Latest news with #KilitoChan
Wales Online
12-08-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Woman says 'voodoo magic' hack helps her fall back asleep in the middle of the night
Woman says 'voodoo magic' hack helps her fall back asleep in the middle of the night A woman has shared a trick she was told would help her fall back asleep instantly if she found herself awake in the middle of the night - and it's amazing people It's frustrating when you can't get back to sleep (stock image) (Image: Kilito Chan via Getty Images) It can be incredibly exasperating when you wake up in the middle of the night, only to glance at your phone and realise it's still hours until your alarm is due to go off. You yearn to drift back into sleep immediately to snatch those extra few hours, but sometimes it can seem like an unattainable task. Frequently waking up during the night and struggling to return to sleep can be a symptom of insomnia. Everyone requires different amounts of sleep based on their age, but if you're not getting enough, you'll likely feel perpetually fatigued throughout the day. One woman stumbled upon a trick that could help her fall back asleep instantly in such situations, and she was astounded by its effectiveness. Dermatologist Jenna Coackley shared on her @jenna_coack TikTok account that she initially doubted the trick could work after discovering it on Instagram. She added: "But I've tried it a couple of nights in a row and it literally works. It's the best trick I've ever tried." She then posted screenshots of her Oura Ring data, which can monitor metrics including sleep and heart rate. From two separate nights, it showed she had spent around 1hr 20mins awake during the night. However, the first time she attempted the trick, it showed she'd only spent 24 minutes awake, and the second time, 31 minutes. Jenna then proceeded to explain the trick. With your eyes shut, you look right, then left, then up, then down, and finally, your eyes circle around before reversing the direction. According to Jenna, all you need to do is repeat this until you drift back to sleep. Jenna delved into the science behind the technique, explaining that it activates your "parasympathetic nervous system", and "tricks your brain into thinking it's in the REM cycle". "I don't know, it feels like some type of voodoo magic," she added. Content cannot be displayed without consent Several people tried the trick for themselves, with one individual exclaiming: "You've saved my life." Another chimed in: "Yes! We do this in therapy and it regulates your nervous system. "I kinda do that too... except I add crossing your eyes at the end ... it really does work!!!" said another. However, the method didn't prove successful for everyone, with one person offering an alternative approach: "That hasn't worked for me. But what does work is running through the alphabet and picking a category to name off things within the category per letter. As many as you can think of. I don't ever recall making it past D or E before dozing off." According to the NHS, adults require seven to nine hours of sleep each night, while children need between nine and 13. Toddlers and babies should get 12 to 17 hours. Insomnia can be caused by numerous factors, but there are steps you can take to help, such as altering your sleeping habits. Article continues below Attempt to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, unwind at least an hour before bedtime, ensure your bedroom is dark and quiet, and engage in regular exercise throughout the day. If you've made these lifestyle adjustments and still struggle with sleep for months, it's time to consult your GP.
CNET
20-05-2025
- General
- CNET
This One Change Made My Leftovers Taste Fresh, Not Funky
With all the warm weather here, I've been doing a little bit of everything to refresh my space: clearing out clutter, switching up the vibe and, yes, even rethinking how I reheat my leftovers. I know it sounds random, but hear me out. If you're still tossing cold pizza or soggy fries into the microwave, you're missing out in a big way. And let's be honest, nothing goes better with a summer movie night than leftovers that actually taste good. I ditched the microwave a while ago, and I haven't looked back. Sure, it's fast, but it sucks the life out of most food. Now I reheat everything in an air fryer, toaster oven, or skillet, and the difference is huge. Crispy edges, warm centers and leftovers that taste just as good as they did the first time, sometimes even better. Trust me, it's worth the extra few minutes. If your leftovers are soggy, rubbery or sad, these reheating tricks will change the way you think about second-day (or third-day) meals. Read more: My Secret Crispy Buffalo Wings Recipe Noodles, pasta and rice dishes A quick spin in a nonstick skillet is the best way to reheat pasta, noodles and rice dishes. Kilito Chan/Getty Best way to reheat: Nonstick skillet This wide-ranging category of classic takeout includes Italian pasta dishes; Indian curries with rice; Thai, Vietnamese and Korean noodles; and Chinese stir-fries. We're talking about any dish featuring starch such as rice or noodles with diced vegetables, meat or plant-based protein and a sauce. The one thing they all have in common is that they're best reheated in a nonstick skillet or wok. While you can probably get away with nuking simple fried rice, a microwave tends to overcook pasta and noodles and will likely turn your chicken, shrimp or sliced beef into rubber. Instead, just throw it all in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Toss intermittently and in a few minutes, you'll have something