Latest news with #BenjiMadden
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The key to a happy relationship? For some couples, it's living apart: 'Trust, honesty and humour'
Newlywed actor Jack Wagner's relationship recently made headlines when he shared that he and his new wife plan to continue to live separately. While some fans were shocked by this seemingly unconventional living arrangement, it's not actually that uncommon at all. While several celebrity couples, including Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, have touted the benefits of sleeping in separate rooms, living apart together — or LAT for short — takes things one step further. And research shows more couples are choosing to live separately for the long haul. A 2017 survey showed that 1.5 million Canadians were in a relationship and living in different homes, and around half of them had either never thought of living together or had made the choice not to. New research from the U.K. also found that older adults in LAT relationships had better mental health than those who lived with their partner or spouse. June*, a 72-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., is an example of someone who, along with her 71-year-old partner Ed*, made the choice to live apart. They've been happily doing so ("with some ups and downs," like all couples) for almost 43 years. I don't know what makes it work so well. We just knew that we were going to commit ourselves to a relationship and we felt like as long as we had trust, honesty and humour in our relationship we would make 72, who's lived separately from her partner for 40+ years June, who admits to being "old school," said she knew very early on that she didn't want children, so she never felt the need to get married. As for Ed, she noted she knew from the get-go that he had no interest in marrying again after a divorce. Still, they committed to being together while continuing to have their own homes, which happen to be in different towns roughly a 40-minute drive apart. The key to making it work after all these years? Trust and communication. "I don't know what makes it work so well." she said. "We just knew that we were going to commit ourselves to a relationship and we felt like as long as we had trust, honesty and humour in our relationship we would make it. So, here we are." As for any plans to live together down the road as they continue to age? She doesn't see that happening. "I don't think so, because now we're starting to get crochety," she added with a laugh, pointing out how other couples often struggle once they're retired and home together all the time and complain that their spouse is "driving them crazy." What exactly is living apart together? Unlike living apart from your partner because you're A) not ready to move in together yet, B) have separated or C) have logistical challenges, like distance or work, LAT is a commitment rather than circumstantial. Couples choose to maintain a romantic relationship — whether married or not — while actively choosing to live in separate households. Many of them do this to maintain independence. What are the benefits of couples living apart? We asked Toronto-based sexologist, Jess O'Reilly, who's also the host of the "Sex With Dr. Jess" podcast, to weigh in on how living apart can benefit couples. Being more intentional about how you spend time together While date nights can be few and far between when you live together, O'Reilly noted that if you live separately, you may be more likely to plan your time together and choose "activities that spark relaxation, joy, connection and passion." Reduced conflict It's no secret that common-law and married couples often fight about the mundane aspects of sharing a household, like chores and expenses. Depending on your arrangement, if you're not sharing a space, you may be less likely to argue about these things — if at all. The benefits of absence You've heard the old adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder. When living apart, "you may experience greater desire for touch, affection, physical intimacy and sex because it's not always available to you," she explained. Better communication Couples who live apart may engage in "more open and intentional communication," the sexologist noted, as "you don't simply pass one another in the kitchen every morning, so you may be more inclined to make time for important conversations." In the end, she said if it works for you, don't worry about what anyone else thinks: "Don't let anyone else's opinion sway you. If LAT works for you, relish in your arrangement. Proximity doesn't determine relationship quality, so rest assured that you can benefit from both time together and time apart." How couples can make the most of living apart If you're considering living apart, or are already doing it, O'Reilly shared some tips and tricks to keep your relationship running smoothly. And even if you live together? You can still use these tips to help your relationship flourish. Support is key "Support one another's autonomy and growth, as self-expansion theory suggests we're most fulfilled in relationships when we're supported to grow and evolve," O'Reilly said. Judgment-free zone "Check in regularly, as your needs and desires can shift over time. Ongoing conversations create connection and can also reduce conflict," she advised, adding that "you don't have to commit to one arrangement for the entire course of the relationship. ... If your feelings change, create space to share without judgment." Moments of togetherness "Create rituals of connection, like date night, shared hobbies, video chats and sleepovers," O'Reilly added. "Predictable — and unpredictable — moments of togetherness can help you to maintain intimacy, foster anticipation and enrich the emotional bond over time."
