long you sleep is the number one indicator of sleep, but this doesn't Read More...
Summer sleep struggles? Here are some easy remedies
As we head into the heat of summer, you may find yourself having more trouble sleeping than usual. This is a common issue for a variety of reasons, but today we have a few solutions to help you troubleshoot your summer slumber. Why does summer disrupt our sleep? Excess heat is the primary sleep Read More...
Six reasons to wake up early
We all know that the early bird gets the worm, but what are the actual benefits of waking up early? It’s important to listen to your body’s natural circadian rhythms, but establishing a regular sleep schedule with an early wake up time offers many benefits for your health and wellbeing. Here Read More...
Study: Mindfulness improves children’s sleep
Is your little one having trouble falling asleep? A new study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that mindfulness can make a big impact on children’s sleep habits. The study monitored over 100 children between the ages of eight and 11 over two years. Half the children Read More...