This Simple Sunlight Hack Could Be the Key to Waking Up Energized
Waking up groggy is more common than you might think. In fact, studies show that 65% of Americans rarely feel rested and refreshed in the morning. Poor sleep can stem from various factors, including late-night screen time, too much caffeine, and sleep disorders like insomnia. Fortunately, new research has uncovered a simple trick that could help you wake up feeling more energized.
In a crossover randomized controlled trial published in Building and Environment, researchers studied how different natural light exposure patterns affect sleepiness, alertness, and fatigue after waking. To do so, they followed 19 participants as they were exposed to three different waking conditions: natural light for 20 minutes before waking, gradual natural light from dawn until waking, and no natural light before waking.
"To improve awakening quality, it is important not only to avoid nighttime light pollution but also to consider the impact of natural light on awakening quality and to expose oneself to morning daylight at the appropriate time," the study authors said.The study found that although both the 20-minute pre-wake exposure and the gradual dawn exposure provided a similar amount of light, the group exposed to light shortly before waking showed greater improvements in alertness and reductions in sleepiness.
"This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of controlling natural light using window equipment to improve awakening quality and to verify appropriate methods for introducing it into bedrooms," the study authors said.
The researchers want individuals looking to better their sleep to know that although natural light before waking can positively impact the awakening quality, "excessive or premature exposure to natural light prior to waking tends to increase the frequency and duration of awakenings during sleep, potentially negatively impacting awakening quality."
The study shows that timed natural light exposure before waking can be an effective strategy for better overall sleep, however, more research is needed. If you want to test the theory for yourself but don't have the funds for automatic blinds, sunlight clocks that slowly wake you up with artificial sunlight might be an option.
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The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Senate struggle over Medicaid cuts threatens progress on Trump's big bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — One key unsettled issue stalling progress on President Donald Trump's big bill in Congress is particularly daunting: How to cut billions from health care without harming Americans or the hospitals and others that provide care? Republicans are struggling to devise a solution to the health care problem their package has created. Already, estimates say 10.9 million more people would be without health coverage under the House-passed version of the bill. GOP senators have proposed steeper reductions, which some say go too far. 'The Senate cuts in Medicaid are far deeper than the House cuts, and I think that's problematic,' said GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Senators have been meeting behind closed doors and with Trump administration officials as they rush to finish up the big bill ahead of the president's Fourth of July deadline. Much of the package, with its tax breaks and bolstered border security spending, is essentially drafted. But the size and scope of healthcare cuts are among the toughest remaining issues. It's reminiscent of the summer during Trump's first term, in 2017, when Republicans struggled to keep their campaign promise to 'repeal and replace' the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, only to see the GOP splinter over the prospect of Americans losing health coverage. That legislation collapsed when then-Sen. John McCain famously cast a thumbs-down vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is determined to avoid that outcome, sticking to the schedule and pressing ahead with voting expected by the end of the week. 'This is a good bill and it's going to be great for our country,' Thune said Wednesday, championing its potential to unleash economic growth and put money in people's pockets. The changes to the federal health care programs, particularly Medicaid, were always expected to become a centerpiece of the GOP package, a way to offset the costs of providing tax breaks for millions of Americans. Without action from Congress, taxes would go up next year when current tax law expires. The House-passed bill achieved some $1.5 trillion in savings overall, a large part of it coming from changes to health care. The Medicaid program has dramatically expanded in the 15 years since Obamacare became law and now serves some 80 million Americans. Republicans say that's far too high, and they want to shrink the program back to a smaller size covering mainly poorer women and children. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans are 'trying to take away healthcare from tens of millions of Americans.' Democrats are uniformly opposed to what they call the 'big, ugly bill.' Much of the health care cost savings would come from new 80-hour-a-month work requirements on those who receive Medicaid benefits, even as most recipients already work. But another provision, the so-called provider tax that almost all the states impose to some degree on hospitals and others that serve Medicaid patients, is drawing particular concern for potential cuts to rural hospitals. