Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test

Marine Corps Combat Fitness TestMarine Corps Combat Fitness TestRegardless of age, rank or MOS (military occupational specialty), Marines must keep themselves fit and ready to perform their mission. If you want to become a member of the United States Marine Corps, you will need to be able to master several fitness tests. For instance, in order to join the Marine Corps, you will first take the anfangsbuchstabe Strength Test (IST) as a recruit before boot camp which is a test consisting of pull-ups, czulaufches, and a 1.5 mile timed run. Annual Physical Fitness Tests in the Marine Corps Every year, Marines have to take two physical fitness tests the USMC PFT (pull-ups, crunches, three-mile run) and the Combat Fitness Test (CFT) which is broken down into three categories of testing An 880 yard run in boots and pants, ammo can lifts, and a maneuver under fire. This job-related test is designed to simulate many of the tasks that a Marine in a combat zone should be able to perform. Alo ng with USMC obstacle courses, the combat fitness test is considered a functional training and testing program. Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test Requirements All Marines have to perform a predetermined number of pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, and a three-mile run. The specific numbers and times depend on the Marines age. Marine Corps Body Fat Standards Like other branches of the U.S. military, the Marines factor not just weight but body fat percentage when assessing physical fitness. The numbers are based onheight and age, and measurements of neck and waist circumference. Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test The CFT consists of three events an 880-yard run, ammo can lifts, and maneuver under fire 880-yard runzustrom for 880 yards while wearing boots and camouflage uniform (pants and t-shirt). Ammo can lifts Lift a 30-pound ammo can from the ground, over their heads as many times as they can in two minutes. Maneuver under fireMove through a 300-yard course, and perform desig nated tasks, in the time limit authorized. The tasks include Move in a quick scurry for 10 yards, then a high crawl for another 15 yards.Draga casualty for 10 yards, while zigzagging through several cones. Then lift the casualty and carry him/her at a run for 65 yards. (drag and fireman carry)Carry two 30-pound ammo cans for 75 yards, while zigzagging through a series of cones.Toss a dummy grenade 22 1/2 yards and land it in a marked target circle.Perform five push-ups, pick up the two 30-pound cans and sprint to the finish line. The Marines have made it more difficult to maximize the points throughout all the age groups. For instance, the number of reps needed to achieve max points in the ammo can lifts have doubled in the latest iteration of the test. Marines have to score over 100-120 to get max points depending on age in the eight age groups. The current Maximum requirements to pass the Marines combat fitness testare Combat Fitness Test Requirements Males Age880 Yard RunAmmo Can LiftsManeuver Under Fire17-203484532921-2526-304004535531-3536-4041-454194435746-504304342851+ Females Age880 YardAmmo Can LiftsManeuver Under Fire17-204342045721-2526-3031-354402152736-4041-455091760746-5051+52015630

Quitting Your Job

Quitting Your JobQuitting Your JobQUITTING YOUR JOBThe main reason workers would quit their current jobFor more money 44%For a company with a higher purpose/stronger mission 12%Dont feel appreciated 12%Bored/unchallenged by work 12%Bad commute/want something closer to home 7%Corporate culture 7%Unhappy with boss 6%These 6 cities have the most workers who would quit for more moneyDes Moines (54%)Cleveland (52%)Philadelphia (51%)Salt Lake City (51%)San Diego (50%)Detroit (50%)How the manner in which someone quits affects their future career opportunities, according to HR managersGreatly affects it 27%Somewhat affects it 56%Does not affect it at all 16%

Three smart ways bosses and employees should talk to each other

Three smart ways bosses and employees should talk to each otherThree smart ways bosses and employees should talk to each otherFace-to-face meetings, whether conducted in-person or over an internet connection, are how we build relationships in the workplace. One-on-one meetings between employees and managers are especially important for strengthening ties and addressing concerns before they become problems.But a one-on-one with a boss can easily go off the rails. One person can talk too much, another can talk too little, or someone can go off topic and never return. You want to end a one-on-one feeling like something got done, not like youve circled around the issue. Or one of them can feel unfairly judged and protective of his or her ego.Here is the best way to hold a regularly-occurring, structured one-on-one so that you have a strong relationship with your boss.Be consistent with them and dont cancelHow often should you do them? Often enough that it becomes a habit.The employee han dbook at 18F, the U.S. governments digital tafelgeschirr agency, suggests half-hour weekly 11s. 18F says that our minds think in weekly chunks and if youre holding your one-on-ones too infrequently, managers may miss hearing out on key details. The agency also believes that a week is longest you should go between meetings if youre working with employees on specific issues If youre only able to help someone change course once or twice a month, theyll go a lot longer down an ineffective path before you can help.Of course, the cadence of your one-on-ones depends on your teams size and goals. This could mean daily, weekly or monthly. The most important thing is to be consistent with doing them.Make your one-on-one a repeating event on the calendar. You can reschedule of course, but dont cancel one-on-ones. Cancelling signals that youre not prioritizing the relationship with your colleague.Make an agendaThe first step to making a structured meeting is to have a plan. This doesnt mean mak ing the whole interaction a rehearsed choreography, but a loose structure helps to focus the discussion.Structuring the conversation means knowing what will be discussed, so people on both sides can jot down what they want to bring up. Harvard Business Review recommends giving employees a heads up if the one-on-one is around professional development, so employees have time to prepare and reflect.18F suggests dividing the meeting into the employees agenda, your agenda and the future. That way, it prioritizes the discussion around what the employee wants to discuss, so if time runs over, at least that gets covered.What to talk aboutOpen-ended questions help the one-on-one feel like a guided conversation and not a position report. Some people will come in with an agenda that theyre ready to discuss, while others may need some questions to get them to open up. Open-ended questions can be as broad as How are you doing? to as specific as What arethe challenges youve faced this week?If its your first one-on-one, Lara Hogan, Kickstarters VP of Engineering, suggests structuring it around getting to know your employees work rhythm. How do they like to receive feedback- publicly or privately, in Slack direct messages or in one-on-ones? Hogan said that she asks her employees, What makes you grumpy? How will I know if youre grumpy? How can I help you when youre grumpy? in their first one-on-ones.Both sides of the one-on-one should take notes. It makes us better listeners. It reminds us of what was discussed and keeps us accountable to what action items were discussed for future one-on-ones. Doc Norton, software consultant expert, said he emails a summary with action items to his employees after one-on-ones, so that they know he is committed to their growth and that he plans to follow-up on what was discussed The One on One session will grow meaningless if issues are shared, but no resolve is realized.Above all, its important to be flexible with the discussion. That means k nowing when to nod and listen and when to jump in with solutions.Sometimes, people will come to the 11 just needing to complain or get something off their chest. In these cases, listening, asking questions, and making sure they feel heard is all you need to do, 18F said. But other times, theres a problem to be solved, and in those cases youll want to talk through solutions, suggest directions, and steer towards action.

