Latest news with #NancyChen
6 days ago
- Health
What is orthosomnia? How obsession with wearable tech could impact sleep
Millions of Americans are turning to devices to keep track of everything from heart rates to sleep. But the latter could pose a problem for some wearable tech users who end up more stressed than rested when it comes to monitoring things like their sleep score. Nancy Chen, a marketing manager and part-time boxing instructor, who was drawn to having access to sleep data, told "Good Morning America" that her device became a problem of its own. "Sleep has always mattered a lot to me, and I would always get a little stressed if I knew I wasn't gonna sleep enough," she said. "It was this cycle of, I knew that my sleep score was gonna be bad, and then I was kind of like stressed about it. It was too much data." The constant monitoring can lead to a phenomenon known as orthosomnia, defined by the Sleep Foundation as an obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep that is driven by sleep tracker data. "Orthosomnia refers to individuals for whom tracking may have become or is potentially stressful," sleep scientist Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told "GMA." "The information they receive stresses them out, and then they it causes them to struggle the next night." The harder people with orthosomnia try to control their sleep, the worse it gets. While health trackers can have many benefits, they may be triggering for perfectionists or those with Type A personalities, Robbins said. "The thing about sleep is it's not always going to be perfect every night, and sleep is a function of all of the things that we experience in a typical day -- and some of that might be stressful," she said. While there are many benefits to health trackers, including understanding one's sleep patterns, if you're experiencing stress from those trackers, Robbins recommends putting it in a drawer and returning to some healthy sleep strategies. "Unwinding before bedtime, calming your mind, using some breathing activities, journaling before bedtime, a warm shower," she suggested, adding that people should try to be "filling the moments before we want to be falling asleep with healthy, relaxing activities."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What is orthosomnia? How obsession with wearable tech could impact sleep
Millions of Americans are turning to devices to keep track of everything from heart rates to sleep. But the latter could pose a problem for some wearable tech users who end up more stressed than rested when it comes to monitoring things like their sleep score. Nancy Chen, a marketing manager and part-time boxing instructor, who was drawn to having access to sleep data, told "Good Morning America" that her device became a problem of its own. "Sleep has always mattered a lot to me, and I would always get a little stressed if I knew I wasn't gonna sleep enough," she said. "It was this cycle of, I knew that my sleep score was gonna be bad, and then I was kind of like stressed about it. It was too much data." The constant monitoring can lead to a phenomenon known as orthosomnia, defined by the Sleep Foundation as an obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep that is driven by sleep tracker data. "Orthosomnia refers to individuals for whom tracking may have become or is potentially stressful," sleep scientist Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told "GMA." "The information they receive stresses them out, and then they it causes them to struggle the next night." The harder people with orthosomnia try to control their sleep, the worse it gets. While health trackers can have many benefits, they may be triggering for perfectionists or those with Type A personalities, Robbins said. "The thing about sleep is it's not always going to be perfect every night, and sleep is a function of all of the things that we experience in a typical day -- and some of that might be stressful," she said. While there are many benefits to health trackers, including understanding one's sleep patterns, if you're experiencing stress from those trackers, Robbins recommends putting it in a drawer and returning to some healthy sleep strategies. "Unwinding before bedtime, calming your mind, using some breathing activities, journaling before bedtime, a warm shower," she suggested, adding that people should try to be "filling the moments before we want to be falling asleep with healthy, relaxing activities."
Chicago Tribune
31-01-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: Naperville City Council candidates forum set for March 8; DuPage health department offering pool safely grants
Naperville City Council candidates forum set for March 8 A forum for the candidates running for the Naperville City Council in April will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Ave. The free, public event is sponsored by the Chinese American Women in Action and the Alliance of Indian Americans of Naperville Area. Organizers noted Asian Americans make up about 20% of the city's population. 'We want the potential voters and the candidates to have an opportunity to interact and gain a better understanding about our community's needs and concerns,' Nancy Chen, president of CAWA, said in a statement. All eight candidates are confirmed to participate, organizers said. They are Meghna Bansal, Jennifer Bruzan-Taylor, Mary Gibson, Ian Holzhauer, Nag Jaiswal, Derek McDaniel, Ashfaq Syed and Benny White. Residents interested in attending should register at Naperville student helps church to earn Eagle Scout rank Naperville resident Henry Freeman, 18, earned his rank as an Eagle Scout after spending 149 hours creating a Little Free Library and restoring a picnic table for Grace United Methodist Church, troop leaders said in a news release. Freeman, a senior at Metea Valley High School, is a member of Troop 81 in Naperville. He and his team collected materials, assembled and installed a wooden Little Free Library in the upper parking lot of the church at 300 E. Gartner Road. They also reconstructed a picnic table by taking it apart, salvaging the top boards and building a new frame. Freeman has been a lifelong member of Grace United Methodist Church and said his project was a way to thank the church for what it's done for him, the release said. Wellness Series focuses on staying healthy while aging Joanne Whiteside, a holistic and wellness nurse coach, will lead an 'Age is Only a Number' discussion at 1 p.m. Monday, March 3, as part of the Fort Hill Activity Center's Wellness Series. The discussion will focus on ways to stay healthy while aging, including the importance of physical activity, nutrition, sleep and social life, a Naperville Park District news release said. Regular exercise and a balanced diet can improve physical and mental capacity, delay care dependency and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the release said. Participation is free for Fort Hill Fitness members and $5 for nonmembers. Members must register in person at the activity center or by phone at 630-995-8900. Nonmembers can register at DuPage health department offering pool safely grants Applications are due by Feb. 28 for public swimming facilities that want to receive a grant to provide free swimming lessons to Illinois children. The DuPage County Health Department has been the recipient of the Pool Safely Grant Program since 2018. As part of this initiative, the department offers grants in an effort to reduce childhood drownings, a news release said. Up to 10 Illinois public swimming facilities will receive awards ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 each to provide free swimming lessons to 3- to 5-year-olds. Eligible organizations include public swimming facilities, schools, municipalities, park and recreation organizations, swim schools, residential communities and health centers, the release said.
