Getting quality sleep will play a vital role in how you feel when you are awake throughout the day. Sleep is essential for various aspects of brain function, including cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance. Here are five apps that can help you get a good night’s sleep and track your sleeping schedule. 

Noisli

With Noisli, you can choose from different sounds like thunder, wind, and white noise to create a personal sleep soundtrack to help you fall asleep. You can create a combo of sounds you love and can save in the app for future use. Make sure to keep your phone plugged-in if you keep your phone on overnight to hear your soothing sleep soundtrack.

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Pzizz

The Pzizz app can set a timer for a sleep session, and the app plays soothing dreamscape, including a combo of music, voiceovers, and sound effects. The app also has an option to set up a built-in alarm to wake up. For more advanced features, you’ll need to upgrade to choose different sounds. 

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Slumber 

Slumber offers a mixture of experiences to help you fall asleep, whether it’s meditation focused, bedtime story series, or sounds of a warm jacuzzi. There are background noises to choose from like rain or the ocean and can play for up to 10 hours after the track finishes. Each week there are new sleep-inducing stories and meditations you can choose from. You can listen to them all if you upgrade to the premium version.

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Sleep Cycle

If you want to understand how you slept, the Sleep Cycle app can help you achieve your sleep goals. It tracks your sleep patterns and offers tips to improve your sleep. The app also has an alarm clock that kindly wakes you up when you’re in your lightest sleep phase, waking you up feeling rejuvenated. It’s important to remember that no sleep tracker is 100% accurate. If you are still struggling to sleep you should consult with your primary care physician or dedicated sleep specialist.

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10% Happier

10% Happier offers a wide range of meditations, including ones for sleep that span from three minutes to 45 minutes to ease your mind and fall right to sleep. There are also meditation exercises with a variety of genres and the option to message a coach for additional support.

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Mobile and web applications are making it accessible for people to help support their mental health, finding a healthcare physician, prescription delivery, and much more. 

Sources: 

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important#3.-Good-sleep-can-improve-concentration-and-productivity
2. https://www.noisli.com/apps
3. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/g26963663/best-sleep-apps/
4. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pzizz-sleep-nap-focus/id915664862
5. https://slumber.fm/about
6. https://www.sleepcycle.com/
7. https://www.tenpercent.com/
8. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/04/11/5-apps-to-help-support-your-mental-health-during-an-epidemic/
9. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/03/25/finding-accessible-healthcare-during-a-pandemic/
10. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/04/18/5-apps-for-prescription-delivery/

Summer is just around the corner, so it is important to keep your skin protected while you are outside. Applying the right amount and type of sunscreen can help you stay protected from UV rays. Here we will discuss what sunscreen works for you and just how much you need to apply.

Chemical or Physical Sunscreen?

There are two main types of sunscreen: physical and chemical. In physical sunscreens, it contains the active ingredients titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These sunscreens are referred to as “mineral” sunscreens, protecting you by sitting on top of your skin and deflecting the sun’s rays. 

The ingredients in chemical sunscreen contain oxybenzone, avobenzene, and homosalate work by absorbing the sun’s rays. 

Both are equally effective, according to Adam Friedman, MD, a dermatologist at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington D.C. Physical sunscreens tend to last slightly longer when exposed to direct UV light and rarely cause burning or irritation, compared to chemical sunscreens. Newer micronized versions of physical blockers can leave a whitish cast on the skin, and they rub off more quickly than chemical sunscreens. 

If you choose chemical sunscreen, make sure to buy one with at least three sunscreen ingredients to limit irritation. You can pick a sunscreen that contains both physical and chemical blockers. However, there’s no research that this sunscreen is any more effective. According to Dr. Friedman, people “have the advantage of hitting UV rays at every level,” 

How much to apply?

Organizations like the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommend applying a full ounce of sunscreen to your body. Research shows most people only apply a quarter to half of that amount and are not getting the protection they need. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using anywhere from a quarter to a half of a sunscreen bottle for a long day at the beach.

Water-resistance is a crucial component to look for when shopping for sunscreen. If the sunscreen says it is water-resistant on the label, you still need to reapply sunscreen every time you get out of the pool or the ocean to keep your skin protected. 