HSBC CEO Walks Lesbian Couple Down the Aisle (Video) - The Muse

HSBC CEO Walks Lesbian Couple Down the Aisle (Video) - The MuseHSBC CEO Walks Lesbian Couple Down the Aisle (Video) Jennifer and Sam, a lesbian couple in Taiwan, had a rather unusual wedding ceremony. Instead of Jennifers father walking her down the aisle as tradition dictates, the CEO of her company did the honor.In spite of being a couple for over a decade, Jennifers parents have never acknowledged her relationship. They dont accept Sam, and they dont accept that their daughter is a lesbian. Its little surprise then that they declined to attend the pairs nuptials. The larger surprise, however, may be the show of support for Jennifer and Sam from HSBC, Jennifers employer. The countrys HSBC CEO, John Li, accompanied her down the aisle, telling her to walk slowly and try not to be nervous.Although Jennifer says she was initially reluctant to come out to her co-workers- working in a conservative banking environment added to her hesitation- the show of support and acceptance she experie nced when she finally showed her true self was remarkable. If theres one takeaway from this heartwarming tale, its that comfort and love come from many directions. A job isnt just a job- or, at least, it doesnt have to be if you find the right company and colleagues. Because wouldnt it be great if the amount of time we spent at the office amounted to more than a paycheck? Screenshot courtesy of HSBC/YouTube.

Choosing What Does Objective Mean on a Resume Is Simple

Choosing What Does Objective Mean on a Resume Is Simple If youre trying for one specific field, nonetheless, your objective doesnt need to be much different. An objective can be a rather effective means to present yourselfyou just will need to be certain that youre writing a great one that deserves to take that space. Dont believe that an objective statement is essential for all resumes they are usually employed for certain situations rather than as a normal boilerplate resume requirement. The issue with objective statements is they focus on what you want instead of how youre able to satisfy the requirements of the employer. For that reason, it is a price of the work hunt process worth paying. When re-entering the workforce, it can be difficult to understand what information to include, but you can want to keep off detailed information about the reason behind the gap in your work history, especially if it is a lengthy gap. You are earning a career change. Youre stating that y ou desire a job like the one that youre applying for. Make certain its tailored to bedrngnis merely the position, but the business too. If you decide not to include things like an objective, thats fine, but you need to give thought about whether it might support you in receiving the hiring managers interest. By highlighting a couple of essential abilities and your existing objectives, you give the recruiter or hiring manager a taste of whats to come in the remainder of your resume. Before you even begin creating or fixing your resume, search for the jobs youre qualified for and could see yourself doing, then get to know the sort of candidate the business is searching for. One of the risks of a resume objective is that it is possible to focus too much on what you would like in your career, and not enough on how youll add value to the organization. A resume objective can explain why youre qualified for the job, even should you not own a lot of related experience. As a result, wh ile your resume objective should consist of information on the career you want, you also wish to spell out why you are the perfect candidate for the job. The current objective was geared toward the actual job they originally desired. An objective is a brief statement that clarifies your goals about the kind of employment desired and the way in which your skills make you a nice fit. When youre asking for work, your very first aim is to let employers know your abilities and talents align with the demands of their open position. You must have good people skills. If youre just beginning, you will probably list more general skills instead of specific ones. If you choose to include an objective on your resume, just make certain its related to the job which you are applying for. Whenever you would like to emphasize that youre ambitious, that you understand what you want in a career, or you have the skills for the particular job, you could benefit from a resume objective. If you opt to include an objective statement, make sure youve got a targeted job, you know what skills you need to mention or youre applying for a specific position. Youve got to construct the best one to find the job. Using What Does Objective Mean on a Resume Employers wouldnt waste time interviewing him only to discover he wouldnt relocate. What The Welder Resume Objective Should Tell Prospective Employers In order to develop into a successful Welder, you want to have experience addressing the production processes and raw materials utilized for the creation and distribution of products. Recruiters would just like to understand how you are able to assist the employer get the job finished. Construction jobs could possibly be similar. Your qualifications and expertise to date alone might not be enough. The aim of your document is to become brought in for an interview. You need to have five objective statements. In most instances, a resume objective is simply a couple of sentences long.

