iPhone Tips And Tricks: How To Set Music Timer, View Siri Song History

Aside from simply connecting with friends, the iPhone has more features that can help you out throughout the day. Tricks like setting music timers and even checking your song history with Siri is also possible. Here are some nifty iPhone tips and tricks to help you out.

Music Timer

If you're planning to listen to music as you sleep or just want it to go away automatically after some time, the Music Time feature is your friend. To set this, go to the Clock app and tap on Timer. At the bottom part of the Timer's settings, you can find the Stop Music option. Turn that on and the music or playlist will automatically stop once the timer runs out.

Siri Song History

While in iTunes, Siri can be asked about the songs you've previously asked the Apple assistant to find. To do this, just press the three line icon near the top of the display and pick Siri. This feature is really helpful if you've got a song that's always at the tip of your tongue but really don't know how to ask Siri to find it again.

Reopen Closed Tab

Ever accidentally closed a Safari tab as you were browsing? If you want to get that lost tab back, the "+" button at the bottom of the screen can help you get back that tab as it'll pop up a list that'll show you the recently closed tabs. Just pick the ones you need and get back to browsing.

Quick Settings Access

If you want to see your phone's settings stat, just say "Settings" to Siri and it'll pop up. This feature will work when you're in other apps like checking your photos or messages.

Multiple App Moving

If you want to manage your apps in folders en masse, you can do this through holding one icon with your finger and tapping others while moving it. The other icons will now follow the one you're holding and you can move them together to any folder or part of the screen you like.

Aside from Siri, an iPhone has all sorts of fun functions for users to try out. Pictured: A woman tries to use 'Siri' voice-activated assistant software built into the Apple iPhone 4S March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. An iPhone 4S buyer has sued Apple for promising more than it delivered. A suit filed in a California federal court argued that Apple advertising touting the wonders of Siri amounted to 'intentional misrepresentation' and unfair competition, according to documents available online Tuesday. Lawyers representing a New York City man who bought an iPhone 4S want class action status to represent millions of people who bought the latest generation Apple smartphone. The suit included Apple -- which runs showing people asking Siri to help them find restaurants, learn chords to songs, tie neck ties, and even figure out if there is a rodeo in town -- had disappointed some users. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Karen Bleier

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Garmin’s new Vivoactive 3 Music is the best competitor to the Apple Watch

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The new Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music. Valentina Palladino

Optical heart-rate monitor and charging nodes on the underside. Valentina Palladino

Single side button for quick-start workouts and device settings. Valentina Palladino

The Chroma display is still one of the best to use in direct sunlight (please excuse my sunburnt wrist). Valentina Palladino

The new black, circular bezel blends in more seamlessly with the case than the metal bezel on the original Vivoactive 3. Valentina Palladino

The new model has storage space for 500 songs. Valentina Palladino

You can shuffle all titles, play specific playlists, or choose individual tracks to listen to. Valentina Palladino

Heart-rate graphs show all-day pulse data. Valentina Palladino

Device settings and battery level indicator. Valentina Palladino

Garmin's Vivoactive 3 held one of the top spots in my list of last year's best wearables. With its sleek design, comprehensive fitness capabilities, GPS navigation, and NFC payments, the 3 more than held its own against the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Fitbit Ionic.

Today, Garmin announced a new version of the Vivoactive 3 with a feature that brings the device up to par with the newest versions of its competition: music storage.

The new $299 Vivoactive 3 Music is a smartwatch with all of the features included on the original Vivoactive 3 plus space for about 500 songs. It also has Garmin's new advanced sleep-monitoring technology, which uses heart-rate variability (among other pieces of data) to more accurately determine sleep stages throughout the night. I wore the Vivoactive 3 Music for a few days ahead of its debut to get a feel for how much of an impact these small, yet important, updates have on an already stellar device.

Garmin didn't mess with the Vivoactive 3's design too much, but immediately noticeable on the new device is the glass-like bezel surrounding the touchscreen. The original Vivoactive 3 had a metal circle and side-swipe features on the left side of its case—both of those are gone now, replaced by a seamless black case that appears to bleed off its circumference. The device is incredibly light, and its traditional watch design helps it blend into nearly any outfit. I appreciated the original Vivoactive 3's design because it was leaps and bounds better than the chunky Vivoactive HR. The small changes that make the Vivoactive 3 Music unique also represent another step forward in Garmin's hardware-design journey.

Further Reading Vivoactive 3 review: Garmin's often the underdog, often the better choice Music storage

Garmin introduced music storage on the $449 Forerunner 645 Music earlier this year, and that feature begins to trickle down into other devices with the Vivoactive 3 Music. Considering the original 3 had Garmin Pay capabilities, the only other advanced feature it was missing was music storage.

The Vivoactive 3 Music can hold about 500 songs (supporting .mp3 and .aac file types) downloaded from your PC using Garmin Express or from supported streaming services. Currently, the device supports iHeartRadio and Deezer, so Spotify, Pandora, and other subscribers are still out of luck.

Garmin vivoactive 3 Music Price: $299.99 at Garmin Ars Technica may earn a commission on this sale. Buy

However, the music experience is nearly identical to that of the Forerunner 645 Music, which is to say that it's quite solid. Connecting the device to your PC and opening Garmin Express allows you to do a number of things: download music, install software updates, manage Connect IQ apps, and change device and profile settings. The Music program automatically identifies the default music program on your PC (in my case, that's iTunes) and mirrors the folders you have in that program such as playlists, albums, songs, and more. Choose playlists, albums, an entire artist's archive, or individual songs to import onto the watch, and within minutes, the songs transfer to the device and are ready for playback.

After using the Apple Watch, the Fitbit Ionic and Versa, various Wear OS devices, and the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music, I know that the uncomfortable part of the music experience typically comes when downloading music to a device. The tools a company uses to get available music onto a wearable are less than ideal, but Garmin's is one of the least offensive and most democratic. Users are limited only to iTunes and Apple Music when using an Apple Watch, and Fitbit's music tool in Fitbit Connect is clunky and slow to transfer music to a connected wearable. Garmin made downloading as easy as checking and unchecking boxes to add music to a device, and individual tracks transfer in just a few seconds.

In my experience, playback quality depends on the quality of your headphones. In the short time I've had with the Vivoactive 3 Music, the smartwatch never caused any glitches or breaks in music playback, and my connected wireless headphones produced rich sound. From the on-screen music player, you can shuffle songs, skip tracks, and scroll through playlist and album track lists to select the song you want to listen to.

Further Reading Apple Watch Series 3 review: LTE comes with high monetary and mental costs Advanced sleep monitoring

In addition to music storage, the Vivoactive 3 Music will have Garmin's new, advanced sleep-monitoring technology. Most Garmin wearables track sleep, but the company improved on its methods by incorporating metrics like heart-rate variability to better estimate time in light, deep, and REM sleep. Currently, sleep graphs and charts in Garmin Connect already account for sleep stages and awake time, but the new feature should make this information more accurate than it was before.

Advanced sleep monitoring wasn't ready in time for me to test it out, but Garmin says it's coming soon. On paper, the updated feature takes a direct shot at Fitbit, which has focused more on accurate sleep tracking and analysis over the past year or so. I'm interested to see how much more in-depth Garmin's sleep graphs will be once it includes data captured with the new technology and if Garmin Connect will use the new data to push out more personalized sleep recommendations or advice. I did sleep with the Vivoactive 3 Music on every night that I was testing it, and its lightweight design and stretchy band made it a comfortable sleep companion. However, some may prefer thin-and-light bands to track sleep, like the Fitbit Alta HR or the Garmin Vivosmart 3.