Look for 30 SPF

Sun protection factor or SPF measures a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB rays from damaging your skin. As recommended by the AAD, wearing an SPF of at least 30 , which blocks 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, would be sufficient. An SPF of 50 blocks 98 percent, and though it may not seem like a huge difference, a small amount can have a significant impact, particularly if you have other risk factors.

Make sure to reapply your sunscreen at least every two hours, perhaps more often, depending on your skin type, and always after swimming or sweating. When buying sunscreen, it’s also important to make sure that the label says “broad-spectrum.” This means that it also protects against UVA rays, which have been linked to skin cancer. 

Don’t just rely on sunscreen sunglasses are also important to keep your eyes protected from Wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB light. This information can be found on the label on your sunglasses. A hat with at least a 3-inch brim can block as much as half of all UVB rays from your delicate eye area, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Sources:

1. https://www.sharecare.com/health/choosing-right-sunscreen/article/how-choose-best-sunscreen-you

Inflammation refers to your body’s method of protecting itself against things that harm it, including infections, injuries, and toxins. One way to treat inflammation could be a prescription for pain medication. Another way to combat inflammation can come from your local grocery store. Here are seven food items you can find at your local grocery store to help fight your body’s inflammation.

1. Broccoli 

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that is low-calorie and rich in folate, vitamins C, E, and K, and fiber, along with cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. Research has shown that consuming the right amount of cruciferous vegetables can decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. The vegetable’s high amount of antioxidants is related to its anti-inflammatory effects. Broccoli is high in sulforaphane, an antioxidant that combats inflammation by reducing your levels of cytokines and NF-kB, which leads to inflammation. 

2. Avocados

Avocados are loaded with potassium, magnesium, fiber, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. This superfood also contains carotenoids and tocopherols that helps lower the risk of cancer. One study found when people ate a slice of avocado with a hamburger, and they had lower levels of the inflammatory markers NF-kB and IL-6. Other participants who ate the burger without avocado had higher levels of the inflammatory markers. 

3. Green Tea

Green tea is one of the healthiest drinks you can find on the market. This tea reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and other medical conditions. Most of its health benefits derive from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, including the substance epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG helps to reduce inflammation by decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and damage to the fatty acids in your cells 

4. Peppers

Bell peppers are not just known for their delicious flavor but are loaded with vitamin c along with chili peppers. Both peppers contain antioxidants that have substantial anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Bell peppers contain the antioxidant quercetin, which may reduce one marker of oxidative damage in people with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease Chili peppers have sinapic acid and ferulic acid, which can lead to healthier aging and reduce inflammation.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice with a rich, earthy flavor that has a bitter taste and is often used to season or color curry powders, mustards, etc. The flavorful spice has received a considerable amount of attention for its content of curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient. Turmeric lowers inflammation associated with arthritis, diabetes, and other diseases.

6. Cherries

Sweet and sour cherries are packed with antioxidants, such as anthocyanins and catechins, that help fight inflammation. Although the effects of tart cherries have been studied more, sweet cherries also provide health benefits. In one study, participants who ate 280 grams of cherries per day for 1 month, had lower levels of the inflammatory marker CRP and remained low for 28 days after they stopped consuming cherries 

7. Dark chocolate and cocoa

Dark chocolate is supplied with antioxidants that reduce inflammation and can decrease the risk of disease and lead to healthier aging. Flavanol-rich cocoa is responsible for chocolate’s anti-inflammatory effects and keeps the endothelial cells that line your arteries healthy. Be sure to choose dark chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa; the higher the percentage of cocoa, the better to obtain these anti-inflammatory benefits.

Incorporating healthier options onto your plate won’t provide you with an instant cure for inflammation, but it could help reduce your flare-ups or lower your pain levels. Including anti-inflammatory foods into your diet is a more holistic way of addressing pain and inflammation, as opposed to taking medication.

Sources: 

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-inflammation
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-anti-inflammatory-foods#section6
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22100562
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20370896
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17584048
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21324570
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21324570
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18188410
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569207
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20944519
11. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-tart-cherry-juice-benefits
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16549461
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877960