The Importance of Resume Writing near 60472

The Importance of Resume Writing near 60472 The Hidden Truth About Resume Writing near 60472 My purpose is to work together with you in the communication style you want. Finally, dependent on your timetable, Ill furnish your final draft for additional collaboration as needed. Writing a resume can be challenging. Attempt to communicate your individual skills like being a great leader or a great team player without actually saying it. The Secret to Resume Writing near 60472 For your selection of an Arlington, VA resume writer, youll want a mix of value and quality. On the flip side, the Virginia State Bar Association recommends that you think about notarizing your will. Its better to steer clear of words that are empty. You would like to shine in an expert interview and prove youre the very best job candidate. ur resume writing procedure is comprehensive and productive. After you contact me, Ill ask several questions to acquire better comprehension of what youll be using the resume for. Youre probably wondering how the resume writing process works and whats involved. This process has gotten increasingly tough for the work hunter today. Top Resume Writing near 60472 Choices Your new resume package is going to be targeted to satisfy the requirements of todays employers. Our services are given by professional resume writers experienced preparing resumes for a huge collection of industries, sectors and career places. Rush service is, naturally, available for an extra fee. No resume services listed at the present time. What is going to be helpful for you is you will be collaborating with not only an extremely experienced resume writer but a committed career counselor who might suggest options, if youre open, on the way. If youre job hunting and its been a while as youve conducted a work search, then having a strategy is of utmost importance. To maximize your work potential, you want to have all the proper tools. In that case, your chances of loc ating work might be much lower than you understand.

What You Can Do About Sample Rn Resume Beginning in the Next Five Minutes

What You Can Do About Sample Rn Resume Beginning in the Next Five Minutes The Lost Secret of Sample Rn Resume In some instances, RN is not a very best fit. As a nurse, you get to figure out what values you express at work. The experience youve gathered over the years working as registered nurse is crucial to employers, especially in case you have worked for big or recognized organizations. Being a real nurse doesnt appear to have the exact fantastic feeling that it used to. Inside my case, its my PhD. Patients should know their rights and what things to anticipate away from their caregivers. Nurses, generally, are in a superior labor market at the moment. It is possible to add various things to generate your resume speak for you. The absolute most important section of your resume can become your work experience. Once your resume is prepared to go, you will wish to be sure to receive it in front of as many employers as possible. Resume sample resume to generate a job a regi stered nurse resume can employ your registration no. The experience youre bringing into working for your new employer is valuable to them, so have them see it clearly. If youre on the lookout for work and dont want your present employer to understand, its definitely not among the most discreet substitute. If youre searching to quit your job for some reason, make certain to own a job lined up before you take the plunge. A job may be an experience construction stepping stone in the proceedings you already understand what kind of job you might want to earn the future. Dont neglect to highlight certain skills you have which are linked to the work description, together with accomplishments youve achieved and tasks youve managed. Anywhere you decide to set the skills on your resume, be certain to tailor your list of skills to the particular job. Skills If there are many assortments of skills that are important to the job which youre attempting to get, you can multiple skills list in t he resume. Hands-on skills cant be learned online, and based on which state you reside in, only the theoretical portion of your education can be done online or none in any way. If you arent delighted with some portion of the titelbild letter well revise it at no extra charge until it meets with your whole satisfaction. Please remember youll require a companion cover letter to seal the offer. All our cover letters are originally written and tailored to the particular person to fulfill their specific requirements. It does you little good to have a whole cover letter just like the rest of the applicants. Dont be afraid to reach out to personal or professional contacts who may offer insight into a business or basic advice. Next, you will need to assemble your educational info and your certifications. Job-specific skills vary contingent on the positioning. You must be your very best to find the excellent jobs. Every CV we write is original and tailored particularly to fulfill your requirements and requirements in the most efficient approach to acquire benefits. Letters are written much differently than resumes and can have an enduring effect on the reader. The cover letter needs to be written utilizing a normal business letter format. Its possible to likewise see resume template. Templates may be used for making CV, resume so as to apply for jobs. First, they must be comprehensive. Imagine you are making a template of your resume. There are many websites that delivers a Resume builder facility. There are lots of places to get templates for nursing CVs including our on-line service Our service provides nursing CV writing and in addition to help with developing Curriculum Vitae for RNs throughout the world. Ideal word jobseekers with a selection of information to provide. Your contact information is merely likely to be distributed when you decide to react to a business.