Listing image by Valentina Palladino

Carry-over features

Aside from ditching side-swipe, Garmin didn't remove any features from the Vivoactive 3 when making the new Music version. It has the same Chroma display that's always-on and great to read even in direct sunlight. Garmin has a plethora of workout profiles that you can track, including run, treadmill, strength training, bike, swim, row, ski, yoga, and more, and you can choose your favorites to keep on the watch at all times.

Specs at a glance: Vivoactive 3 Music vs. the competition Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music Garmin Forerunner 645 Music Apple Watch Series 3 Fitbit Ionic Samsung Gear Sport Price $299 $449 $329 $299 $249 OS compatibility Android, iOS Android, iOS iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Display 1.2-inch, 240 × 240 Chroma color touchscreen 1.2-inch, 240 × 240 Chroma color display 1.65-inch, 390 × 312 OLED touchscreen (42mm model) 1.4-inch, 348 × 250 touchscreen 1.2-inch, 360 x 360, Super AMOLED touchscreen Bands 20mm, interchangeable 20mm, interchangeable Proprietary, interchangeable Proprietary, interchangeable 20mm, interchangeable Heart-rate monitor/GPS Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes Water resistance Up to 50 meters Up to 50 meters Up to 50 meters Up to 50 meters Up to 50 meters Battery life Seven days (smartwatch mode), five hours (GPS and music) Seven days (smartwatch mode), five hours (GPS and music) Up to two days Five days (smartwatch mode), 10 hours (GPS mode) Up to three days Music storage Yes, up to 500 songs Yes, up to 500 songs Yes, up to 16GB (LTE models) Yes, up to 300 songs Yes, 4GB internal storage Music sources iHeartRadio (All Access subscribers), Deezer users, personal files iHeartRadio (All Access subscribers), Deezer users, personal files Apple Music (paid subscribers), paid iTunes tracks Pandora (paid subscribers), Deezer users, personal files Spotify (Premium subscribers), personal files NFC payments Yes, Garmin Pay Yes, Garmin Pay Yes, Apple Pay Yes, Fitbit Pay Yes, Samsung Pay Extra features New advanced sleep tracking, compatible with ANT+ devices Training load, training effect, anaerobic training effect, compatible with ANT+ devices W2 chip, GymKit, optional LTE Fitbit Coach (limited free workouts, others paid), Fitbit Studio (easier app/watch face development) Rotating bezel, Spotify Gear app for saving offline playlists Further Reading Fitbit Ionic review: Meet the $300 fitness-focused smartwatch

Making your own workout profile is also easy on the device or within the Garmin Connect mobile app, which should also get recognition for its improvement over the past year or so. The heart rate monitor and onboard GPS are both accurate, the device receives all smartphone alerts to keep you in the know, and Garmin Pay lets you pay for coffee on the way home from a run without your wallet.

The kicker, though, is its battery life: seven days in smartwatch mode, or five hours with GPS and music use. Music lowered the former battery-life estimation (the Vivoactive 3 could last 13 hours in GPS mode), but that was expected considering the amount of power needed to play music through a bluetooth device and track exercise using GPS at the same time. After wearing the device in smartwatch mode day and night for six days, the battery was down to about 30 percent.

Rep counting helped the Vivoactive 3 stand out among its Apple and Fitbit competitors, and it does the same for the Vivoactive 3 Music. Each time I use a Garmin device with rep counting, I find the experience slightly better than the last. It doesn't always capture every rep in a strength-training session (it often doesn't think you completed any during leg exercises), but it accurately captures most reps completed when your arms are moving. Garmin's automatic exercise recognition feature in strength-training workouts also continues to get better—the Vivoactive 3 Music accurately identified half of my arm-circuit exercises in each strength-training session I completed. For the sets it doesn't understand, Garmin Connect makes it easy for you to identify the exercise completed, number of reps, and the amount of weight lifted.

While Garmin devices work with Android and iOS, keep in mind that Android users get a few extra perks thanks to the openness of the platform. Android users can send quick-replies to text messages directly from the watch, while iOS users are limited to reading and dismissing message alerts. Android users can also use smart notifications to pick and choose apps to receive alerts from on the watch—for iOS users, it's all alerts, calls only, or calls and texts only.

The cherry atop the cake

Much like its predecessor, the Vivoactive 3 Music is a well-rounded, extremely capable fitness watch. It's a more advanced fitness device than the Apple Watch and the Fitbit Ionic, giving users the power to go as deep as they want into their own fitness training. Those just getting started can easily track daily walks and nothing more, while hardcore athletes can customize training plans, track many different types of workouts, and now bring music along with them for the ride as well. Garmin's device also outshines the competition with its seven-day battery life, rep-counting abilities, and workout customization tools, and the company should be given credit for making massive improvements to the Garmin Connect mobile app over the past year.

But the Apple Watch and Fitbit's devices deserve credit for the areas in which they excel. The Apple Watch makes a better smartwatch if you have an iPhone, allowing you to respond to messages and even make and receive calls if you have the LTE version of the Series 3 Watch. It's inherently a better communications device, with the tradeoff being the restriction to Apple's ecosystem. Fitbit's devices have a friendlier mobile app than Garmin's, and Fitbit's social features make exercise a communal activity. Garmin has social features as well, and some athletes may even prefer them, but Fitbit's challenges, activity status and photo sharing, groups and other social features will appeal to a wider variety of users with different fitness levels.

The Vivoactive 3's lack of music storage made it a no-go for many users, particularly those who want to listen to music but also be free of their smartphones while they exercise. Now with music storage, the Vivoactive 3 Music is truly the best competitor to the Apple Watch and the Fitbit Ionic that Garmin has ever made—and it's made even better by its $299 price tag. If you're not married to Apple's ecosystem and aren't enamored by Fitbit's friendly hardware and software aesthetic, the Vivoactive 3 Music is the smartwatch to get.

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Why music is used as a potential sleep aid?

London, Nov 15 (IANS) Besides its potential to help reduce anxiety as well as the negative effects of physical pain, a new study suggests that music might serve as a cheap, non-pharmaceutical sleep aid for people facing difficulty in getting proper sleep.

Sleep loss is a widespread problem and poses serious physical and economic consequences. However, there is a lack of systematic data on how widely it is used, why people opt for music as a sleep aid, or what music works.

The study found that music both stimulates sleep and blocks an internal or external stimulus that would otherwise disrupt sleep.

"The study offers new understanding into the complex motivations that drive p eople to reach for music as a sleep aid and the reasons why so many find it effective," said researchers including Tabitha Trahan from the University of Sheffield in the UK.

Further, to understand why people opt for music as a sleep aid, or what music works, the team investigated music as a sleep aid within the general public via an online survey that scored musicality, sleep habits, and open-text responses on what music helps sleep and why.

They examined 651 adults, who provided new evidence into the relationship between music and sleep in a population that ranged widely in age, musicality, sleep habits and stress levels.

The results, published in the journal PLOS ONE, showed that 62 per cent use music to help them sleep.

Even those who do not suffer from sleep disorders use music in their everyday lives to help improve the quality of their sleep experiences.

Studies have shown that music has many promising neurological and physiological effects that may be indicative of its effective use in the fight against sleep loss.

The subjective psychological benefits of music have also been linked to chemical changes observed via hormone levels as music increased oxytocin and accordingly levels of relaxati on as well as decrease negative thoughts, the study noted.

