5 Reasons Why You Need Good Sleep

Health & Fitness

Most people are aware that their bodies begin to break down after getting bad or no sleep, but it’s not always apparent as to why sleep is such a strong determining factor for our wellness.  Instead of being grumpy without reason, educate yourself.  

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t really do math at 3 am, then it may help to enlighten yourself on the physical reasons why you need good sleep.  Here is a brief look at some of the most important reasons why your body requires sleep to function.  

Lack of sleep breaks down cognitive function

When you don’t get good sleep on a regular basis, your body and mind suffer.  Your ability to think clearly breaks down without rest. Your decision-making abilities are compromised when you’re sleep deprived.  

If you’re trying to learn something new when your brain is tired, you are likely to obtain less information than you would if you were fully rested.  The brain gets busy taking care of other survival functions in the body when you’re tired, and you have less power to learn new things.  

Your body works harder when you’re tired

When you are not sleeping properly, your body goes through unnecessary stress.  Exhaustion is hard on the heart and other organs in the body. Lack of sleep can cause high blood pressure issues, and high blood pressure can lead to a slew of other health issues.  

If you knew you could avoid such a struggle by simply sleeping, you may be more inclined to lay down at night.  Take sleep seriously while you’re young, and make the most of your potential in life.  

Poor sleeping patterns are linked to depression

Not getting quality sleep can lead to issues with depression.  If you already have depression, sleep is even more important to properly maintaining your mental health regimen.  

Without sleep, your brain doesn’t have enough time to recharge its “happy” chemicals, and your mood suffers as a result.  As your mood affects an array of variables in your everyday life, it is crucial that you practice regular self-care.  

Your motivation will suffer when you’re tired

Living a lifestyle of very little sleep can be a strong factor in the crumbling of your goals.  If you’re tired, you may not feel up to pushing yourself to the fullest extent of your abilities.  Your forward progress in life could be stifled or even halted by poor sleeping patterns.  

Your body needs time to recuperate 

The bottom line regarding your body’s relationship to sleep is that you are like an electric car.  Once your power is drained, you can’t really do much until you recharge. Your bed is the charging station. 

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3 Tips For The Perfect Home Office Setup

Business

While working from home can be a blessing, it can also be hard to know how to separate your work and home life when everything takes place in the same location. To help with this, many people find that having a home office, one that really creates a boundary from the rest of their home, can make things much easier. However, setting up the perfect home office isn’t always as simple as you might think.

So to help ensure that the space you create for your professional life gives you everything that you’re needing, here are three tips for the perfect home office setup. 

Make Lighting A Primary Concern

One of the most important things to think about when creating the perfect home office is lighting. Because you’ll likely be working in this space for long hours during both day and night, you want to be sure that you’ll have plenty of lighting options.

According to Shannon Belew, a contributor to The Balance Small Business, you should try to bring as much natural light as possible into your home office space. Not only will this help make things easier to see, but it can also help to improve your mood and productivity. 

In addition to natural lighting, install various other forms of lighting as well, including both overhead lighting and task lighting. By having all of these options, you’ll always be able to find the perfect light to work in, regardless of the type of work you’re doing. 

Get Comfortable With Ergonomics

Another key to a functional and productive home office is comfort. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should work from your bed or bring in a big, soft couch. Rather, you should make furniture choices based on what’s going to be ergonomically best for you and your body.

Coral Nafie, a contributor to The Spruce, shares that not only do you want a desk chair that is adjustable to you and gives your body the support you need, but all other furniture and accessories you have in your office should be customizable, including things like your keyboard, desk height, monitors and more. 

Make It A Place You Enjoy Going

Everyone gets those days where they’d rather be doing anything else other than working. And for those who work from home, days like this can be filled with distractions in every other room of your house. 

To combat this, Michelle Pippin, a contributor to Fit Small Business, advises that you try your best to make your home office a place that you enjoy going to and working in. Even the smallest details, like the scent of the room or what music you have playing, can make a big difference in wanting to go to work versus wanting to avoid work. 

If you need a home office to work in but haven’t found the perfect way to set it up yet, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you with just that.

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3 Signs That Your Marriage Is Headed For Divorce

Love

Being married is one of the hardest relationships that a person can be in. While you likely love the person you married more than anyone else on the planet, that doesn’t necessarily mean that things are going to be easy for you in your life together.

For many marriages, things don’t end up working out long-term. And while there are things you can do to bring a marriage back from the brink, some relationships are just better to be left to run their course. 

If you’re wondering whether your floundering marriage will be able to stand the test of time, here are three signs that your marriage is headed for divorce. 