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Good Charlotte Is Entering a New Phase: ‘We Don't Give a F-ck in a Great Way'
In April 2023, Good Charlotte played their first show in five years in one of the most improbable places: the vast, luxe halls of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France. Wearing Doc Martens and black suits with tattoos peaking out, Joel and Benji Madden, bassist Paul Thomas, and guitarist Billy Martin brought their pop-punk attitude to the swanky space and delivered high-energy versions of their 2000s hits for Sofia Richie's wedding afterparty. Yes, that Sofia Richie, the model and internet personality, who is also Joel's sister-in-law. 'Sofia and Elliot [Grainge] asked us to play their wedding,' Joel Madden says on a Zoom call. 'They grew up on our band, so it was a really special moment for us to be able to bring something we love that they love.' More from Rolling Stone Good Charlotte Announce First Album in Seven Years Luke Combs Closes Out Stagecoach Set With Garth Brooks and Good Charlotte Pop Punkers in the Boardroom: The Madden Brothers on Their New Lives While videos of Richie dancing barefoot and singing along to 'Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous' went viral, the occasion marked a pivotal moment for Good Charlotte. In the South of France, a long way from Los Angeles and their Maryland roots, brothers Joel and Benji looked around and saw just how many of their dreams have come true. 'We wanted to grow up and have happy families, and there we were, having this unforgettable night with our extended family of 19 years,' Benji Madden recalls. Good Charlotte knew they had tapped into something they hadn't in years; something worth exploring for the first time since 2018. 'We had such a great night, and we were all sitting around, and we were like, 'Should we do an album?' The whole band was like, 'Fuck yeah, yes, let's do an album,'' Joel says. Now, Good Charlotte are gearing up to release Motel Du Cap, the band's eighth LP and first full-length project in seven years. The album's lead single, 'Rejects,' is out today, marking the official start of the band's new era. Rolling Stone caught up with the Madden brothers to talk about Motel Du Cap, the possibility of touring the album, and what it's like to return to Good Charlotte. Why did you choose to commemorate that memory of the wedding at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Rock with the album title, ?Benji: We were like, 'When would Hotel Du Cap ever have Good Charlotte play at Eden Roc?' Joel: Yeah, that juxtaposition of us at this fancy hotel. We couldn't name the album after the hotel, but we could make it our own thing. Benji: Motel Du Cap feels more appropriate. There's always a little colored sarcasm in our music, there's a little tongue-in-cheek, but then there is always some really deep meaningful subject matter on our records, too. It felt very appropriate to commemorate such a meaningful, beautiful night. It's one of my best memories. The album's first single, 'Rejects,' reminds me a bit of your early track 'Little Things,' energetically and sonically. Did you guys go in with that mentality? Joel: You're feeling that exactly right. It's really full-circle because when we made the first record in '99, we didn't know any better than to not give a fuck. We didn't know you were supposed to give a fuck. We thought it was the greatest thing ever to make a record and to say whatever the fuck we wanted to say. Then you get into the game of the music business and get a little spun around. We came full-circle back to where we're all in really good places in our lives where we don't give a fuck, in a great way. We certainly care about people and our fans. But our families are really the center of our lives. So Good Charlotte is something that we get to be totally free in. We don't necessarily need it to perform. We actually just need it to be itself. Benji: Now, when we write we only set out to do one thing: express ourselves. We don't premeditate any songs. We write a stream of consciousness. It's something we kind of learned over the years as we thought back to when we made our first couple of records. We came all the way around to what was the best thing for us, which is just to let our feelings out and not try to control it too much. You don't need to write 50 songs for a record; you need to write 12. Whatever came out in that moment is the whole portrait. We made this record completely unconsciously. We didn't meditate, we made it. We just said, 'We need to get some things out,' and we hit record. What made you guys choose 'Rejects' as the lead single?Joel: I don't even think 'Rejects' is necessarily the most obvious single type song, but it's the one we feel like people should hear first. We think it's a really great start and a representation of the record and the music. Benji: This record is the kickoff of Act Two and everything that came before that was a journey of a lifetime. Lyrically, 'Rejects' is super honest, touching on some dark thoughts. What went into writing lines like that hook 'Sometimes I wish I wasn't born at all'?Joel: We all feel that way sometimes. It's OK to feel that way. When I say, 'Sometimes I wish I wasn't born at all,' I don't mean it where I want to be gone. I am not suicidal and, thank God, I'm not depressed. But I've had times in my life where I was, and I had to figure that out, and it was a lot of work to