--IANS

pb/rt/mag/sed

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Opinion: It's Time to Put "Woke" to Sleep

The argument I am making is not new, or revolutionary, or profound. Instead, it's a cleanup. The last street sweeping at the end of a long parade, that final reminder that the party is really over.

In order to make this argument, it's important to define the word as accurately as possible, because the muddling of the definition of woke is really what killed it.

According to Merriam-Webster, woke means, "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)."

Its resurgence in this decade can be most closely linked to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. BLM activists have been striving, for years now, to convince people of all races to value and respect blackness, to take issues like the deaths of black people at the hands of police seriously. Woke became shorthand for a mindset and a worldview that values black lives.

But the word goes further back than that. It's most famously traced to an essay published in the New York Times in 1962 called "If You're Woke You Dig It," by William Melvin Kelley, though some have traced its use as far back as the 1940s.

One of the arguments Kelley presented in the piece was that once black words, like "cats" or "dig it," used to define certain aspects of blackness, became adopted by a white mainstream, they were officially done.

His words ring true in 2018 as well. No matter how well-intentioned, when Jill Stein and the cast of Will & Grace are name-checking the term, ironically or not, it's no longer anything new.

Nicole Holliday, a linguist at Pomona College who researches sociolinguistics and racial and ethnic boundaries in language, argues that the Internet may have sped up the life cycle of a word like woke, sending it from new to played-out in record time.

"So many more people are being exposed to so much more language by people that they wouldn't normally interact with," Holliday says. "The people you follow on Twitter aren't necessarily people that you talk to in real life."

"Some group of young peopleâ€"usually young people of colorâ€"start popularizing a word," Holliday says. "They interact with other young people and people a little older than them."

And then, Holliday says, people in their 20s grab hold of it, as do white liberals, and so on and so forth. Their parents hear it, and before you know it, a buzzword ends up in a corporate board meeting. By then, Holliday argues, that word is done.

Of course, this way in which words cycle through the culture is nothing new. Emily Brewster, an associate editor at Merriam-Webster sees parallels with the phrase "politically correct," which is defined as "conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated," but at this point usually means something pretty different.

"At its most sincere," Brewster says, "[the phrase politically correct] is a kind of caretaking of the people around you. You are going to think about how the words impact an audience that is maybe, maybe not the audience that you first imagined when you are saying something or creating something."

But now, argues Brewster, it's become a cudgel, a mockery. Words that begin with a very specific meaning, used by a very specific group of people, over time become shorthand for our politics, and eventually move from shorthand to linguistic weapon. Or in the case of woke, a linguistic eye-roll.

But yet, here we are, still using the word.

Perhaps the most convincing reason to stop doing so may lie in a misconception that's traveled with woke even before its Black Lives Matter resurgence. In 2008, Erykah Badu released the song "Master Teacher," which began to reintroduce the word woke to the culture before BLM did more of the heavy lifting.

In that song, Badu and others repeat the refrain, "I stay woke," over and over again. But, in a recent interview with OKPlayer, songwriter Georgia Anne Muldrow told Elijah Watson, news and culture editor for the site, that we all heard it wrong.

"She was saying 'I'd,' like I would stay woke," Watson says, "but it sounds like it's a declarative 'I stay woke.' "

A word meant to imply a constant state of striving, course-correcting and growth has been heard now, for almost a decade, as a static and performative state of being.

"[The word woke] was something that we were taking seriously and then it kind of transformed into something ironic and then it became a meme and then it became a trademark," Watson says.

After writing a definitive history of the word for OKPlayer, Watson says he no longer uses the word woke. He compares the co-opting of woke to the way music steeped in black tradition moves through mainstream culture.

"We made jazz, we made rap, we made all these different things," Watson said. "It's sad to say but we're used to being taken advantage of and to have things stolen from us. But at the same time we're quick to evolve and adapt because we need to in order to survive."

Here's to evolution and adaptation. Let's promise to leave a word that's past its prime in 2018. It's time to put woke to sleep.

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How to Achieve Restorative Sleep

Jeff Nichols is a Navy SEAL veteran and exercise physiologist and I recently consulted with him on the topic of sleep and recovery and how to achieve a "restorative sleep."

As Jeff puts it, the goal is quality hours of sleep that place the body into a rapid eye movement (REM) pattern as many times as possible. This process introduces the hormone response that enables the body to recover from a stressful day and the physical stress of job and training that many tactical athletes endure.

Though there is a list of sleep assistance items and habits to follow, do not try to do all of them at once. The goal is to see what works for you, so keep it simple. Select one or two at a time and implement them for a week or so. Then try to add another. Eventually, you will find the perfect formula that works for you. This process will also allow you to evaluate the new changes to your life effectively.

Treat sleep as the most important part of your day -- really! You will sleep 30 percent of your life. You should be good at it because, if you are not, you could be subtracting years from your life due to your inability to metabolize stress properly. It is helpful to prepare for sleep as if you were preparing for any other part of your day. Consider the following rituals:

Four to Six Hours Prior to Sleep

Lay off caffeine several hours prior to sleep. In fact, you should make this the first step to sleeping better. For some people, having caffeine up to 6 hours before bed can affect sleep by over an hour.

Start cooling the room temperature a few hours prior to sleep. Try a setting between 65-69 degrees Fahrenheit. This will allow your body temperature to drop (approximately 0.7 degree Celsius), which is necessary for essential hormone release -- such as testosterone, HGHr, dopamine and serotonin, to name a few. This hormone dump is directly correlated to entering REM and is a clear sign of quality restorative sleep.

Food before bed. The goal is slow-digesting protein (casein) sources low in sugar. Foods like the following are good snacks before bedtime:

Plain whole milk Greek yogurt (vanilla-flavored casein protein powder will add taste to plain yogurt plus extra slow digesting protein)

Quinoa

Cottage Cheese

Nakee butter peanut butter - https://nakeebutter.com. This product has MCT oil in it, which is ideal for brain function and brain health. There's nothing artificial in this product, and it comes ready to travel in single-serving packets.

Find a snack that works for you and your digestive system. The amino acids in these protein-rich foods are also helpful with metabolizing stress.

Some Extra Items to Consider Getting and Doing

Bedding. Consider new sheets and pillowcases. Polyester, silk, satin, or any other sheer type bedding is not recommended. Bamboo is a good choice. Here is a brand worth checking out: https://www.cariloha.com. Hemp sheets are a good second option, and pure cotton is fine too.  Bamboo is actually softer than cotton; because of the weave, it is more breathable and will not trap extra heat under the sheets with you.

Air Filter. Get a high-quality air filter for your bedroom, especially if you have pets. Air quality is essential for quality of sleep even though it's often overlooked. Most any air filter will do. It does not have to be super expensive, just one that focuses on pets and dust stirred up from normal living. Consider this one.

Blue light-blocking glasses. If you spend time in front of the screen prior to bed or in the evening in general (on your phone, computer or tablet), these glasses are mandatory. Just wear them around your house an hour before bed and do what you normally do. This will begin to down regulate your brain and help you quiet your mind and prepare for sleep.