You Find Excuses Not To Spend Time Together

At the beginning of a relationship, any time spent apart can seem like torture. But if you’ve found that you’re starting to enjoy the time you spend separate from your spouse, this could be a sign that things aren’t going well.

According to Stacey Feintuch, a contributor to Reader’s Digest, the time you spend apart from your spouse doesn’t necessarily have to be negative on your marriage to present a problem. Even if you feel like you’d rather be at work, watching shows on your own, or spending time with friends and family, this could have a very big impact on your relationship with your spouse, which could lead to a rift in your marriage. 

Evidence Of Contempt In Your Marriage

How you think about and communicate with your spouse can be a big indicator of how long your marriage will last. One of the biggest threats to your marriage in this way, according to Marni Feuerman, a contributor to PsychCentral.com, is feelings of contempt.

When you or your partner does or says something that puts one of you above the other, this is a sign of contempt. This type of behavior could include things like mocking each other, name calling, rolling your eyes, or using hurtful sarcasm or humor. With contempt in your marriage, things like love, respect, appreciation, and kindness will quickly be eaten away at. 

The Majority Of Your Feelings Are Unhappy Ones

While there are bound to be times in every marriage where feelings get hurt or unhappiness sets in for one reason or another, if you start to find that you or your spouse are feeling unhappy in your marriage the majority of the time, this could be a sign that a divorce is imminent.

According to Bela Gandhi, a contributor to Today.com, most couples can ride through the little fights or disagreements. But once you start feeling like these are the rule and not the exception, things can start to go downhill fast. 

If you’ve noticed any of the above signs or symptoms in your marriage, you may find yourself closer to a divorce than you realized.

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3 Tips For Dealing With The Other Driver Following A Car Accident

Auto

While being in a car accident in the first place isn’t ideal, the type of person you’re in a car accident with can easily make or break the situation. Although no one is ever happy or excited about damage to their property or to their physical bodies, being able to effectively communicate with the other driver can make the whole process of handling a car accident go much smoother.

To help ensure you’re able to have at least some kind of positive interaction between you and others involved in a car accident, here are three tips for successfully dealing with the other driver following a car accident. 

Do Your Best To Stay Calm

To get everything started off on the right foot, the best thing for you to do, according to iDriveSafely.com, is to try your best to stay calm.

Following a car accident, you’re likely feeling a lot of emotions. If you’re in an accident where people have been injured, seeking medical help is going to be your top priority. But if you’re in an accident where the only damage was done to property, your priority should now be handling the situation calmly and moving on to the next steps of getting this accident taken care of. 

Especially if the other driver of the car was shaken up or angry, you being able to remain calm and keep the situation from escalating can be extremely helpful for everyone involved. 

Don’t Admit Fault

As you try to get things taken care of and figured out after your car accident, you’re going to have to speak with the other driver. What’s important to remember, however, is that you don’t say anything to them that could be construed as you admitting fault for what happened.

According to Kevin Mercadante, a contributor to Money Under 30, it’s crucial to any potential investigation that you don’t lie but that you also don’t say anything that could be used against you during legal proceedings. Regardless of whether you think that accident was your fault or not, that ruling is really up to the police or insurance company to decide, not you. 

Get All The Relevant Information

Even with everything that’s going on after you get in a car accident, you’ve got to push your feelings aside and ensure that you’re able to get all the relevant information from any other people involved in your accident.

To help with this, Selene Yeager, a contributor to AARP, recommends that you try to get as much personal information about the driver and passengers as you can so that it’s easy for your insurance company to contact them later on. Additionally, if there were any witnesses to your accident, be sure you get their information as well, as this could be helpful to you during any investigation.

To help you be prepared the next time you get in a car accident, consider using the tips mentioned above to know what you should do when interacting with any other drivers involved in your collision.

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3 Things To Teach Your Kids About Being Safe Around Animals

Education

While many children love seeing or being around animals, even the tamest animals or pets can sometimes be dangerous if your children aren’t careful. Because of this, kids the world over get bitten by all types of animals on a daily basis. And while many times these injuries aren’t serious, they still could be easily avoided had your children known how to safely interact with animals.

So to help ensure that your kids never get hurt by an animal, here are three things to teach your kids about being safe around animals. 

Stay Away From Outdoor Animals

One of the most important things you can teach your kids about animals is how to keep their distance, especially when it comes to wild animals. Although an animal may look cute and harmless, you never know what an animal could be carrying that could cause serious harm to a human.