InternQueen Lauren Berger Releases New Book Helping Young Workers Prepare for #8220;Real World#8221;

InternQueen Lauren Berger Releases New Book Helping Young Workers Prepare for 8220Real World8221 InternQueen Lauren Berger Releases New Book Helping Young Workers Prepare for 8220Real World8221 Welcome to the Real World Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job into Your Dream Career is Bergers new novel that serves as a handbook for those who are young and new in the workplace. The book offers new workers practical tips and career advice on how to make the most out of their first on-the-job experience.We all have a point of origin. A place we credit for our success and our failure- a place where we become the people we are today, Berger writes. For some its college, for others its an internship, but for most its at our first jobs where we grow up, learn the ropes, make mistakes, and launch our careers.Berger, now a successful internship and career expert who founded www.internqueen.com- one of the top internships websites- uses experiences from her life and c areer combined with input from accomplished friends, professional contacts, and various experts to guide recent graduates and new workers through a range of career topics.Her book helps readers toShift the way you think about the workplace and adopt a new set of rules to follow for successIncrease your confidence, determination, and ability to follow through at workThink big and execute well every timeEfficiently prioritize your day-to-day tasksProperly maximize the time you spend at workSuccessfully create and manage your personal brand at workBuild lasting relationships with your colleagues and teamNavigate sticky office situationsEmbrace entrepreneurship regardless of position, rank or titlesDevelop efficient time-management techniques inside and outside the officeRaise awareness in regard to your personal financesIncrease your probability of getting promoted andHopefully take your anfhrers job (one day) to name a few.No matter how successful I become I cannot deny the power of t hat very first job- my miserable, emotional, terrible, magical first job, Berger writes. Your first job, just like life, will be filled with moments of doubt and frustration, but also moments where you feel truly rewarded.Bergers book is available in both paperback and ebook formats.