Supplements. People often take melatonin as a supplement, though it's best to help your body make it naturally. The most effective and simple way is to place yourself in direct sunlight for 10-15 minutes before 9:30 am. This sets the circadian rhythm essential for natural melatonin release each evening. This is very useful when you travel time zones. It  will also align your appetite. The goal is to sleep naturally and not rely on supplements or sleep aids. However, Gaba-250 (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a natural, safe, non-habit forming neurotransmitter. Too much excitation can lead to irritability, restlessness, sleeplessness and spasmodic movements. This excitation needs to be balanced with inhibition. GABA is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Sleepwear. The act of getting into pajamas is a trigger for the brain to start preparing for sleep. Do this an hour prior to sleeping. Bedtime clothing recommendations are the same as for sheets -- bamboo, hemp or cotton. A cotton-poly blend isn't bad either, especially since many of them are very soft and comfortable.

The ChiliPad. Mattress temp is equally important as air temperature in the room. Consider getting a mattress cover that cools. Try the ChiliPad at 69 degrees. Keep in mind that as morning approaches, you may need to turn it up to 71 degrees. This is because, as you go into REM sleep, your body temp will drop and you may get a chill. This is normal.   

Binaural Music. Specifically, "delta wave binaural tones" is the soothing music of choice. Simply put, it involves sound tones that places the brain in a state to receive sleep. Your brain will produce an electrical wave in a Delta pattern when in REM sleep.

Showering before bedtime. The combination of heat radiation and the mammalian response, or diving reflex, will help ready you for sleep. Take a warm shower and make sure you stand under the shower head for a minute or two as it pours over your face and head -- breathe and relax. Keep the bathroom dim during the shower. Do not brighten the bathroom or bedroom after the shower. Once you have dried off, get into bed and do not cover your feet or hands. The heat leaving your body will simulate a body temperature drop similar to entering REM. As you feel yourself getting sleepy, cover up and get comfortable.

Your bedtime habits can elicit a response that helps you relax, but you have to start associating relaxing events or times in your life with that time right before sleep. For instance, before sleep, smell something that reminds you of something nice, like a baby's hug or your bedroom as a kid -- something relaxing to you. A picture of your child or puppy sleeping will also work. But smell is very powerful to help with this response.

For more information about Jeff Nichols' programming, check out www.performancefirstus.com.

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What Gets You To Sleep? Study Reveals Some Turn To Metal Music

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — What helps you get to sleep? A new study says many people use music as an everyday sleep aid.

Sixty-two percent of people surveyed said they listen to music to help them fall asleep. Many say it helps them relax or blocks noise. And you might be surprised to learn it's not just classical music that helps with the Zs.

The people surveyed cited more than 500 artists from 14 different genres they're listening to as they go to sleep.

Among the favorite artists: Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and then there were some classic choices, like Mozart.

Around three percent of those surveyed preferred to be lulled to sleep by metal.

But if music isn't your bedtime thing maybe you are one of those few who prefers to sleep to the sound of something else: the sound of silence.

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Music: a popular sleep aid

Insufficient sleep is a widespread problem with social, economic, and health impacts. Sleep difficulties have been associated with a number of adverse health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and lower overall well-being. Despite the significant impacts of sleep quality on health, sleep is often disregarded as a public health concern.

One-third of Canadians receive less than seven hours of sleep per night

Many factors contribute to poor quality sleep, including caffeine consumption, work demands, social commitments, stress, and family life. About one-third of Canadians receive less than seven hours of sleep per night, the minimum amount recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. Adults between 18 and 64 years old should receive between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, and those over 65 should sleep seven to nine hours each night. Many Canadians also have compromised sleep quality. About 43% of men and 55% of women report having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep sometimes, most of the time, or all of the time.

Pharmaceutical sleep aids can have harmful side effects

There are a number of sleep disorders that can have an impact on quality of life. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and often involves difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

Treatment options for sleep problems and disorders include both lifestyle changes and medication. However, pharmaceutical sleep aids can have a number of harmful side effects. A recent UK study showed that music might be an effective alternative to pharmaceuticals to help with sleep.

The authors of the study looked at the effects of music as a sleep aid by polling 651 people over the age of 18 with an online survey. The survey evaluated subjects on musicality (musical sensitivity, knowledge, or talent), sleep habits, and open text responses on what types of music might help with sleep and why.

Music is a popular sleep aid

The results, published PLOS One, showed that 62% of respondents reported using music to help with sleep. Participants described 14 unique musical genres and 545 different artists. Classical music was the most commonly used genre of music to help with sleep, reported by about 32% of participants. The types of music used for sleep varied and were not restricted to only relaxing and peaceful music genres.

Even those without a diagnosed sleep disorder used music to improve sleep quality, and about 36% of participants used music for sleep at least once per week. In addition, younger people with a higher musical engagement—a measure involving attention, emotion, and response to music—were more likely to use music as a sleep aid.

Respondents reported a number of reasons for using sleeping music, including relaxation, focus, or to change the mood. The study also identified other motivators for using music such as improved bedtime routine, masking of external noises, and distraction from negative thoughts. Previous studies have shown that music can benefit anxiety, which may result from chemical and biological changes in the body, though further research is needed.

Although the current study demonstrates that music is a popular sleep aid, the results have a few limitations. First, the study participants were recruited through web-based platforms, which favour younger individuals and those with access to the internet. Second, the results are based on how participants felt that music improved sleep, and do not account for any objective sleep measures such as changes to body physiology. Lastly, respondents were self-selected for the study, meaning that participants themselves chose whether or not to partake in the study. As a result, the views of music users might be overrepresented in the study outcomes.

More research needed to understand how music can treat sleep difficulties

Despite these limitations, the study shows how various types of music might benefit a range of sleep-related problems. It also reveals the diverse reasons behind using music to help sleep. Music therapy is a low-cost and side-effect free option to treat insufficient sleep. Further research is needed to better understand any biological changes caused by music, and how music can be used to treat sleep difficulties and disorders.

Written by Braydon Black, BSc

References:

Trahan T, Durrant SJ, Müllensiefen D, Williamson VJ. The music that helps people sleep and the reasons they believe it works: A mixed methods analysis of online survey reports. PLoS One [Internet]. 2018 Nov [cited 2018 Dec 22];13(11):e0206531. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206531 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206531

Chaput JP, Wong SL, Michaud I. Duration and quality of sleep among Canadians aged 18 to 79 [Internet]. Ottawa: Statistics Canada; 2017 Sep 20 [cited 2018 Dec 22]. p. 28-33 Cat. No.: 82-003-X. Available from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2017009/article/54857-eng.htm

HealthLink BC. Insomnia [Internet]. Burnaby (British Columbia): Government of British Columbia. [updated 2017 Oct 10; cited 2018 Dec 22]. Available from: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/uh1001

Merriam-Webster dictionary [Internet]. Springfield (MA): Merriam-Webster Incorporated; 2018. Musicality; [updated 2018 Nov 24; cited 2018 Dec 22]. Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musicality

Leslie G, Ojeda A, Makeig S. Measuring musical engagement using expressive movement and EEG brain dynamics. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain [Internet]. 2014 Jan 15 [cited 2018 Dec 22];24(1):75-91. Available from: http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-13444-008

How much did this article help your understanding of this health condition?

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How To Improve Sleep? Listen To This Type Of Music, Experts Say

Improving your sleep could be just one Ed Sheeran song away. Music has been discovered to have many health benefits and has even been used for therapy, but experts say it could also be the key to solving sleep problems.

Music, particularly the soothing and relaxing kind, can improve sleep by triggering the release of sleep-friendly hormones such as oxytocin and serotonin and lower sleep-stifling hormones like cortisol, according to Psychology Today.

