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Healthwatch

Should You Be Sleepmaxxing To Boost Health And Happiness?

This viral wellness trend may be more hype than substance.

What is sleepmaxxing?

taping your mouth shut while sleeping

not drinking anything during the two hours before bedtime

a cold room temperature

a dark bedroom

using a white noise machine

not setting a morning alarm

showering one hour before bedtime

eliminating caffeine

eating kiwis before going to bed

taking magnesium and melatonin

using weighted blankets

getting 30 minutes of sunlight every day

meditating daily for 30 minutes.

Does any research support sleepmaxxing?

Can mouth-taping improve your sleep?

Sleepmaxxing or basic sleep hygiene?

Melatonin, early bedtime, weighted blankets, and — kiwi fruit?

Taking melatonin is recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to treat circadian rhythm disorders such as jet lag. But it's not recommended for insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality, or difficulty with falling asleep or staying asleep.

Is it healthier to be asleep by 10 p.m.? One video that garnered more than a million views claims it is. While it is important to maximize morning sunlight exposure and minimize evening light exposure to regulate circadian rhythms, there is such variability in how much sleep someone requires and individual chronotypes (not to mention varying personal and professional responsibilities!) that it is difficult to state there is an ideal bedtime for everyone.

While intriguing research has been done on weighted blankets, there is no convincing evidence that they are truly effective for the general adult population.

Overall, it's important to be cautious about the impact of the placebo effect on how someone sleeps. An analysis of more than 30 studies showed that roughly 64% of the drug response for a sleep medication in insomnia patients could be due to the placebo effect. A key takeaway is that studies that are not randomized controlled trials — such as this small study on 24 people suggesting that kiwi fruit may improve sleep — should be interpreted with a grain of salt.

Could you have orthosomnia?

Do you really need to fix your sleep?

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News_Naija

Police Nab Six Over Abuja Market Killing

No fewer than six suspects linked to the killing that triggered unrest at Gosa Market along Airport Road in Abuja have been arrested by the operatives of the Federal Capital Police Command. The incident, which caused fear among traders and residents, followed the death of a man accused of stealing tubers of yam. As a result of the incident, many have abandoned the market, which is often regarded as one of the most affordable places to buy food items in Abuja. Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, the Commissioner of Police, Adewale Ajao, said following the incident, the police swiftly moved into the area to douse tensions and restore normalcy. He said, “A young man was accused of stealing some tubers of yam at the market. And lo and behold, an individual decided to take the law into his hands. That’s a complete human being. This is what led to the crisis. “Following the police swiftly moved into the area to douse tensions and restore normalcy. Six suspects are currently in custody over the matter, which the police are treating as a clear case of murder. “ He added that the police engaged community leaders and traditional rulers in dialogue, which helped calm the situation.  “Immediately after the incident, we engaged the community leader there. The traditional ruler was with us. We discussed and tried to find out what went wrong. They saw the need to embrace peace,” he said. He said as of Thursday, the Gosa Market had resumed full operations under tight police surveillance. Ajao noted that in efforts to tackle robbery, five armed robbery cases led to the arrest of 17 suspects, while six others were nabbed in connection with foiled robberies in Apo and Kubwa. “Items recovered included four vehicles, a jackknife, military camouflage, and pistol ammunition. “Other arrests included: Nine suspects for theft, four for “one-chance” robbery, five for car theft involving illegal scrap dealers, two for fraud, one each for illegal possession of firearms and attempted homicide, eight for child trafficking, ten for rape, and one suspect for domestic violence,” he added.