To best teach this concept to your child, Dr. Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, recommends that you teach your kids never to go near animals they see outdoors. Additionally, you should also teach them never to feed animals they find outside, even ones that may traditionally be seen as harmless to feed, like ducks. 

By drawing a line here, you’ll help to keep your kids away from animals that could bite or attack them. 

Know Where To Keep Their Hands

Not all animals your children encounter will be wild animals. Many times, your kids will see a dog or cat in your neighborhood that they want to pet or interact with. And while their instinct might be to run at the animals, it’s important that they know how to approach pets in a safe way.

According to Hanady Kader, a contributor to Seattle Children’s Hospital, you should teach your children to keep their hands behind their backs while they ask permission to approach or pet someone’s animal. Once they have permission to get near or pet someone’s animal, teach them to keep their hands where the animal can see them and to move slowly and cautiously closer to the animal. This will keep them from scaring the animal. 

Teach Kids When To Leave Pets Alone

In many homes, kids will have pets of their own to play with. But just because an animal is familiar with your child doesn’t mean you should let your guard down completely when your children interact with this animal. 

To help your kids stay safe, even around their own pets, Scholastic.com advises that you teach your kids never to approach or pet an animal while it’s eating, sleeping, or playing with one of its toys. The animal could be reacting negatively to this disturbance and lash out at your child. 

To keep your kids safe from animal bites or other negative encounters, consider using the tips mentioned above to teach them how to stay safe around animals.

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3 Tips For Buying Your First Investment Property

Finance

If you’re ready to start building your investment portfolio, one of the first ways you might think to do this is by buying a piece of property that you then rent out to tenants. While this can be a great investment opportunity for many people, it’s really only going to be beneficial to you if you go about it in the right way and under the right conditions.

So to help ensure that your choice to start purchasing additional properties isn’t a bad financial move for you, here are three tips for buying your first investment property. 

Prepare For A Larger Down Payment

For those who are already owners of their own home, you might have been able to get away with a smaller down payment than the traditional 20 percent. Especially if you were a first-time homebuyer or were buying under other conditions, you might have been able to put five percent, three percent, or even zero down on your home.

However, with an investment property, this small amount isn’t really an option when it comes to a down payment. According to DC Fawcett, a contributor to Forbes.com, mortgage insurance isn’t an option if you’re purchasing an investment property. Because of this, you’ve got to have at least 20 percent ready to put down on the property before you’ll be able to go forward with a loan for the rest of the cost of the property. In some situations, this can take quite a long time to come up with, so make sure you’re ready with this big chunk of change. 

Start With A Single-Family Home

Once you’ve decided that you want to get an investment property, the next thing you need to determine is what kind of property you should buy. While you might be tempted to get something that gives you multiple streams of revenue all for one purchase, like a small apartment complex or duplex, this might not be the best choice for your first investment property.

Rather, Kathy Fettke, a contributor to Fit Small Business, recommends that you start with a single-family home first. By going this route, you’ll be able to get your feet wet as a property investor and manager with just one tenant as opposed to multiple tenants across multiple units. 

Don’t Go With A Fixer Upper

To get the most for your money when buying an investment property, you might be considering going with a fixer-upper, putting some money into it, and then making a lot of money quickly with both the value of the property and the amount you’ll be able to charge in rent.

While this option is good in theory, it doesn’t often turn out to be the case with first-time property investors. According to Tim Parker, a contributor to Investopedia.com, if you don’t have experience renovating properties and don’t have a contractor you’ve used before and trust, getting a fixer-upper could be a huge gamble that has a good chance of not paying off for you. So instead of going this route, try to find a property that’s either move-in ready or only needs minor repairs. 

If you’re thinking about buying your first investment property, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you make the right choices from the beginning.

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5 Vehicles You Need To Have Fun As An Adult

Auto

Being an adult means that you have plenty of responsibility to tend to, but it also means that you have the ability to have another level of fun.  If you love going to the extreme, then you’ll need a variety of different sport vehicles to satiate your adrenaline addiction.  

Redefine your expression of “fun,” and make your Christmas wish list more entertaining this year.  Here is a quick look at some of the best vehicles to facilitate fun when you’re all grown up, but not really grown.  

You need a 4-wheeler 

The Yamaha Grizzly 500 EPS is the best 4×4 ATV available on the market.  Just know that you will pay for what you get when you purchase this 4-wheeler.  The cost of the Grizzly will set you back nearly $10,000.  

If you’re free to pay $200 more, you can get the choice of blue or white with cast aluminum wheels.  You should have the type of fun this fantastic ATV provides the opportunity to explore. Don’t sell yourself short, and invest in the best.  