Aside from this, listening to this type of songs and music pieces can lower heart rate and blood pressure, slow breathing, ease muscle tension, quiet the nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety. Basically, it takes away factors that keep you from getting a good night's sleep.

If your thoughts are keeping you up until very late at night, listening to music before going to bed could help you fall asleep faster. Another analysis revealed that music therapy could help those with sleep disorders, whether short-term or chronic. Having a daily routine of listening to music before sleeping will also be a good thing in the long run since the study showed that the therapeutic effect of music is strengthened if you do it more often.

But improving your sleep with the help of music doesn't only involve the physical part of your body. Music can also help alleviate your sleep problems by influencing your mood and lowering stress. Emotional, mental and psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and other disorders are often linked to sleep problems, including insomnia, according to The Sleep Doctor. Easing your anxiety and improving your mood with the help of music would go a long way in helping you sleep faster and better at night.

Studies, usually conducted in patients undergoing surgery and other medical treatments, have shown that listening to music can help ease anxiety. It's even proven to be better than prescription drugs. Based on a University of Kansas research, music can also reduce anxiety and improve the sleep of people who have gone through traumatic experiences, whether physical or emotional.

Research conducted to find out the effects of relaxing music on people with schizophrenia has also shown that this helped improve their depression and sleep. The same goes for people living with post-traumatic stress disorder, as per numerous studies.

But music isn't only beneficial for patients, they can also solve some problems experienced by healthy adults. Studies have shown that listening to music can ease the feelings of anxiety and reduce the physical symptoms that come with it. These include elevated blood pressure and heart rate and nervous system arousal. 

As for how exactly you can use music to help improve your sleep, Psychology Today's Dr. Michael Breus suggested choosing songs that have a rhythm of 60 to 80 beats per minute and preferably have no lyrics. Also, avoid songs that can cause emotional triggers, such as breakup tunes that could make you cry or feel overwhelmed.

One key factor for its success in improving sleep is consistency. Research suggests that the more you listen to music regularly, the stronger is its therapeutic effect. But make sure not to fall asleep wearing earbuds or headphones because these may damage your ear canal.

Will you start listening to music every night to help improve your sleep? Find out more about the effects of music here.

Listening to music is a good way to improve sleep, research shows. Photo: Getty Images/Leo Ramirez

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Ciara has to 'map out sleep' to cope with her busy life

Ciara has to "map out sleep" in her schedule to ensure she rests while working and looking after her two children.

The 32-year-old singer is mother to four-year-old son Future with ex, rapper Future, and 17-month-old daughter Sienna with football player husband Russell Wilson. As well as raising her offspring and supporting Russell in his NFL football career, Ciara has been kept busy with Bruno Mars' 24K Magic World Tour, as she is the special guest on the North American leg of the jaunt.

But keeping up with such a busy life has its drawbacks, and the Goodies star has had to start writing time to sleep in her diary.

"It's fun. I've been having a blast on tour with Bruno," Ciara smiled to Entertainment Tonight. "He's one of the best performers of all time, and it's all about a balancing act and organised chaos with the schedule, because it's literally like, hop off the plane from Boston and fly back to Seattle to go to Russ' game. Then get back on the plane again and then I come here for rehearsals for the American Music Awards, and then I fly to another game the other day. Then I wake up and take them to school."

"So, it's a balancing act. The key to it is making sure you map out sleep in your schedule. If you map out sleep, you can survive the chaos of life, and the balancing act of having kids and family and work."

Ciara performed at Tuesday night's (09Oct18) AMAs to perform her tune Level Up alongside Missy Elliott. And speaking prior to the performance, the singer gushed she was more than a little excited about the prospect.

"It's been a while since she and I rocked the stage together, and our song Level Up has been going amazingly, and the fans have been showing so much love and she's just a true legend," she said. "She's my sister but also I really respect her and it's always amazing when we get together on the stage together and rock."

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Lose yourself to a free night of ambient music with Vancouver Sleep Clinic!

PRESENTED BY

Want a night of vibin' to chill, intimate music? Look no further. We're sending you tickets to see Vancouver Sleep Clinic! They're finally coming to Asia and Singapore is the last stop on their tour.

Vancouver Sleep Clinic is the stage name for an Australian project led by indie extraordinaire Tim Bettinson. Since 2014, he has released a string of musical projects that has captured indie lovers worldwide. His single  "Someone to Stay" has attracted over 11 million listeners on Spotify, and has even ended up on popular TV shows such as Suits, The Good Doctor and Bones.

Vancouver Sleep Clinic's music is described to be "the love child between Bon Iver and Sigur Ros", with some hip hop beats thrown in.

One of his recent songs, "Ayahuasca", is a beautiful and heartfelt track about a long distance romance. With an acoustic beginning and an ambient end, you're bound to have an out-of-body experience hearing it live. You can check out the music video here:

Having previously been in record label limbo, Bettinson was unable to release new music. Luckily, he is now completely independent, and his music is fresher than ever.

This show will be a part of Vancouver Sleep Clinic's first Asia tour, so you know that it's going to be a special night for all concert goers and lovers. You won't want to miss it!

But what's the point of having an amazing night if you can't share it with someone? That's why we're giving you not one, but two tickets to the concert! The show will be at SLED Productions x Decline on August 24 from 8pm to 10pm.

Intimate atmosphere. Dreamy, ethereal music. Shameless vibing. Sounds fun, eh?

To get the tickets, join us for the price of a coffee per month and become a COCO+ Member.

Bein g a COCO+ member gets you unlimited access to fresh, original and award-winning local news. Oh, and regular opportunities to win free giveaways that you'll love, like this one.

If you're already a COCO+ member, email membership@coconuts.co with your full name and the subject line "I want tickets to Vancouver Sleep Clinic" from now to Aug. 17. Members will be notified via email shortly thereaf ter, so check your inbox. We ask all winners to reply and claim their prize within 24 hours, or we will pick again.

 

The post Lose yourself to a free night of ambient music with Vancouver Sleep Clinic! appeared first on Coconuts.

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Poor sleep linked to buildup of dangerous plaques throughout body, study says

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

(CNN) — Here's another reason why getting a good night's sleep should be on your must-do list: Sleeping fewer than six hours a night or waking frequently raises your risk of developing damaging plaque in arteries throughout your body, not just your heart.

Previous research has shown poor sleep to be strongly associated with coronary heart disease, but "This is the first study to show that objectively measured sleep is independently associated with atherosclerosis throughout the body," José Ordovás, director of nutrition and genomics at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, said in a statement. Ordovás was senior author of a study on these findings, published Monday in the journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The increase of plaque, called atherosclerosis, in your extremities puts you at increased risk for strokes, digestive problems and poor circulation that leads to numbness and pain in your extremities, as well as heart disease.

Objective measurements

The study looked at nearly 4,000 Spanish men and women, with an average age of 46, who had no history of heart disease. Each person wore an actigraph, a small device that measured the length and quality of sleep, over seven nights. Quality of sleep was defined by how often they woke up and how often they moved during the sleep phases.

The subjects were divided into four groups based on their sleep duration: fewer than six hours, six to seven hours, seven to eight hours and more than eight hours. And each person underwent both a cardiac CT scan and a 3D ultrasound of their heart at the beginning and end of the study. Various arteries in the body were also observed via 3D ultrasound.

This use of objective means to quantify sleep was one of the strengths of the research, Dr. Daniel Gottlieb and Dr. Deepak Bhatt of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital wrote in an editorial published alongside the study.