This is how to sleep better 5 secrets from neuroscience

This is how to sleep better 5 secrets from neuroscienceThis is how to sleep better 5 secrets from neuroscienceIll bet youre leid getting enough sleep. Honestly, Im kind of cheating - its a pretty safe bet.From Why We SleepTwo-thirds of adults throughout all developed nations fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep.And thats bad. Really bad Yes, this is the part where I lecture you on how horrific bad sleep habits are. I promise to make it as quick and terrifying as possible, okay?From Why We SleepRoutinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune ordnungsprinzip, mora than doubling your risk of cancer. Insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or leid you will develop Alzheimers disease. Inadequate sleep- even moderate reductions for just one week- disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short sleeping increases the likelihood of your coronary arteries becoming blo cked and brittle, platzsituation you on a path toward cardiovascular disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure. Fitting Charlotte Bronts prophetic wisdom that a ruffled mind makes a restless pillow, sleep disruption further contributes to all major psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality.So if youre fond of saying, Ill sleep when Im dead, well, that may be happening a lot faster than you anticipated.But I know youre fine. You dont feel tired. Or youve taught yourself to get by on less sleep. Or you have mutant powers. Nope. Truth is youre too tired to realize how tired you are. Youre like a drunk shouting, GIMME THE KEYS I CAN DRIVE IM FINEFrom Why We SleepWhen participants were asked about their subjective sense of how impaired they were, they consistently underestimated their degree of performance disability.Which is probably why vehicular accidents caused by drowsy driving exceed those caused by alcohol and drugs combined.You need eight hours. The National Sleep Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommend 7 to 9 hours - but after 10 days of 7 hours your brain is mush whether you realize it or elend. So get 8.From Why We SleepAfter being awake for nineteen hours, people who were sleep-deprived were as cognitively impaired as those who were legally drunk After sixteen hours of being awake, the brain begins to fail. Humans need mora than seven hours of sleep each night to maintain cognitive performance. After ten days of just seven hours of sleep, the brain is as dysfunctional as it would be after going without sleep for twenty-four hours.Lets notlage forget sleep deprivation is routinely used as a torture method. And we do this to ourselves. Voluntarily. (Ive moved on to waterboarding myself. I like a challenge.)But, seriously, if two-thirds of people have this problem then we need some real answers from a real expert Matthew Walker is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berk eley, the director of its Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab, and a former professor of psychiatry at Harvard University. Hes been a sleep consultant for the NBA, the NFL, Pixar and a bunch of other places your mom would be really impressed by.His New York Times bestselling book is Why We Sleep Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.Were gonna explode some myths, review the science and get some great tips on how to sleep better - along with the best way to implement them.Lets get to it So why do we need sleep anyway?On the surface, from an evolutionary perspective, sleep makes absolutely zero sense. You cant gather food, find a mate, socialize or do anything useful while youre out cold. And youre vulnerable to predators.Yet every animal that has a lifespan of more than a few days sleeps or performs a sleep-like activity. So obviously something pretty darn important is going on. Actually, a lot of important stuff Sleep is essential for memory and skill development. Cheat yourself on zzzs a nd learning drops as much as 40%. Yeah, thats the difference between an A+ and an F.From Why We SleepWhen we compared the effectiveness of learning between the two groups, the result was clear there was a 40 percent deficit in the ability of the sleep-deprived group to cram new facts into the brain (i.e., to make new memories), relative to the group that obtained a full night of sleep.Sleep is also a built-in therapist, emotionally working out the issues youre dealing with while youre out cold.From Why We SleepREM-sleep dreaming offers a form of overnight therapy. That is, REM-sleep dreaming takes the painful sting out of difficult, even traumatic, emotional episodes you have experienced during the day, offering emotional resolution when you awake the next morning Thats not too shocking - weve all been moody after a night of little rest. But what you probably dont know is that sleep also helps you deal with the emotions of others. Less slumber means less emotional intelligence.From Why We SleepBy removing REM sleep, we had, quite literally, removed participants levelheaded ability to read the social world around them.Nobody has ever told you to stay awake on a problem. And theres a good reason that sleep on it is a phrase that exists not only in English, but in numerous languages. Next time your Swahili-speaking friend needs to come up with a creative solution to a tricky challenge, tell them to kulala juu ya tatizo.From Why We SleepThings were very different for those participants who had obtained a full night of sleep- one dressed with late-morning, REM-rich slumber. Alfruchtwein 60 percent returned and had the ah-ha moment of spotting the hidden cheat- which is a threefold difference in creative solution insight afforded by sleepAnd from a health perspective, sleep is the after hours cleaning crew. You make quite a mess in your grey matter with all that thinkin you do all day. Without the janitor to sweep up those amyloid dust bunnies you have a much highe r gunst der stunde of developing Alzheimers.From Why We SleepWithout sufficient sleep, amyloid plaques build up in the brain, especially in deep-sleep-generating regions, attacking and degrading them getting too little sleep across the adult life span will significantly raise your risk of developing Alzheimers disease.And downtime makes you sexy. Yeah, research shows beauty sleep is real.(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my bestselling book here.)Alrighty sleep-deprived bad. Lots-of-sleep good. So if youre only going to do one thing to improve your nightly slumber, what should it be?Have a consistent sleep scheduleGo to bed at the saatkorn time every night. Wake up at the same time every day. Its crucial.From Why We Sleep if you can only adhere to one of these each and every day, make it going to bed and waking up at the same time of day no matter what.Dont just set an alarm to wake up - set an alarm for bedtime. Build yourself a good pre-sleep routi ne where you wind down at the same time every night. And if you can get someone to read you a bedtime story, all the better.(To learn the seven-step morning ritual that will make you happy all day, click here.)Youre consistent and ritualized. Great. So lets talk about that thing you hear mentioned constantly blue light. How your smartphone and iPad screens are teaming up to turn you into an insomniac. Thing is, thats only half the story Blue light isnt the only problemAll light is bad. Blue is just worse.From Why We SleepEven a hint of dim light- 8 to 10 lux- has been shown to delay the release of nighttime melatonin in humans. The feeblest of bedside lamps pumps out twice as much anywhere from 20 to 80 lux. A subtly lit living room, where most people reside in the hours before bed, will hum at around 200 lux. Despite being just 1 to 2 percent of the strength of daylight, this ambient level of incandescent home lighting can have 50 percent of the melatonin-suppressing influence with in the brain.That sleep hormone melatonin doesnt just immediately flood your system when you flip the light switch off. It takes time. So dim the lights long before youre ready to hit the sack.And make sure your bedroom is darker than an H.P. Lovecraft story when its finally time to sleep.