Get a utility vehicle

You may have a bit of work to keep up with outside of your living space, and you’ll need a utility vehicle to get the work done.  Try discovering what Kubota utility vehicles have to offer, and set yourself up for success on your next outdoor project.  

A motorcycle ups the ante

It’s never a bad time to get a motorcycle and explore the world on two wheels.  You can have speed, danger, and exhilaration all in one small vehicle, but you have to make sure you get the right bike for your body and ability.  

If you’re a bit of a newcomer to riding a motorcycle, you should look into finding some of the best machines on two wheels for beginners.  Check out the Honda CB500F, for starters.  

Honda has been a trusted provider for vehicles of all types for many years.  You can be sure that this beginner’s vehicle will be reliable, comfortable, and extremely manageable. 

Wave runners for fun on the water

You can have fun on land or water, and you may find yourself more comfortable in the middle of the nearest body of water.  Purchasing a wave runner, or SeaDoo, will bring your fun quotient to the next level.  

A four-wheel drive SUV 

If you have never explored the adventures you can find by going off-road, then you are missing out on some top-of-the-line fun.  Consider investing in the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class. You’ll pay a pretty penny for this 4×4 SUV, but you won’t need to pay for another one for at least a decade. 

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DISCOVERING WHAT MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE FOR A MOTABILITY CAR

Auto

For some people, having a disability sits at the top of things they are terrified of. This fear is justified because disabilities have a way of making the person affected not to be able to function as normally as they would want. Going through life with a disability that limits you and prevents you from moving around as much as you would like is a hassle.

This lack of ability to move and function as you would want is fast becoming a thing of the past thanks to different schemes springing up to enable people with disabilities to become more mobile and more independent.

One such scheme is the motability scheme. Motability scheme, initiated by a charity known as Motability, focuses on enabling people with disabilities or any illness that prevents them from moving around with ease get cars which make it possible for them to be more mobile. The scheme largely relies on your Disability Living Allowance to allow you to lease a car.

At the inception of the motability scheme, the types of vehicles you could choose from were limited. However, as more people are opting to benefit from the scheme, there are now so many vehicle options to choose from. You make a choice from different vehicles ranging from powered wheelchairs and motability scooters to cars.

Knowing about the scheme is only one part of the solution to your mobility needs. You also need to know if you are eligible to benefit from it.

Here are some ways you can qualify to benefit from the scheme:

Through Personal Independence Payment

If you have been given the enhanced rate mobility part of your Personal Independence Payment for 12 months or more, you are eligible to benefit from the motability scheme.

Using your Disability Living Allowance

If you have received the greater rate mobility part of your Disability Living Allowance for 12 months or more, you are eligible to get a motability car.

Via Armed Forces Independence Payment of War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement

If you were a member of the armed forces and your disabilities were developed while you were in the line of duty, there is a way for you to benefit from the motability scheme. When you have received your Armed Forces Independence Payment or your War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement for a period of 12 months or more, you can get a motability vehicle of your choice.

It is not difficult to find out if you are eligible to benefit from the motability scheme. All you have to do is check which category applies to you. Check how much of your Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment it War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement you have received. If the payments you have received go all the way to 12 months, you are eligible to get a motability vehicle.

Apart from knowing your eligibility status, there are two more things you have to do. First, research about the kind of cars available and how much down payment you have to make to get the vehicle that interests you. The second thing is building a good relationship with a dealership that offers good motability deals. One such dealership is Sandown Group.

Check how eligible you are today, go to the best dealership that offers you great deals on motability vehicles, pick a vehicle of your choice and say goodbye to limited mobility.

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How to Prepare For the Dentist

Health & Fitness

Do you have a dental appointment coming up? Are you feeling a little nervous and unsure how to prepare for it exactly? There are two different ways. If it is your first time going to that dentist you will want to prepare a little more and a little differently. If you have been to the top Waterford dentist before, there are a few simple things you will still want to do. Keep reading as our experts explain how to prepare for the dentist. 

The first list we are going to talk about is if you have already gone to that dental practice before.

First, you want to make sure that you show up early. Show up around 10-15 minutes before your appointment. If you show up late and they still can see you (there’s a chance you’ve already missed your chance then and need to reschedule), you will end up pushing the entire dental practice schedules back and everyone behind you will then be late. That is why it’s important to always be on time. 

Has anything inside of your mouth been bothering you since you last saw the dentist? If you have taken any notes about any pain or discomfort you are experiencing, make sure you bring those to the dental office. If you don’t have any notes, the night before your appointment, sit down for a couple of moments and think if anything unusual has been going on inside of your mouth. This will help you communicate and remember to share any of your concerns with your dentist during this time. 