Another strength was the size of the study and the exclusion of anyone with existing heart disease or obstructive sleep apnea. Prior research had typically included patients with existing heart and other chronic diseases, and used patient questionnaires to capture sleep length and quality, which are subject to recall error.

"What people report and what they do are often different," said Dr. Valentin Fuster, editor-in-chief of the journal of the American College of Cardiology, who led the new research.

After factoring out traditional risk factors for heart disease, the researchers found that subjects who slept fewer than six hours were 27% more likely to have atherosclerosis throughout the body than those who slept seven to eight hours. Participants with fractured sleep were 34% more like to have plaque buildup than those who slept well.

"These results highlight the importance of healthy sleep habits for the prevention of cardiovascular disease," the study authors wrote.

Impact of poor sleep

The impact of crummy sleep on our health is well-documented. Science has linked poor slumber with high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, weight gain, a lack of libido, mood swings, paranoia and a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

A lab-based sleep study found that people who were sleeping fewer than six hours a night for two weeks -- and who thought they were doing just fine -- functioned as badly on cognitive and reflex tests as people who were deprived of sleep for two full nights.

A chronic lack of sleep is also closely tied to anxiety and depression, as the body struggles to cope with the stress of sleepiness. There's even growing evidence that poor sleep early in life can lead to the development of the plaques and tangles that cause Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia.

Sleep is critical to the body's rejuvenation. Deep sleep, the kind that comes only after a full cycle, is necessary for the body to release hormones designed to repair cells and build tissue in the body and brain.

You can sleep better

It's up to you to improve your sleep, and you can do that by training your brain. Start by setting up your sleep environment and establish a relaxing bedtime routine. It's that repetition that will train your brain to recognize that its time to relax and sleep. Low temperatures in the bedroom, dim lighting, taking a warm bath or shower, and listening to soothing music are all good methods to try.

And don't forget exercise. According to the National Sleep Foundation, as little as 10 minutes a day of walking, biking or other aerobic exercise can "drastically improve nighttime sleep quality."

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Using Music as Sleep Aid

A new study shows that many individuals use music to fight sleep difficulties.

Sleep loss is a widespread problem with serious physical and economic consequences, and music might serve as a cheap, non-pharmaceutical sleep aid, the researchers noted. However, there is a lack of systematic data on how widely it is used, why people opt for music as a sleep aid, or what music works.

To address this gap in knowledge, Dr. Tabitha Trahan and her colleagues at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. investigated music as a sleep aid by the general public. They utilized an online survey that scored musicality, sleep habits and open-text responses on what music helps sleep and why.

According to the researchers, 62 percent of the 651 respondents reported that they use music to help them sleep, describing 14 musical genres comprising 545 artists.

Even respondents who don't suffer from sleep disorders use music in their everyday lives to help improve the quality of their sleep experiences, the survey discovered.

Younger people with higher musical engagement are significantly more likely to use music to aid sleep, according to the study's findings.

Respondents believe that music both stimulates sleep and blocks internal or external stimulus that would otherwise disrupt sleep, the researchers reported.

The study relied on self-reported answers and could only investigate respondents' beliefs about how music helped them sleep, rather than drawing conclusions about music's physiological and psychological effects, the researchers noted. The participants also self-selected for the study, so it may have been biased towards music users.

"Nonetheless, the study provides initial evidence that many people use diverse types of music in the belief that it helps them sleep," the researchers said in the study, which was published in PLOS ONE.

"The largest ever survey of everyday use of music for sleep reveals multiple pathways to effect that go far beyond relaxation; these include auditory masking, habit, passion for music, and mental distraction," the researchers concluded.

"This work offers new understanding into the complex motivations that drive people to reach for music as a sleep aid and the reasons why so many find it effective."

Source: PLOS

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Survey reveals how we use music as a possible sleep aid

Many individuals use music in the hope that it fights sleep difficulties, according to a study published November 14 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Tabitha Trahan of the University of Sheffield, UK, and colleagues. As described by the authors, this is the first online survey on the use of music as a sleep aid in the general population.

Sleep loss is a widespread problem with serious physical and economic consequences, and music might serve as a cheap, non-pharmaceutical sleep aid. However, there is a lack of systematic data on how widely it is used, why people opt for music as a sleep aid, or what music works. To address this gap in knowledge, Trahan and colleagues investigated music as a sleep aid within the general public via an online survey that scored musicality, sleep habits, and open-text responses on what music helps sleep and why.

In total, 62% of the 651 respondents reported that they use music to help them sleep, describing 14 musical genres comprising 545 artists. Even respondents who don't suffer from sleep disorders use music in their everyday lives to help improve the quality of their sleep experiences, and younger people with higher musical engagement are significantly more likely to use music to aid sleep. Respondents believe that music both stimulates sleep and blocks an internal or external stimulus that would otherwise disrupt sleep.

The study relied on self-reported answers and could only investigate respondents' beliefs about how music helped them sleep, rather than drawing conclusions about music's physiological and psychological effects. The participants also self-selected for the study, so it may have been biased towards music users. Nonetheless, the study provides initial evidence that many people use diverse types of music in the belief that it helps them sleep.

The authors add: "The largest ever survey of everyday use of music for sleep reveals multiple pathways to effect that go far beyond relaxation; these include auditory masking, habit, passion for music, and mental distraction. This work offers new understanding into the complex motivations that drive people to reach for music as a sleep aid and the reasons why so many find it effective."

More information: Trahan T, Durrant SJ, Müllensiefen D, Williamson VJ (2018) The music that helps people sleep and the reasons they believe it works: A mixed methods analysis of online survey reports. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0206531. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206531 Provided by Public Library of Science

Citation: Survey reveals how we use music as a possible sleep aid (2018, November 14) retrieved 10 January 2019 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-11-survey-reveals-music-aid.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

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Dreampad Memory Support Pillow with Music & Sleep Technology review

REVIEW – For many years, I have struggled with getting a good night of sleep and it usually starts with difficulty falling asleep. I have tried many things including sound machines, but I have found that listening to Contemporary Jazz music that I love gives me the best chance to easily fall asleep. The problem is that although my wife enjoys that type of music as well, she needs the room to be quiet when she is really ready to sleep. So, what do I do? The Dreampad Memory Support Pillow with Music & Sleep Technology validated by SleepScore Labs seems like a possible solution.

What is it?

The Dreampad is a 20" x 28" pillow that utilizes embedded transducers to deliver music through gentle vibration that only the user can hear and will not disturb anyone sleeping nearby.

What's in the box

1 x Dreampad Pillow1 x AC Adapter and Micro USB Charging Cable1 x Bluetooth Adapter1 x Quick Start Guide

Design and features

The Dreampad pillow is covered in a very soft and smooth white cover that is 100% cotton. There is a zipper on one side that reveals a pocket that includes a built-in wire with a 3.5mm plug that connects to the Bluetooth adapter. They also include an extension 3.5mm cable so that you have the option of a wired connection to maybe a larger radio or music source on your nightstand or otherwise some distance away.

The Bluetooth adapter connects to the micro USB cable to be charged and has a touch plower/play/pause button on the front.

On one of the thin sides, it has a volume up/down control.

On the other side if the 3.5mm port for connecting the adapter to the pillow.