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said several senators spoke up Wednesday during a private meeting indicating they were not yet ready to start voting. 'That'll depend if we land the plane on rural hospitals,' he said. States impose the taxes as a way to help fund Medicaid, largely by boosting the reimbursements they receive from the federal government. Critics decry the system as a type of 'laundering' but almost every state except Alaska uses it to help provide the health care coverage. The House-passed bill would freeze the provider taxes at current levels, while the Senate proposal goes deeper by reducing the tax that some states are able to impose. 'I know the states are addicted to it,' said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. But he added, 'Obviously the provider tax needs to go away.' But a number of GOP senators, and the hospitals and other medical providers in their states, are raising steep concerns that the provider tax changes would decimate rural hospitals. In a plea to lawmakers, the American Hospital Association said the cuts won't just affect those who get health coverage through Medicaid, but would further strain emergency rooms 'as they become the family doctor to millions of newly uninsured people.' 'And worse, some hospitals, especially those in rural communities, may be forced to close altogether,' said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the hospital group. The Catholic Health Association of the United States noted in its own letter that Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for one in five people and nearly half of all children. 'The proposed changes to Medicaid would have devastating consequences, particularly for those in small towns and rural communities, where Medicaid is often the primary source of health care coverage,' said Sister Mary Haddad, the group's president and CEO. Trying to engineer a fix to the problem, senators are considering creating a rural hospital fund to help offset the lost Medicaid money. GOP senators circulated a proposal to pour $15 billion to establish a new rural hospital fund. But several senators said that's too high, while others said it's insufficient. Collins has proposed that the fund be set at $100 billion. 'It won't be that big, but there will be a fund,' Thune said. Hawley, who has been among those most outspoken about the health care cuts, said he's interested in the rural hospital fund but needs to hear more about how it would work. He has also raised concerns about a new $35 per service co-pay that could be charged to those with Medicaid, which is in both the House and Senate versions of the bill. 'Getting the fund is good. That's important, a step forward,' Hawley said. But he asked: 'How does the fund actually distribute the money? Who will get it to hospitals? … Or is this just going to be something that exists on paper?' A new analysis from the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates the package would result in up to $2.3 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, a markedly different assessment from other analyses. In contrast, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's dynamic analysis of the House-passed measure estimates an increase in deficits by $2.8 trillion over the next decade. __ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick, Joey Cappelletti and Fatima Hussein contributed to this story.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Ozempic Linked to Significant Reduction in Dementia—Study
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in diabetes medications Ozempic and Wegovy, was associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease-related dementia among patients with type 2 diabetes, a recent study reported. A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease analyzed the medical records of over 1.7 million U.S. adults and found that semaglutide users experienced a notably lower risk of dementia compared to patients treated with insulin, metformin, or older GLP-1 agonists. These findings, publicly released on Tuesday, come as researchers and clinicians continue to search for effective means to mitigate the growing dementia epidemic in the U.S. Ozempic is medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes that along with diet and exercise may improve blood sugar. Ozempic is medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes that along with diet and exercise may improve blood sugar. Photo by Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Why It Matters With over 6 million Americans diagnosed with dementia and more than 100,000 related deaths each year, the potential for semaglutide to meaningfully lower risk could have sweeping public health implications. Dementia does not have a cure, and nearly half of all cases are thought to be preventable by addressing risk factors like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, the New York Post reported. Evidence supporting semaglutide's neuroprotective effects may inform future prevention strategies among high-risk populations in the U.S. What To Know Landmark Study Shows Sharp Risk Reduction Researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, National Institutes of Health and the MetroHealth System in Cleveland examined the health records of 1,710,995 U.S. patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease-related