If you have any questions in general about your oral health or something that you can be doing better, make sure that you write those down then. You don’t want to get home and realize that you meant to ask them a specific question. If you want you can also bring a pen so that you can write down any answers that the dentist says so that they are fresh in your mind. 

If there is anything else you want to show the dentist or ask them, make sure that you have it all ready to go before your appointment. Once you go to your appointment, you will be all ready and feeling prepared. 

Those were the steps to prepare yourself for the dentist if you have been before. If you have not been before, keep reading as we share those preparation tips. 

Many of these will be similar to if you have been before with a few additions. The first is that you want to show up a little longer in advance. You will have a couple of steps when you get to the dental office. One of the main ones is filling out paperwork. You will fill out any issues you have been experiencing, you will fill out anything you are allergic to, and they will ask you some more questions so that they can have an overall sense of where you are at. You will also need to sign a couple of forms. 

When you go to the dentist for the first time you will want to bring a couple of things with you. The first is identification, Most dental offices request a copy of your driver’s license or a form of government identification. If you have insurance, make sure that you bring your insurance card with you to make it a lot easier for them to work with your insurance and find you. Your identification will also be to verify that your name is the same as on the insurance card. Another thing that you will want to bring is money. You typically can bring cash, a debit card, or a credit card. Most insurance plans still require you to pay $20, sometimes you pay that to the dental practice and sometimes you pay that to the insurance company. If you do not have insurance, this is especially important that you bring money with you so that you can pay for your visit. 

You are most likely transferring from a different dental practice. You can beforehand call the previous dental practice and ask them to transfer all your records to the new practice. If this is uncomfortable for you or you have run out of time, you simply can ask the new dental practice ahead of time to contact your old dental practice and have everything sent to them. This way, it is prepared for your appointment and has already been sent. We recommend trying to get this process started as soon as possible before your appointment. 

Just like a regular appointment, you will want to write down anything that has been bothering you since you last saw a dentist. Since that dentist doesn’t know any issues you have had in the past, you also can let them know any problems you have experienced over the years so that they can be caught up. The more you are able to communicate with the dentist the better your experience will be.

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5 Business Applications For Nitrogen Generators

Business

Most people aren’t aware of just how important nitrogen is to our everyday lives.  Nitrogen is a primary gas present alongside oxygen in our atmosphere.  

Nitrogen generators work to isolate the nitrogen that is naturally present in the air.  Then the generators compress the gas for convenient industrial usage.  

Check out a brief look into some of the practical business applications for nitrogen generators, and add a new tidbit of knowledge to your repertoire.

Nitrogen is used in food preservation

When you open a bag of potato chips, there should always be a little pop.  You should know that it’s not just regular old air that’s pumped into your chip baggies. Industrial nitrogen generators pump N2 into their baggies to preserve the crisp crunch of the product.  

Nitrogen is also used to keep your fruit fresh and crisp for the long journey from the orchard to your mouth.  When nitrogen is pumped into the fruits, it displaces the oxygen, so the fruit’s decomposition process is stalled. 

Laser-cutting and metal fabrication

Nitrogen is easier on metals like steel and aluminum.  In practical application, using N2 for laser cutting means that there’s less heat generated.  When less heat is generated, a cooler cut is made. A cooler cut means that professionals are able to make cleaner edges.  

In metal fabrication, N2 is an excellent contributor to the annealing process of steel.  Annealing is a process used to make steel more malleable for shaping and crafting.  Annealing may also be used to repair deformations or cracks in prefabricated metal.  

Tank blanketing for explosive prevention

Tank blanketing isn’t the act of placing a blanket on a metal tank.  The process is a bit more complicated, as N2 is pumped into a storage tank to offer added protection from the degrading effects of oxygen.  

Nitrogen is a gas that has low reactivity with other gases/substances, making it extremely useful for expelling the risk of explosive situations.  Oxygen, however, has high reactivity. Pure oxygen is highly flammable.  

Grain elevator explosion prevention 

Grain silos and elevators make for a perfect storage area.  Unfortunately, they make for an extremely ignitable situation.  

Adding nitrogen to the mix eliminates the chance of the grain dust being lit up by a random heated spark.  The farming industry is especially grateful for the availability of on-site nitrogen generation. 

Bottling drinks uses compressed nitrogen 

You typically think of CO2 when you think of why your bottle fizzes or pops when you open it, but CO2 isn’t the only way to keep drinks fresh.  Nitrogen generation can replace the use of CO2, and it will save production money.

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