figure out my own mental health and self-esteem. I'm still working on all of it all of the time. We're all a work in progress. Sometimes you have moments in life where it's really fucking hard. It has nothing to do with your family or your success or your failure or whatever. But it's a moment of aloneness, and you question stuff, and even have to give yourself the room to feel OK with those moments. That line, that just came out of me. I feel like everyone can relate to it, no matter who they are. They have those moments where they have to take a knee or let out a deep sigh or whatever, and then just keep getting on with it. Benji: 'Rejects' is very meaningful. It flips back and forth between you and your inner child. To me, the chorus is the inner child screaming back at you because we leave our inner children behind. When we can find our power in life is when we can get reintegrated with that kid. Joel, you fully just never wrote the lyrics down. Joel: Yeah, I don't write lyrics down. Benji: It's just boom, boom, boom. How does it feel to be creating new music more than 20 years into your career as a band? Benji: It feels really good. We learned to do things in our own time and just follow the feeling, and it just feels right. We both felt like we had an album in us, and then we started to feel like 'We need to get this out.' The beautiful thing about where we're at now is it really is about the process. It's a nice thing when you are just able to create from this very inspired and content place. It allows us to share it with people in a very 'no expectations' way and let people have their own experience with it. Joel, have you ever been happier with an album process? Joel: This band is so unique to itself and we are constantly discovering what it means to be in Good Charlotte, especially in 2025. It's funny, because in some ways I could say, 'Yeah, it's the best I've ever felt.' In other ways, it doesn't feel like the world is on my shoulders. We set out to make a great record, and we love it, and it's also filled us up in a way that we want to go on tour, which is a feeling we haven't had in a long time. This is a record we can take around the world. Are there plans to tour the album? Joel: We are going to do a world tour in '26, and I don't know if that means it's 20 shows or 40 shows or 60 shows, but whatever it is, it's a number that we feel every show has to feel unique and special, just like the album does. We want each moment to feel unique. The wedding show we played felt unique. It felt special, it felt meaningful. We all caught that and said, 'This is how we want to feel every time we go onstage.' It's interesting. People haven't actually gotten a lot of opportunities to see us live. We just haven't toured in a meaningful way in probably 10 years or so. There's so many people that will be seeing us for the first time, and we want to make it special and exciting that they finally get to see us. It's going to be a really fun show with lots of cool little surprises and things that make people happy. Hopefully, it just feels like a big fucking wedding party every night. Some fans online have been asking for an throwback tour of some kind. Do you plan to shape the tour like that?Joel: We are going to hit every era, but we're trying to figure out how long a show should be. Two hours is too long but we're not sure if an hour-and-a-half will work. When we tried to fit everything into an hour and ten minutes in our headlining set at Welcome to Rockville, we still had to cut five songs that people wanted to hear. It's crazy. Some shows might just have to be a little longer depending on where and what, but it's going to be a lot of fun to hit all the eras of GC live, and then the new stuff is going to be fun live, too. You brought out Wheatus during Welcome to Rockville, and even joined Luke Combs during his . How did those appearances come about? Do you hope to bring more guests out at shows?Joel: We're lucky because Good Charlotte works with lots of genres. We're in this weird space where we could go heavier, we could go poppier, we can even go country with Luke [Combs]. Those moments mean so much to us. 'Teenage Dirtbag' is one of my favorite songs, and to have Brendan [Bernard Brown] come out and do it felt like giving him his flowers for writing one of the greatest songs. It's also always a goal of mine to have a big sing-along. I don't care if it's our songs or someone else's songs. I just want it to feel like a throwback night where you're with your friends and you're living right now and remembering back when. Benji: It's just really fun, and we've made all these amazing friends over the years, and it's so cool to share the stage with people. If we go anywhere, we're bringing someone fun with us, or we're bringing some kind of crazy production. It's fun to surprise people. You played When We Were Young a couple of years back. Would you be open to joining this year or ?Joel: I don't know why Warped Tour D.C. didn't work out this year. We love Warped Tour, but again, if we're going to do 20 shows over a year, every single show has to be something that people are going to get their money's worth, and they're going to see Good Charlotte and hear our full set. I'd still pop up and do one. We'll see. Benji: Logistically, this one couldn't work, but I have no doubt we'll be back at a Warped Tour sometime. What friends did you call up for collaborations on ?Joel: One of my favorite