Performance

The Dreampad is very easy to set up and you can quickly start to enjoy the benefit of it. The Bluetooth adapter arrived with some amount of charge and I charged it the day before I started using it. Once I turned on the adapter, it showed up in the list of the available Bluetooth devices on my phone as Dreampad. The pairing was easy, and it was ready to go. My first test was to play music wirelessly from my iPhone. At first, I could not hear anything, then I realized that it is designed to be used with very little to no ambient noise and that for me, I could only really hear it with my head turned to the side with an ear on the pillow. If I was lying flat with the back of my head on the pillow, I could not hear it. Maybe someone with better hearing than I have might. This was not a big issue for me since I tend to sleep on either side but rarely face up with the back of my head on the pillow. I was also able to test the pillow using a transistor radio with a 3.5mm output auxiliar y jack since you can use the 3.5mm cable that is built into the pillow to connect directly to the music source as opposed to the Bluetooth adapter. I went back to my iPhone, and I opened my Pandora app and started playing my Contemporary jazz selections, and soon dozed off to sleep. For me, it is a very soothing experience and it does help me to fall asleep easier and faster. One important point to note is that I decided to purchase a zippered pillow cover to cover the Dreampad and then I put the pillow cover on. I did this to keep the Dreampad clean and to protect it in case I spill water on it while taking a sip during the night and especially so if I fail to completely close its zipper. I am not sure how water resistant it is.

APP

The Dreampad also can be managed via a mobile app, that can broadcast any selection of music or sounds you select. It comes with 10 songs that are designed to specifically support sleep. The app also features volume control, play time control, and an alarm. The following are some screenshots from the app:

What I like

The quality of the pillow

The design and capability to connect to various audio sources and in multiple ways

What can be improved Final thoughts

When I first heard about the Dreampad, I was not certain that I would actually use it regularly, but I was willing to try it because of the difficulty I have sleeping. While it does have its limitations, it actually works quite well and succeeds at helping me to drift off to sleep. I do think that it is the kind of product that you will either use regularly if you like it or not at all if you are on the fence about it. Having said that, I personally like it. However, the sample I received is the medium support version, and  I do need it to be much firmer for me to use it as my only pillow. I checked the ordering process on the website, and they do offer a selection of levels of firmness that includes a firm support version, and apparently a variety of material types that includes memory foam. I use the Dreampad almost every night along with another pillow, even when at times I fall asleep before actually connecting it to music.

Price: $127.20Where to buy: SleepScore LabsSource: the sample for this review was provided by SleepScore Labs.

Support The Gadgeteer: The Gadgeteer's main sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links in articles like this one. That means we may receive a small commission on purchases at no cost to you.

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Ed Sheeran’s songs about coke and hookers put people to sleep

Ed Sheeran is "perfect" for making people nod off.

A new study from the University of Sheffield says 62 percent of people listen to music to fall asleep — and the ginger singer-songwriter's relaxing acoustic love songs about doing coke and sleeping with hookers are No. 2 with a bullet.

A total of 545 musical artists were referenced in the research published by the journal PLOS One.

The big sleep soundtrack was Bach — who outranked Sheeran. Other common bedtime companions were Mozart, Brian Eno, Coldplay and then Chopin.

It's no surprise classical artists charted so high. The study found that it's the most snooze-inducing genre, with 31.96 percent of respondents noting it as their comatose choice. Other popular genres included rock (10.82 percent), pop (7.47 percent) and acoustic (6.7 percent).

Sonic strange bedfellows such as metal (3.35 percent), electronic (2.58 percent) and house music (0.77 percent) received alarming mentions.

A total of 35.98 percent of respondents said they use music to fall asleep at least weekly, with 4.22 percent of people cueing up lullabies every night.

More than half of people surveyed said music helped them fall asleep faster.

Although this study took place in the UK, Americans don't fare much better when it comes to slumber success. The Post recently reported that six in 10 Americans are sleep-deprived.

While music is clearly a helpful sleep aid, other techniques from experts include sleeping in a cold room and staying off your phone 30 minutes before bed.

No worries — you have Sheeran to keep you warm.

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Nurse practitioner explains how much sleep kids need and how to help them fall asleep

GREER, SC (WSPA) - Putting children to bed at night can be one of the biggest challenges that parents face.   

Sandra Olson, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with Bon Secours Primary Care in Greer, said, "Getting a goodnight's sleep for all ages, promotes better health and a better immune system, which as parents, that's what we want."  Olson continued, "If [children] are getting adequate sleep, they do better in school, they have better behavior, better attention, better focus." 

Olson says infants need 12 to 16 hours of sleep.  She says children ages one to five need 10 to 14 hours of sleep and that these time recommendations include naptime.   As children age, they need less sleep and often stop napping.  Olson said, "School agers six to 12 need about 9 to 12 hours of sleep.  By the time they're a teenager, they need 8 to 10 hours." 

Olson said one of the most important things parents can do is keep their kids on a consistent schedule and establish a bedtime routine.   She gave recommendations for how parents can help their children wind down.  "Start working on things like warm baths, reading to children, and dimming the lights." Likewise, she suggested what children could listen to, to help them relax.  "Soft music or nature sounds kind of get the body calmed down in order to establish rest."   

Any kind of screens, like televisions, phones, and iPads should not be in the bedroom, according to Olson, and she had suggestions for helping teens wind down before bed.  "For older kids, I like to tell them, especially teenagers, to journal: write down the negative things that happen during the day, maybe their worries."  Olson said then they should "end their journal note with something that's inspiring, something that's a positive, on an upbeat note prior to going to bed." 

For more information on sleep recommendations for children and teens, visit: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Supports-Childhood-Sleep-Guidelines.aspx.  

To learn more about staying healthy, tune in to hear the experts at Bon Secours this Saturday, on 106.3 WORD radio.  

To submit a question to the Ask the Expert series, visit: https://www.wspa.com/ask-the-expert 

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An African-American synagogue in Philly: ‘We don’t want people to come to shul and go to sleep

PHILADELPHIA â€" Mikaela Pleasant, clad in a white sequin dress and a purple tallit, poked her head around the large blue Torah she carried as she walked carefully up the aisles of Congregation Temple Beth’El. Rabbis and young children trailed behind her, greeting every member in attendance as if they were old friends reunited. The band struck up a quick and jubilant beat.

The cry was met with clapping as the drums slowed and the sound of the final metal cymbal reverberated in the air. Finally, everyone took their seats, and Torah readings began for Mikaela’s bat mitzvah.

“It’s innate within us to praise the Almighty with vigor, with joy, and that’s sometimes quite unique,” said Rabbi Debra Bowen of the predominantly African American synagogue in West Oak Lane, the largest of its kind in the Philadelphia area. “Many of the songs I have comprised myself to make it more apropos to us because of the way we enjoy music. We don’t want people to come to shul and go to sleep.”

Bowen said visitors will often confuse their music with gospel, which is associated more with Christianity, but Beth’El’s charismatic music is emblematic of their being both black and Jewish: Their band includes an electronic keyboard, electric violin, piano, drum set, bongos, a bass guitar, and an organ.

“We stand out,” said Eudora Burton, president of hospitality at Temple Beth’El. She said the upbeat music is their minhag, or tradition. Other unique customs the congregation follows: a dress code for members â€" white in the summer and navy blue and black in the winter. Bowen will often wear special colors depending on the occasion; for Mikaela’s bat mitzvah, she wore purple to match the 13-year-old. The synagogue also makes a conscious effort to incorporate their youth into their service, either as ushers or by asking them to retrieve the instruments.

The synagogue was founded in 1951 by Bowen’s mother, Rabbi Louise Elizabeth Dailey, who was the daughter of a Baptist minister â€" although one who always wore a hat, who always salted his meats before cooking, and covered the mirrors when there was a death in the family. When Dailey came to Philadelphia to work as a domestic in a Jewish household, she recognized their traditions mirrored her own family’s, and, according to the temple’s website, sought to learn “the ways of the Hebrews.”