(To learn the science of how to take naps that will make you smarter and happier, click here.)Now everybody knows dark is important when it comes to sleep. But theres a second melatonin trigger that most people dont pay enough attention to Be coolEver try to sleep when its too hot? Its not just icky uncomfortable, but its also telling your brain that its not bedtime.From Why We SleepYour nocturnal melatonin levels are therefore controlled not only by the loss of daylight at dusk, but also the drop in temperature that coincides with the setting sun A bedroom temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3C) is ideal for the sleep of most people, assuming standard bedding and clothing.Your body wa nts its core temperature low when you sleep. So its gotta dump all that heat youre producing. And this is why you often see peoples feet or arms sticking out from under the covers unconscious heat regulation.From Why We SleepThe need to dump heat from our extremities is also the reason that you may occasionally stick your hands and feet out from underneath the bedcovers at night due to your core becoming too hot, usually without your knowing.For super sleep, take a hot bath before bed. It doesnt just relax you it dilates blood vessels, allowing your body to ditch all that extra core warmth. This can boost NREM sleep by up to 15%.From Why We SleepWhen you get out of the bath, those dilated blood vessels on the surface quickly help radiate out intern heat, and your core body temperature plummets. Consequently, you sache asleep more quickly because your core is colder. Hot baths prior to bed can also induce 10 to 15 percent more deep NREM sleep in healthy adults.Exercise definitely imp roves sleep but you dont want to do it within 3 hours of bedtime because - guess what? It raises your core temperature.(To learn 5 secrets from neuroscience that will increase your attention span, click here.)Im guessing you know that drinking a latte and a Red Bull before bed is not a great idea. And you probably heard booze isnt a genius move here either. But theres more to it than that No coffee, no booze and no sleeping pillsIf you want the best sleep possible, you should only use caffeine in the morning or early afternoon.From Why We SleepCaffeine has an average half-life of five to seven hours. Lets say that you have a cup of coffee after your evening dinner, around 730 p.m. This means that by 130 a.m., 50 percent of that caffeine may still be active and circulating throughout your brain tissue.And decaf isnt really decaf. It actually contains 15-30% of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee. So if you drink three or four cups of decaf after dinner, well, dont be surprised if youre staring at the ceiling at 2 AM. (To learn more about the science of coffee, click here.)And, no, alcohol doesnt help you sleep. What it does is actually more akin to anesthesia, which is not real sleep. And because its not the real deal, your brain cant do its memory consolidation work properly.From Why We Sleep those who had their sleep laced with alcohol on the first night after learning suffered what can conservatively be described as partial amnesia seven days later, forgetting more than 50 percent of all that original knowledge.And sleeping pills affect the same receptors in your brain as alcohol. So you get the same results - except their effects on memory are even worse.From Why We SleepNo past or current sleeping medications on the legal (or illegal) market induce natural sleep.Oh, and theres one other teensy-weensy little problem with sleeping pills they dont actually work.From Why We SleepA recent team of leading medical doctors and researchers examined all publ ished studies to date on newer forms of sedative sleeping pills that most people take. They considered sixty-five separate drug-placebo studies, encompassing almost 4,500 individuals. Overall, participants subjectively felt they fell asleep faster and slept more soundly with fewer awakenings, relative to the placebo. But thats not what the actual sleep recordings showed. There was no difference in how soundly the individuals slept. Both the placebo and the sleeping pills reduced the time it took people to fall asleep (between ten and thirty minutes), but the change was not statistically different between the two. In other words, there was no objective benefit of these sleeping pills beyond that which a placebo offered.Im sure this is going to get me hate mail from Ambien lovers. Emails they wont remember sending, that is.(To learn how to best use caffeine - from a neuroscientist - click here.)So what if all of the above isnt cutting it? What if you have stone cold chronic insomnia ? Whats the cutting edge front-line treatment for the most serious of sleep issues?To sleep more sleep lessIf youre only able to sleep 6 hours a night, then restrict yourself to 5. Youll feel like poop the next day and crash hard But then only let yourself sleep 5 hours and 15 minutes. Now you feel like double poop and will be out before your head hits the pillow. So go to 5 hours and 30 minutes And as long as you meet your designated quota, incrementally increase the amount of sleep you allow yourself. No naps.Youll be a zombie for a while but this is actually a core part of what is now quickly becoming the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia CBT-I. The application of cognitive behavioral therapy to sleep issues.From Why We SleepOne of the more paradoxical CBT-I methods used to help insomniacs sleep is to restrict their time spent in bed, perhaps even to just six hours of sleep or less to begin with. By keeping patients awake for longer, we build up a strong sleep pressure- a greater abundance of adenosine. Under this heavier weight of sleep pressure, patients fall asleep faster, and achieve a more stable, solid form of sleep across the night. In this way, a patient can regain their psychological confidence in being able to self-generate and sustain healthy, rapid, and sound sleep, night after night something that has eluded them for months if not years. Upon reestablishing a patients confidence in this regard, time in bed is gradually increased.