artists is this new guy from Maryland, he's got a real place in our hearts. His name's Luke Borchelt and he's a country singer not far from where we're from in Maryland. We did a song with him that I'm really excited about. I'm such a fan of his album. He just got off the road with Shaboozey, who's also from the DMV area. It's so cool to see people from home making these big impactful musical moments. We also have a feature from Wiz Khalifa. It's been a long time coming. We've been friends a long time, and we've been talking about doing something, and we finally got to. Benji: I love the Wiz song. It'll be one of the more memorable songs in our catalog when this record comes out. It's a really cool song. Joel: We wrote a song with Matt Koma from Winnetka Bowling League, who's one of our best friends and plays with us live. Who else did we write with Benj? Benji: Jordan Fish. We also wrote with a dear friend of ours that I think would surprise people too: Charlie Puth. Charlie produced it, and I think there's some sneaky Charlie vocals in there in the mix. It's not a feature but you'll hear it. Joel: He snuck them in there for sure. Who else produced the album?Benji: We got to do a majority of the record with Jordan Fish. When Jordan joined Bring Me the Horizon, I immediately was like, 'Whatever they did there, that's really special.' Now that Jordan left the band and he's producing full time, I knew I wanted to make music with him. We made most of the record with Jordan and Zakk Cevini and me and Joel together. It allowed for us to have a place to be really vulnerable and just try and sing about things that you don't know if this is going to turn into a song. If you're in a room with a bunch of people that are thinking about hit songs, it ain't going to make it past the first verse. To have a space where no one gives a fuck, it's not about anything other than let's just do something special, that's when things can happen. Good Charlotte's last album was 2018's The band took a between albums back in the . What's the biggest advantage of allowing this time between releases?Benji: It's like we lived a lifetime before we made our first record, from when we were born to all our experiences in early childhood and adolescence. We've played out those insecurities, those great moments, and we did it as young people in front of the world. We took our lives back. We nurtured our own growth and spent valuable time with our families and loved ones. It's like we've been living and filling the gas tank up with more experience, more lessons, more self-realizations, more explorations in order to be better and be able to give back to fans now. Joel: It's a little less-is-more type of thing, where I actually really get to move through the world now at a pace I could sustain and interact with people and have memories and meet people. It's a nice little pace. I actually prefer to live that way. Even going and doing a big festival like Welcome to Rockville was still at a pace where we could interact with everyone and make a memory versus running in and doing a million things. With , you've become mentors in the pop-punk and rock scene. How did that role inform this album?Joel: At MDDN, we work with these amazing bands, and we get to interact with and participate in their lives in ways that are really fun for us. It's more meaningful to me to watch them shine and see them accomplishing all their achievements. As artists, they're just making really great music and they're incredible to watch. It's so fulfilling. Benji: It's also very healing and it's such a blessing. We don't take it for granted. We really cherish and appreciate that we get to tell them things that we wish people would've told us. Joel: They teach us things that no one told us, too. There is a real true collaboration of age and perspective and experience. What was the scariest part of returning to Good Charlotte?Joel: The only thing we're always ever worried about is how much time any of it will take away from our families. Thank God, we have such supportive wives and kids. It's a really nice situation where everybody's on board with just figuring it out together. What we don't want to do is make it at the cost of them. The only thing we've all ever talked about is to have successful family lives. We're trying our hardest, and everything we do is going to be measured by that. What's interesting about Good Charlotte is we are a part of this generation of people figuring out how to live life and not take the old information we were fed as kids, and try to figure out how to be dads, how to be husbands, how to have families. It is actually a big broad span of a couple generations of people who come from that high divorce-rate generation, and we can all relate to it. We actually want to get our personal lives right and hopefully have success in the world, but not at any costs. Benji: Genuinely, the only thing that matters to us is successful family lives, and the rest will just be additive. Joel: We're at a nice place where we are not really that worried about anything other than the people that want to enjoy the album will enjoy it. Whoever hears it will hear it, and we'll do as many shows as we can, and we'll be happy with it. Whatever we show up for, we're going to give it everything we have. Benji: We're making not-broken homes. We started going to therapy and we started working on our self-esteem because when we were young, we had low self-esteem. We really needed to be validated. But once we fixed that, the need for validation just went and doesn't motivate us anymore. For us, we're motivated by experiences, by doing things that feel special, and by sharing these with the people we love. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Good Charlotte Announce First Album in Seven Years