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Worldnews

Mbappe Nets In Thrilling Real Madrid Win Against Dortmund At Club World Cup

Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers as the French forward continues comeback in Real Madrid’s 3-2 win against Dortmund. Kylian Mbappe’s spectacular bicycle kick was among three goals in the second-half stoppage time, as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match. The drama was not restricted to the late goals, with Real keeper Thibaut Courtois using his fingertips to palm away the potential levelling goal from the game’s final play. Gonzalo Garcia and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2-0 lead. Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier scored three minutes into stoppage time, and Mbappe, who entered in the 67th, restored a two-goal lead with his bicycle kick one minute later. Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty kick in the eighth minute of added time after he was fouled by Dean Huijsen, who received a red card and will miss the semifinals. Courtois used all of the lengthy arm on his 200cm (6ft 7in) frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the final whistle. Madrid advanced to a semifinal match against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, a day after Chelsea meets Brazilian club Fluminense. On a sunny afternoon, in 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) at the 3pm kickoff, Gonzalo Garcia scored in the 10th minute and Fran Garcia in the 20th. Garcia, a 21-year-old who made only five Spanish league appearances in the past two seasons, was given the start by new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso over Mbappe, who is still regaining fitness after acute gastroenteritis. Garcia has four goals, tying Benfica’s Angel Di María and Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo for the tournament lead. Mbappe came on for Jude Bellingham, who missed a chance to play against his brother, Jobe, who was suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Madrid beat Dortmund 2-0 in the 2024 Champions League final and overcame a two-goal halftime deficit in a 5-2 victory in this season’s league phase. Los Blancos were eliminated by Arsenal in this year’s Champions League quarterfinals. Madrid has won five consecutive games against Dortmund and is unbeaten in seven since a 2014 Champions League quarterfinal defeat. American midfielder Gio Reyna did not get off the bench and finished the tournament with one 13-minute appearance for Dortmund in five matches. This game drew 76,611 fans to MetLife Stadium, the site of next year’s World Cup final. Seats looked filled, except for a completely empty suite level on one side. There was a moment of silence before kickoff for Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and his brother, Penafiel’s Andre Silva, who died in a car crash on Thursday. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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Worldnews

Going Hungry: More Than 700 Palestinians Killed Seeking Aid In Gaza

Palestinians say they have no choice but to go to deadly US- and Israeli-backed aid sites amid growing starvation. More than 700 Palestinians have been killed trying to get food in the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks, according to new figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, spurring renewed condemnation of a contentious United States and Israeli-backed aid scheme. The Health Ministry said on Saturday that at least 743 Palestinians were killed and more than 4,891 others were injured while seeking assistance at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites. The GHF, which began operating in the bombarded Palestinian enclave in late May, has drawn widespread criticism amid multiple reports that its contractors as well as Israeli forces have opened fire on aid seekers. “The tragedy is that this is again a conservative reading of casualties who were at these distribution points, waiting for food parcels,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said of the ministry’s latest figures. Reporting from Gaza City, Mahmoud said the attacks on aid seekers come as Palestinian families are desperate to feed their families amid dire shortages caused by Israel’s blockade of Gaza. “People are going hungry. People are rationing supplies. A lot of families are not eating. Mothers here skip meals in order to provide for their children,” he said. Earlier this week, a report by The Associated Press news agency quoted American contractors who said live ammunition and stun grenades have been fired at Palestinian civilians seeking aid at GHF distribution points. Two unnamed US contractors told AP that heavily armed staff members appeared to be doing whatever they wanted. The GHF denied the news agency’s reporting as “categorically false” and said it takes “the safety and security of [its] sites extremely seriously”. The administration of US President Donald Trump also has stood by the GHF, with a State Department spokesperson telling reporters on Wednesday that the group is the “one entity that has gotten food and aid into the Gaza Strip”. In late June, the Trump administration pledged $30m in direct funding for the organisation. On Saturday, the GHF said two US workers at one of its sites in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis were injured when grenades were thrown at them at the end of food distribution. “The injured Americans are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” the group said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack. Leading humanitarian and human rights groups have demanded the immediate closure of the GHF, which they accused of “forcing two million people into overcrowded, militarized zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties”. Amnesty International has described the group’s operations as an “inhumane and deadly militarized scheme”. “All the evidence gathered, including testimonies which Amnesty International is receiving from victims and witnesses, suggest that the GHF was designed so as to placate international concerns while constituting another tool of Israel’s genocide,” Amnesty said. Still, faced with dire shortages of food, water and other humanitarian supplies under Israel’s blockade, many Palestinians in Gaza say they have no choice but to seek assistance from the group, despite the risks. “I was forced to go to the aid distribution centre simply because my kids had not eaten for three days in a row,” Majid Abu Laban, a Palestinian man who was wounded in an attack at a GHF site, told Al Jazeera. “We try to fool our children by all means, but they are starving,” Abu Laban said. “So I decided to risk my life and head to [an aid distribution point] at Netzarim,” he said, referring to an Israeli military-established corridor south of Gaza City. “I took the road at midnight hoping to get some food. As crowds rushed in, Israeli forces fired artillery shells at us. In the chaos, everyone was just trying to survive.” Follow Al Jazeera English:...