Bowen said it was when blacks in America were free to develop their own culture and expression in a post-slavery U.S. that many turned to Judaism.

“When we were practicing Christianity, we did it because our slave masters told us,” Bowen said. “We always felt something was missing. Then we turned to Torah and suddenly we began to know.”

Mikaela’s mother, Hope Pleasant, 43, said the congregation is not affiliated with any one branch of Judaism, but rather identifies as “conservodox,” having attributes of both Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. Bowen warned not to categorize the congregants, though, because they simply won’t fit into a prescribed box. She said they are Jews, and as long as a person is intent on honoring Hashem, or God, and following Torah, they will be accepted at Beth’El.

“Our teaching is it’s not what a Jew looks like, it’s what a Jew does,” said Bowen. “You can’t escape your heritage because of how you look. So we are accepting of Jews of color. We also are accepting of Jews who are not of color, and we at no time will question whether or not they are, quote end quote, real Jews.”

According to the latest numbers from the Pew Research Center, people who identified as white made up 90 percent of the racial and ethnic composition among Jews in the U.S. in 2014. People who identified as black comprised 2 percent. In the latest study conducted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia from 2009, around 6,500 of the 215,000 Jewish population in the Philadelphia region are Jews of color. An updated report will be released in late 2019.

Mark Leuchter, director of Jewish Studies at Temple University, said that oftentimes people within the Jewish community are sequestered, and find it unusual to meet other Jews who are not of European or Middle Eastern descent. Leuchter said there are various intersecting ethnicities within the Jewish religion, despite the common perception of what a Jew is supposed to look like in the U.S.

“A majority of Jews in the U.S. tend to be of European descent, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only way to be Jewish,” Leuchter said. “I don’t think there’s necessarily a sense of rejection, but there is a sense of ‘Whoa, what’s going on? I’m not used to it.’ ”

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8 Sleep Podcasts To Listen To When You Can’t Drift Off

If you spend more of your nights tossing and turning than you do actually, well, sleeping, it might be time to consider a sleep aid. And if you love podcasts to help make your morning commute pass by faster, consider sleep podcasts, which are basically the same thing but for catching zzz's.

It's clear many Americans aren't getting the recommended seven hours or more of sleep per night, with more than a third of adults reporting not getting enough shut-eye on a regular basis, according to a 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

You may think you've tried everything to help you finally get some rest, from weighted blankets, to staying off technology before bed, but there may be one avenue that you haven't exhausted just yet: podcasts. Podcasts aren't just vehicles to get your true-crime fix or keep you updated on world events — the industry has expanded to include podcasts for therapy, self-help, and, of course, sleep.

While podcasts are never a substitute for appropriate therapy or medication if you're dealing with a diagnosed sleep disorder, they may be a useful tool to help the average sleep-deprived person doze off. As a bonus, they are also free.

If you're new to the world of podcasts, the process is as easy as plugging in your headphones into your phone and tuning into one of the many shows designed specifically to help you snooze. These programs vary from ASMR-y streams, to guided meditations and grown-up versions of bedtime stories. Admittedly, though, navigating the hundreds of offerings can be a bit daunting if you're just starting out. To help you find a podcast that may be the right fit for you, here are nine sleep podcasts to help you get one step closer to a good night's sleep.

1Sleep With Me Podcast

Sleep With Me started in the fall of 2013, and has dominated the sleep podcast genre since, with a tagline that literally states, "The podcast that puts you to sleep." The show is updated twice a week and hosted by Drew Ackerman, who struggles with insomnia himself. It features stories designed to distract listeners and help lull them to sleep by getting progressively more boring.

2Sleep Meditation Podcast

Another podcast with a very literal name, Sleep Meditation Podcast is a regularly-updated show that offers "relaxing sleep triggers," aka nature sounds, ASMR, and relaxing music galore. The episodes can be paired with yoga, mediation, or just as background noise while you try to go to bed.

3Sleep Whispers

The premise of Sleep Whispers is exactly what it sounds like: the host whispers about topics, ranging from the history and physics of roller coasters to readings of famous short stories, to help simultaneously engage your brain with ASMR and quiet your thoughts. If you are prone to racing thoughts at night and like your sleep podcast with a side of knowledge, this is the show for you.

4Story Not Story

If you like your podcasts on the quirkier side, Story Not Story revolves around a married couple regaling each other with bedtime stories that they create on the spot. Notable episode names include "The Invasion of the Potato People" and "Princess Emily and the Alien Selfie."

5The New Yorker: Fiction

For the highbrow insomniac, The New Yorker: Fiction podcast is like a monthly book club, except for short stories from the magazine's archives. If you've ever dreamed about famous authors like David Sedaris reading you a bed time story, this is the next best thing.

6In Our Time

While In Our Time is not exactly marketed as a sleep-focused podcast, host Melvyn Bragg's recounts 50 minute slices of history in the soothing drawl of the elegant British grandfather you always wanted are like a digital melatonin. This BBC 4 podcast can make you more informed while also boring you to sleep, and I mean that as a compliment.

7Deep Energy Podcast

For the person who struggles to sleep but doesn't want to listen to voices, Deep Energy Podcast offers hour-long episodes chock full of ambient noise and new age music that can assist with making you sleepy.

8Welcome to Night Vale

Welcome to Night Vale is a fan favorite podcast, and for good reason. The episodes tell offbeat stories about a small desert town (Night Vale) where "every conspiracy theory is true." The podcast's subject matter is at times creepy, hilarious, and entertaining, while also acting as an escape from the real world. The host's steady, calming voice is a bonus.

Happy listening, and may these podcasts bring you sweet dreams (or at the very least keep you entertained while you try to get some Zs).

Additional reporting by Kristin Magaldi.

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Viral 'Ellen' Child Star Sophia Grace Is Now a Rap Star - Watch Her 'Can't Sleep' Music Video

AceShowbiz - Sophia Grace, who rocketed to fame after she rapped along to Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" nearly a decade ago, has said goodbye to her iconic tutu and fully reinvented herself as a rap artist. The former child star, now 15, recently released a music video for her song "Can't Sleep" and successfully got many people shook.

Clad in a bright yellow bomber jacket, pink nails and hoop earrings, Sophia is seen in the video strolling around a mansion and hanging out with friends as she declares that she's a changed person now. "It annoys me because I'm not that person anymore and they always ask me to go back to how I was, but I'm different and that's not who I am," she says in the beginning of the visuals.

"So I want to show people I'm a different person now and I've changed, but that's OK because everyone changes," she continues saying, before beginning to rap about how she is asserting her independence now that she's a teenager. "I've been on a leash, now I'm taking control/ I've been under pressure, but that's just how it goes," she spits.

Many couldn't help but be shook to see her all grown up after the video made headlines on January 2. "Just yesterday she was 6," one commenter wrote as another similarly said, "She was so adorable but now she turned into a gangster. I can not believe it is the same person." One other noted, "I think this is her 'Miley after Hannah Montana' stage."

After going viral for rapping to "Super Bass" with her cousin Rosie McClelland on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2011, Sophia and Rosie made multiple appearances on the morning talk show to interview celebrity guests during a segment titled "Tea Time With Sophia Grace and Rosie". They even starred in their own movie titled "Sophie Grace & Rosie's Royal Adventure" in 2014.

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