It's a new day — and Good Charlotte are back with brand new music. The pop-punk band have announced their eighth album, Motel Du Cap, out August 8. Good Charlotte shared the news on Monday with a billboard on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. The billboard featured a picture of the band along with the album title and date, but no other information was revealed. Motel Du Cap will be the band's first full length release since 2018's Generation Rx. In 2020, Good Charlotte released the single 'Last December.' Since then, band leaders and brothers Joel and Benji Madden have focused on various business ventures outside of music, including livestream platform Veeps, Joel's Artist Friendly podcast, and an entire artist management company MDDN. More from Rolling Stone Luke Combs Closes Out Stagecoach Set With Garth Brooks and Good Charlotte Pop Punkers in the Boardroom: The Madden Brothers on Their New Lives 60 U.S. Music Venues Are Getting 'Turnkey Livestreaming' Abilities Earlier this year, Good Charlotte seemingly began to tease the new project on social media when they shared a cryptic video featuring old clips from the band's early days. 'GC 2025,' the caption read. Since then, Good Charlotte have announced multiple festival appearances for 2025, including Ocean's Calling and Aftershock. Last month, the band played at Welcome to Rockville for their first show since 2023 where Benji told the crowd about the new project and possible touring plans: 'We got a record coming out in August, we'll be on tour.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch Good Charlotte Celebrate ‘Rejects' on ‘Kimmel'
Good Charlotte stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform their new single, 'Rejects.' The pop-punk band took over the late-night show stage with a backdrop themed around their forthcoming LP, Motel Du Cap, and a lot of billowing smoke. The musicians premiered 'Rejects' yesterday, marking the official start of the band's new era. 'It's really full-circle because when we made the first record in '99, we didn't know any better than to not give a fuck,' Joel Madden told Rolling Stone of the song's throwback vibe. 'We didn't know you were supposed to give a fuck. We thought it was the greatest thing ever to make a record and to say whatever the fuck we wanted to say. Then you get into the game of the music business and get a little spun around.' More from Rolling Stone Good Charlotte Is Entering a New Phase: 'We Don't Give a F-ck in a Great Way' Diego Luna Slams Trump's Immigration Policies: 'Too Many People Live in Fear' Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander Promote 'Politics of the Future' on 'Colbert' He continued, 'We came full-circle back to where we're all in really good places in our lives where we don't give a fuck, in a great way. We certainly care about people and our fans. But our families are really the center of our lives. So Good Charlotte is something that we get to be totally free in. We don't necessarily need it to perform. We actually just need it to be itself.' Benji Madden added, 'You don't need to write 50 songs for a record; you need to write 12. Whatever came out in that moment is the whole portrait. We made this record completely unconsciously. We didn't meditate, we made it. We just said, 'We need to get some things out,' and we hit record.' Motel du Cap is Good Charlotte's eighth album and their first full-length effort in eight years (Generation Rx dropped in 2018). It arrives Aug. 8. 'Rejects' is the LP's debut single and no other details for the album have been announced. Earlier this year, Good Charlotte seemingly began to tease the new project on social media when they shared a cryptic video featuring old clips from the band's early days. 'GC 2025,' the caption read. Since then, Good Charlotte have announced multiple festival appearances for 2025, including Ocean's Calling and Aftershock. Last month, the band played at Welcome to Rockville for their first show since 2023 where Benji told the crowd about the new project and possible touring plans: 'We got a record coming out in August, we'll be on tour.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
10 things we've learned about getting better sleep — from the perfect nap length to midnight snacks that won't keep you up