(To learn 3 secrets from neuroscience that will help you quit bad habits without willpower, click here.)Okay, hopefully that wasnt too exhausting. (Or maybe its good that it was?) Lets round everything up and learn the most important question to ask your doctorSum upHeres how to sleep betterHave a consistent sleep schedule Yes, that includes weekends. Yes, I understand that you hate me now.Blue light isnt the only problem Dim the lights in the evening. Set the mood. (Barry White music optional.)Be Cool People stick their feet out from under the covers because its good science.No coffee, no booze and no sleeping pills And while Im ruining everything and being a total buzzkill let me add there is no Santa Claus.To sleep more sleep less Dont think of it as CBT look at it as getting revenge on your brain for not letting you sleep.Whats the question you definitely want to ask your doctor before your next procedure?How much sleep did you get last night?The amount of zzzs you get certainly affects your life. But dont forget that how much sleep other people get can affect your life too. Or end it. After a 30 hour shift, residents make 460 percent more errors.From Why We SleepAdditionally, after a thirty-hour shift without sleep, residents make a whopping 460 percent more diagnostic mistakes in the intensive care unit than when well rested after enough sleep. Throughout the course of their residency, one in five medical residents will make a sleepless-related medical error that causes significa nt, liable harm to a patient. One in twenty residents will kill a patient due to a lack of sleep.But hopefully you wont be seeing a doctor anytime soon because youll be in tip-top shape due to all that glorious shut-eye youre getting.And this is the one post where if you fell asleep while reading it, well, Im not offended.Thisarticleoriginally appeared atBarking Up the Wrong Tree.This is how to sleep better 5 secrets from neuroscienceIll bet youre not getting enough sleep. Honestly, Im kind of cheating - its a pretty safe bet.From Why We SleepTwo-thirds of adults throughout all developed nations fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep.And thats bad. Really bad Yes, this is the part where I lecture you on how horrific bad sleep habits are. I promise to make it as quick and terrifying as possible, okay?From Why We SleepRoutinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer. Insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or not you will develop Alzheimers disease. Inadequate sleep- even moderate reductions for just one week- disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short sleeping increases the likelihood of your coronary arteries becoming blocked and brittle, setting you on a path toward cardiovascular disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure. Fitting Charlotte Bronts prophetic wisdom that a ruffled mind makes a restless pillow, sleep disruption further contributes to all major psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality.So if youre fond of saying, Ill sleep when Im dead, well, that may be happening a lot faster than you anticipated.But I know youre fine. You dont feel tired. Or youve taught yourself to get by on less sleep. Or you have mutant powers. Nope. Truth is youre too tired to realize how tired you are. Youre like a drunk shouting, GIMME THE KEYS I CAN DRIVE IM FINEFro m Why We SleepWhen participants were asked about their subjective sense of how impaired they were, they consistently underestimated their degree of performance disability.Which is probably why vehicular accidents caused by drowsy driving exceed those caused by alcohol and drugs combined.You need eight hours. The National Sleep Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommend 7 to 9 hours - but after 10 days of 7 hours your brain is mush whether you realize it or not. So get 8.From Why We SleepAfter being awake for nineteen hours, people who were sleep-deprived were as cognitively impaired as those who were legally drunk After sixteen hours of being awake, the brain begins to fail. Humans need more than seven hours of sleep each night to maintain cognitive performance. After ten days of just seven hours of sleep, the brain is as dysfunctional as it would be after going without sleep for twenty-four hours.Lets not forget sleep deprivation is routinely u sed as a torture method. And we do this to ourselves. Voluntarily. (Ive moved on to waterboarding myself. I like a challenge.)But, seriously, if two-thirds of people have this problem then we need some real answers from a real expert Matthew Walker is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley, the director of its Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab, and a former professor of psychiatry at Harvard University. Hes been a sleep consultant for the NBA, the NFL, Pixar and a bunch of other places your mom would be really impressed by.His New York Times bestselling book is Why We Sleep Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.Were gonna explode some myths, review the science and get some great tips on how to sleep better - along with the best way to implement them.Lets get to it So why do we need sleep anyway?On the surface, from an evolutionary perspective, sleep makes absolutely zero sense. You cant gather food, find a mate, socialize or do anything useful while youre out cold. An d youre vulnerable to predators.Yet every animal that has a lifespan of more than a few days sleeps or performs a sleep-like activity. So obviously something pretty darn important is going on. Actually, a lot of important stuff Sleep is essential for memory and skill development. Cheat yourself on zzzs and learning drops as much as 40%. Yeah, thats the difference between an A+ and an F.From Why We SleepWhen we compared the effectiveness of learning between the two groups, the result was clear there was a 40 percent deficit in the ability of the sleep-deprived group to cram new facts into the brain (i.e., to make new memories), relative to the group that obtained a full night of sleep.Sleep is also a built-in therapist, emotionally working out the issues youre dealing with while youre out cold.From Why We SleepREM-sleep dreaming offers a form of overnight therapy. That is, REM-sleep dreaming takes the painful sting out of difficult, even traumatic, emotional episodes you have experie nced during the day, offering emotional resolution when you awake the next morning Thats not too shocking - weve all been moody after a night of little rest. But what you probably dont know is that sleep also helps you deal with the emotions of others. Less slumber means less emotional intelligence.From Why We SleepBy removing REM sleep, we had, quite literally, removed participants levelheaded ability to read the social world around them.Nobody has ever told you to stay awake on a problem. And theres a good reason that sleep on it is a phrase that exists not only in English, but in numerous languages. Next time your Swahili-speaking friend needs to come up with a creative solution to a tricky challenge, tell them to kulala juu ya tatizo.From Why We SleepThings were very different for those participants who had obtained a full night of sleep- one dressed with late-morning, REM-rich slumber. Almost 60 percent returned and had the ah-ha moment of spotting the hidden cheat- which is a threefold difference in creative solution insight afforded by sleepAnd from a health perspective, sleep is the after hours cleaning crew. You make quite a mess in your grey matter with all that thinkin you do all day. Without the janitor to sweep up those amyloid dust bunnies you have a much higher chance of developing Alzheimers.From Why We SleepWithout sufficient sleep, amyloid plaques build up in the brain, especially in deep-sleep-generating regions, attacking and degrading them getting too little sleep across the adult life span will significantly raise your risk of developing Alzheimers disease.And downtime makes you sexy. Yeah, research shows beauty sleep is real.(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my bestselling book here.)Alrighty sleep-deprived bad. Lots-of-sleep good. So if youre only going to do one thing to improve your nightly slumber, what should it be?Have a consistent sleep scheduleGo to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same time every day. Its crucial.From Why We Sleep if you can only adhere to one of these each and every day, make it going to bed and waking up at the same time of day no matter what.Dont just set an alarm to wake up - set an alarm for bedtime. Build yourself a good pre-sleep routine where you wind down at the same time every night. And if you can get someone to read you a bedtime story, all the better.