dementia (ADRD). The study used a statistical method simulating a randomized clinical trial, comparing dementia diagnoses among those prescribed semaglutide, insulin, metformin, and older GLP-1 receptor agonists. Patients treated with semaglutide had a 46 percent lower risk of developing ADRD than those receiving insulin, a 33 percent lower risk than those on metformin, and a 20 percent lower risk than those on earlier GLP-1 agonists. The effect was particularly pronounced for vascular dementia, one of the most common subtypes. No protective association was found for frontotemporal dementia or Lewy body dementia. Wide Demographic Impact Observed The protective association was consistent among subgroups, including younger and older patients, men and women, and those with and without obesity. Researchers found the risk reduction was especially evident among older adults and women. What is Semaglutide? Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that helps regulate blood sugar, lowers body weight, and offers cardiovascular benefits for patients with diabetes. The drug can help improve insulin sensitivity, protect blood vessels, and reduce inflammation in the brain. Important Study Limitations Authors acknowledged limitations, including reliance on administrative diagnosis codes, which are subject to underdiagnosis and misclassification, data on medication adherence, cognitive test scores, and genetic risk factors were unavailable. Variations in clinical practice and health care use variations could also affect findings. Researchers emphasized the need for preclinical and clinical studies to establish causal effects. Additional International Data A separate study by Oxford University, published in Lancet's eClinicalMedicine journal, analyzed more than 100 million U.S. medical records and found that Ozempic users experienced lower rates of cognitive decline and nicotine use compared to those on other diabetes medications. This study also did not find a higher risk of anxiety, depression, or other neurological and psychiatric conditions with Ozempic. The researchers emphasized that the results were limited to diabetic patients and require more rigorous randomized controlled trials. What People Are Saying The researchers of the study, in a news article published by the American Journal of Managed Care: "In a real-world population with T2D [type 2 diabetes] who had no prior diagnosis of AD/ADRD [Alzheimer disease/Alzheimer disease-related dementia], our study shows that semaglutide was associated with a significantly lower risk of overall ADRD incidence compared with other antidiabetic medications, including insulin, metformin, and other GLP-1RAs. Significant reductions were observed in older and younger patients, women and men, and patients with and without obesity." Howard Fillit, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, in comments to Reuters: "The answer to all those limitations is to do a randomized clinical trial, which is exactly what Novo is doing." What Happens Next Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, began testing semaglutide in patients with early Alzheimer's disease in 2021. The results are expected sometime this year. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Nestle says it will remove artificial dyes from US foods by 2026
Nestle said Wednesday it will eliminate artificial colors from its U.S. food and beverages by the middle of 2026. It's the latest big food company making that pledge. Last week, Kraft Heinz and General Mills said they would remove artificial dyes from their U.S. products by 2027. General Mills also said it plans to remove artificial dyes from its U.S. cereals and from all foods served in K-12 schools by the middle of 2026. The move has broad support. About two-thirds of Americans favor restricting or reformulating processed foods to remove ingredients like added sugar or dyes, according to an AP-NORC poll. Both California and West Virginia have recently banned artificial dyes in foods served in schools. On Sunday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed a bill requiring foods made with artificial dyes or additives to contain a new safety label starting in 2027. The label would say they contain ingredients 'not recommended for human consumption' in Australia, Canada, the European Union or the U.K. The federal government is also stepping up its scrutiny of artificial colors. In January, days before President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. regulators banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation's food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. In April, Trump's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency would take steps to eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry. Nestle has pledged to remove artificial dyes before. Early in 2015, the company said it would remove artificial flavors and colors from its products by the end of that year. But the promise didn't hold. Nestle said Wednesday it's been removing synthetic dyes from its products over the last decade, and 90% of its U.S. portfolio doesn't contain them. Among those that do is Nesquik Banana Strawberry milk, which is made with Red 3. Nestle said Wednesday it wants to evolve with its U.S. customers' changing nutritional needs and preferences. 'Serving and delighting people is at the heart of everything we do and every decision that we make,' Nestle's U.S. CEO Marty Thompson said in a statement.
