No, you are not dreaming. You really can boost your brainpower while you snooze. Try these seven tips.
CHANGE THE COLOR OF YOUR NOISE
White noise (such as the hiss of a radio tuned to an unused frequency) can help you sleep more soundly, but what scientists call pink noise could help you remember more. According to a small study from Northwestern University, the lower-frequency sounds of pink noise, such as the rush of a waterfall or steady rain, improved older adults’ deep, slow-wave sleep, the stage considered important for consolidating memories. When study participants listened to pink noise while they slept and then took a memory test the next morning, they scored three times higher than participants who didn’t sleep with that kind of background sound. Don’t live near a waterfall? Download an app such as the aptly named Pink Noise.
DRIFT OFF WITH A WHIFF
You already know that the smell of an apple pie coming out of the oven can send your memory straight back to Mom’s kitchen. It turns out that smells, experienced at the right time, can also strengthen your recall. In one study, people played a memory game while a rose scent wafted through the room.
Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.
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Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Do You Kiss Your Dog? - Find out how gross your questionable habits really are, according to health experts
I admit it, when it comes to food, I have some eeew-inducing practices, like skimming mold off old cheddar and feeding the rest to my unsuspecting family. We're still alive, so how bad can it be? Because our gross human habits fall somewhere along the spectrum from mildly cringeworthy to full-on repulsive, I reached out to experts to find out where some common behaviors land on the gross-o-meter.
What's Ailing Our Doctors? - Today's physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too.
Today’s physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too. America's doctors are in crisis. Six in 10 physicians say they're burned out, with burnout rates for some specialties, such as primary care, reaching 70%. When polled by the American Medical Association, 40% of doctors said they were considering leaving their practices in the next two years. Another study, conducted by health-care industry publisher Elsevier, revealed concerns about mental health and burnout: 63% of med students in the United States reported that they had no intention of practicing clinical medicine after graduation and will instead work as lab researchers or academics. This is despite a predicted shortage of 124,000 physicians over the next 10 years.
Now Hear This
Losing your hearing suddenly, even if there is no pain, is always urgent
Go for the Gumbo
The soulful stew synonymous with Louisiana is delicious anywhere you eat it
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Pinned by a giant boulder, a hiker had two choices: panic or gut it out. He did both.
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honor the many men who helped her survive her childhood
MY SMART PET
These clever critters are some smart C-O-O-K-I-E-S
How Hobbies Help Us
Far from a waste of time, pastimes are good for body, brain and spirit
1+1 = MORE (or LESS)
A math whiz encourages you to play with your numbers
That Kind of Time
A dressing-room encounter made me get real about aging