It's fitting that Sleep Awareness Week (which runs this year from March 9 to March 15) falls right around the start of daylight saving time. That lost hour of sleep that comes with 'springing forward' leaves most folks bleary-eyed and in need of some tips to get their sleep hygiene back on track. And if there's one thing we know, it's good sleep. Over the years, we've covered everything from the best nap length to the perks of having a weekend lie-in. Here's what we've learned — and what just might help you rest easier. 1. You should be sleeping like a baby. It turns out babies really do have the best bedtime routines. Try following their lead by having a calming wind-down routine in the evenings — like taking a warm bath, reading a book and listening to soothing sounds — to cue your body that it's time for sleep. And you're never too old to cuddle up with your favorite stuffed animal; they're great for helping adults have sweet dreams too. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 2. Surprise, surprise — your phone is bad for your sleep. We already know how detrimental being glued to your devices can be to mental health, but it turns out it's bad for sleep too. There's currently no evidence that the radiation emitted from smartphones or tablets affects long-term health, but sleeping next to your device is still harmful because it means you're more inclined to scroll instead of getting some shut-eye. The light emitted from smartphones can also impact your circadian rhythm. To avoid being tempted to scroll, try activating Instagram's 'nighttime nudge' feature, which is designed for teens but great for adults too. 3. The perfect nap does exist. According to experts at NASA, the perfect nap length is 26 minutes; anything longer than that can make you feel groggy instead of refreshed, and you should try not to nap too close to bedtime. And yes, naps are good for you (mostly). While naps have been linked with some health issues in adults, including high blood pressure and stroke, for most people they can help fill in sleep gaps, boost your brain as you age and even support your immune system. 4. Choose the co-sleeping arrangement that works for you. Conventional modern sleep wisdom has been that married couples should doze side by side, but some are bucking that trend and getting a 'sleep divorce.' More couples have begun normalizing sleeping in separate beds from their spouses — including famous duos like actress Cameron Diaz and her husband, Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden — and touting the benefits, such as a better night's sleep. 5. Midnight snacks are OK — if you choose some of these healthy options. While late night eating has been associated with some negative health outcomes — like an increased likelihood of being overweight or having high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease — some research shows that a midnight snack may also help preserve and build muscle in older adults and athletes. But be sure to reach for a healthy treat like Greek yogurt, edamame or roasted nuts, and avoid fatty, acidic or high-sodium foods, which tend to keep you up at night. 6. What you wear to bed matters (but so do personal preferences). Wearing socks while sleeping is a divisive issue, and each side has its merits. While wearing socks at night may increase your risk of ingrown toenails or skin irritation and cause overheating, it can also improve circulation and possibly improve sleep. One surprising benefit? A small study found that 80% of couples who wore socks during intimacy achieved orgasm — compared with 50% of couples without socks. 7. Habit, security, bathroom proximity — and other reasons people choose a side of the bed. Why do couples tend to pick one side of the bed and stick with it? There can be some unconscious reasons (such as choosing the side you always slept on as a kid), but practicality also counts. A 2018 Saatva survey, for example, found that 75% of people picked their side based on proximity to an outlet for charging devices, 67% chose the side closest to the bathroom, 58% chose the side near a window and 48% preferred the side closest to the door. 8. Snoring is common. Extreme snoring suggests a bigger problem. According to the Sleep Foundation, snoring affects about 57% of men and 40% of women in the U.S. But if you have loud snoring at least three times a week that's 'accompanied by a stop-and-start breathing pattern, choking, gasping for air and restless sleep, followed by morning headaches and excessive daytime fatigue,' you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — a serious disorder linked to heart disease. If you just have regular run-of-the-mill snoring, you can try tactics such as elevating your head or not sleeping on your back. For OSA, a doctor will often recommend CPAP therapy, which uses a machine to regulate the flow of air 'to help keep the airway from becoming blocked or collapsing.' 9. Sleepwalking and having night terrors is rare — but scary. Studies have shown that non-REM (rapid eye movement) parasomnias, aka arousal disorders, typically affect less than 5% of the population, but they can be scary. Night terrors (when you wake up in a terrified state), sleepwalking (which can include complex activities like moving furniture or playing a musical instrument) and sleep-related eating disorders all fall under parasomnias — and might offer an explanation for some creepy nocturnal tales. One researcher tells Yahoo Life that some supposedly supernatural nighttime creatures described throughout history, such as ghosts and werewolves, may have actually just been people sleepwalking. 10. Some cities sleep better than others. What do San Jose, Calif.; Minneapolis; Denver; Austin, Texas; and Milwaukee have in common? They're five of the best cities for sleep in the U.S., consistently rating high in factors important to a good night's rest, such as minimal light and noise pollution, air quality, walkability and access to green spaces and parks. But even if you aren't a resident of a sleep-friendly city, we can still learn a thing or two from their snoozing skills by doing things like running an air purifier at night, using blackout curtains and being physically active (just not too close to bedtime).