nearly as good as when it first showed up at your table or door the night before. Nonstick pans typically take all of 15 seconds to rinse clean. For rice dishes, consider a stainless-steel, carbon-steel or cast-iron skillet to get crispy rice. Read More: What Is 'Teflon Flu'? What to Know About Nonstick Cookware Pizza and flatbread Why so sad, cold pizza? David Watsky/CNET Best way to reheat: Air fryer or toaster oven There are a handful of reasons I love my air fryer, but none more notable than for reheating leftovers. Microwaves destroy pizza, so let's cross that one off. A toaster and convection oven does better, but still takes longer to heat and can dry the pizza out by the time it's heated through. The quick blast of an air fryer's superconvection will reheat your pizza to crispy perfection in about two minutes at 400 degrees F, depending on how large and thick it is. Be sure to use the basket or grate or else the hot, flat bottom of the air fryer basket could burn the bottom of your slice. I won't heat leftover pizza any other way. If you didn't have enough reasons to spring for one, air fryers use way less energy than a big oven. Read More: Air Fryer Hacks to Prevent Grease Fires in Your Home Two minutes in the air fryer. Now, that's more like it. David Watsky/CNET Fried food If you thought it was impossible to revive leftover fried foods such as chicken and crinkle fries, think again. Ry Crist/CNET Best way to reheat: Air fryer Leftover fried foods have historically been one of the most difficult to bring back to life. Enter the air fryer, which can revive fried chicken, fried dumplings, mozzarella sticks and even french fries like nothing else in the kitchen. Similar to pizza, it'll take only a few minutes to heat through and you should have a crispy outer shell just like when the fried food was initially cooked. For thicker pieces of chicken, use a lower temperature of around 325 to 350 degrees F for three minutes or so to ensure you don't burn the outside before the center has time to warm through. Side note: Beyond reheating fried chicken, a good air fryer also makes delicious "fried" chicken and other foods with far less oil than traditional methods. Steak, pork chops, burgers and grilled chicken Often, the way food was cooked is also the best way to reheat it. For steaks, pork and burgers, be sure to cover the skillet so the meat heats through faster. David Watsky/CNET Best way to reheat: Cast-iron or nonstick skillet Cuts of meat, including steak and pork chops, are another food that can be tough to resuscitate. Fear not, because there is a way. While reheating grilled steak or fish in an air fryer or oven isn't impossible, you're likely to dry the meat out. Instead, I suggest re-searing it quickly in a covered hot cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan for no more than a minute on each side. The hot surface of the skillet should give life back to the crust. Keeping it covered will help warm it through before the pan heat has time to overcook it. For delicate fish, you might want to use a nonstick skillet to keep the flesh from sticking or falling apart. Fair warning: These types of reheated foods will never be quite as good as when you first pulled them from the grill, pan or plancha, but this method should leave them more than edible. Braised, roasted or slow-cooked meat A covered skillet with a splash of stock is the best way to reheat leftover braised food. CNET Best way to reheat: Covered skillet with a splash of liquid Braised dishes such as chicken in wine sauce or short ribs should be reheated in a way that mimics how they were cooked. Just heat them gently for a few minutes in a covered nonstick or stainless steel pan with an ounce or two of water or chicken stock. The hot liquid will warm and revive the braised or slow-roasted meat, giving it back its juicy tenderness. For more tasty tips, see how to find cheap wine at the grocery store and how to cook a perfect whole chicken in the air fryer. The microwave is not the best way to reheat leftovers Move away from the microwave and toward better leftovers. Molly Price/CNET The microwave is the appliance most commonly employed to reheat leftovers and it may be the fastest, but I'd also contend that it's the worst. Most reheated food that comes out of the microwave has a degree of rubberiness, dryness or mushiness that it didn't have when it went in. Microwaves don't typically heat food evenly, either, resulting in food that's either too hot or too cold in places -- sometimes both. Plus, microwaves are prone to messy explosions. If you have to clean your microwave after reheating food, it's not a time-saver. "But it's so much faster!" you say, but is it? Most of the methods outlined below take less than five minutes. The air fryer cooks almost as fast as a microwave and, in my opinion, much better. Adding an air fryer to your kitchen may feel like an upfront cost, but these budget-friendly super convection ovens are the best first step towards better leftovers. Plus, they'll save money on your energy bill over time. Is there any food you should reheat in the microwave? The microwave is a great place to poach an egg. David Watsky/CNET Although most dense foods shrivel up or dry out in a microwave, some softer foods handle the microwave heat better. Items such as soup (covered), sauce, plain rice or mashed potatoes won't lose too much oomph if you nuke them. The microwave is also a great place to quickly soften butter, make popcorn or warm up water, baby formula and other liquids. It's even one of my favorite ways to poach an egg, so the microwave is by no means a useless appliance.