(To learn the seven-step morning ritual that will make you happy all day, click here.)Youre consistent and ritualized. Great. So lets talk about that thing you hear mentioned constantly blue light. How your smartphone and iPad screens are teaming up to turn you into an insomniac. Thing is, thats only half the story Blue light isnt the only problemAll light is bad. Blue is just worse.From Why We SleepEven a hint of dim light- 8 to 10 lux- has been shown to delay the release of nighttime melatonin in humans. The feeblest of bedside lamps pumps out twice as much anywhere from 20 to 80 lux. A subtly lit living room, where most people reside in the hours before bed, will hum at around 200 lux. Despite being just 1 to 2 percent of the strength of daylight, this ambient level of incandescent home lighting can have 50 percent of the melatonin-suppressing influence within the brain.That sleep hormone melatonin doesnt just immediately flood your system when you flip the light switch off. It takes time. So dim the lights long before youre ready to hit the sack.And make sure your bedroom is darker than an H.P. Lovecraft story when its finally time to sleep.(To learn the science of how to take naps that will make you smarter and happier, click here.)Now everybody knows dark is important when it comes to sleep. But theres a second melatonin trigger that most people dont pay enough attention to Be coolEver try to sleep when its too hot? Its not just icky uncomfortable, but its also telling your brain that its not bedtime.From Why We SleepYour nocturnal melatonin levels are therefore controlled not only by the loss of daylight at dusk, but also the drop in temperature that coincides with the setting sun A bedroom temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3C) is ideal for the sleep of most people, assuming standard bedding and clothing.Your body wants its core temperature low when you sleep. So its gotta dump all that heat youre producing. And this is why you often see peoples feet or arms sticking out from under the covers unconscious heat regulation.From Why We SleepThe need to dump heat from our extremities is also the reason that you may occasionally stick your hands and feet out from underneath the bedcovers at night due to your core becoming too hot, usually without your knowing.For super sleep, take a hot bath before bed. It doesnt just relax you it dilates blood vessels, allowing your body to ditch all that extra core warmth. This can boost NREM sleep by up to 15%.From Why We SleepWhen you get out of the bath, those dilated blood vessels on the surface quickly help radiate out inner heat, and your core body temperature plummets. Consequently, you fall asleep more quickly because your core is colder. Hot baths prior to bed can also induce 10 to 15 percent more deep NREM sleep in healthy adults.Exercise definitely improves sleep but you dont want to do it within 3 hours of bedtime because - guess what? It raises your core temperature.(To learn 5 secrets from neuroscience that will increase your attention span, click here.)Im guessing you know that drinking a latte and a Red Bull before bed is not a great idea. And you probably heard booze isnt a genius move here either. But theres more to it than that No coffee, no booze and no sleeping pillsIf you want the best sleep possible, you should only use caffeine in the morning or early afternoon.From Why We SleepCaffeine has an average half-life of five to seven hours. Lets say that you have a cup of coffee after your evening dinner, around 730 p.m. This means that by 130 a.m., 50 percent of that caffeine may still be active and circulating throughout your brain tissue.And decaf isnt really decaf. It actually contains 15-30% of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee. So if you drink three or four cups of decaf after dinner, well, dont be surprised if youre staring at the ceiling at 2 AM. (To learn more about the science of coffee, click here.)And, no, alcohol doesnt help you sleep. What it does is actually more akin to anesthesia, which is not real sleep. And because its not the real deal, your brain cant do its memory consolidation work properly.From Why We Sleep those who had their sleep laced with alcohol on the first night after learning suffered what can conservatively be described as partial amnesia seven days later, forgetting more than 50 percent of all that original knowledge.And sleeping pills affect the same receptors in your brain as alcohol. So you get the same results - except their effects on memory are even worse.From Why We SleepN o past or current sleeping medications on the legal (or illegal) market induce natural sleep.Oh, and theres one other teensy-weensy little problem with sleeping pills they dont actually work.From Why We SleepA recent team of leading medical doctors and researchers examined all published studies to date on newer forms of sedative sleeping pills that most people take. They considered sixty-five separate drug-placebo studies, encompassing almost 4,500 individuals. Overall, participants subjectively felt they fell asleep faster and slept more soundly with fewer awakenings, relative to the placebo. But thats not what the actual sleep recordings showed. There was no difference in how soundly the individuals slept. Both the placebo and the sleeping pills reduced the time it took people to fall asleep (between ten and thirty minutes), but the change was not statistically different between the two. In other words, there was no objective benefit of these sleeping pills beyond that which a pl acebo offered.Im sure this is going to get me hate mail from Ambien lovers. Emails they wont remember sending, that is.(To learn how to best use caffeine - from a neuroscientist - click here.)So what if all of the above isnt cutting it? What if you have stone cold chronic insomnia? Whats the cutting edge front-line treatment for the most serious of sleep issues?To sleep more sleep lessIf youre only able to sleep 6 hours a night, then restrict yourself to 5. Youll feel like poop the next day and crash hard But then only let yourself sleep 5 hours and 15 minutes. Now you feel like double poop and will be out before your head hits the pillow. So go to 5 hours and 30 minutes And as long as you meet your designated quota, incrementally increase the amount of sleep you allow yourself. No naps.Youll be a zombie for a while but this is actually a core part of what is now quickly becoming the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia CBT-I. The application of cognitive behavioral therapy to sleep issues.From Why We SleepOne of the more paradoxical CBT-I methods used to help insomniacs sleep is to restrict their time spent in bed, perhaps even to just six hours of sleep or less to begin with. By keeping patients awake for longer, we build up a strong sleep pressure- a greater abundance of adenosine. Under this heavier weight of sleep pressure, patients fall asleep faster, and achieve a more stable, solid form of sleep across the night. In this way, a patient can regain their psychological confidence in being able to self-generate and sustain healthy, rapid, and sound sleep, night after night something that has eluded them for months if not years. Upon reestablishing a patients confidence in this regard, time in bed is gradually increased.(To learn 3 secrets from neuroscience that will help you quit bad habits without willpower, click here.)Okay, hopefully that wasnt too exhausting. (Or maybe its good that it was?) Lets round everything up and learn the most importan t question to ask your doctorSum upHeres how to sleep betterHave a consistent sleep schedule Yes, that includes weekends. Yes, I understand that you hate me now.Blue light isnt the only problem Dim the lights in the evening. Set the mood. (Barry White music optional.)Be Cool People stick their feet out from under the covers because its good science.No coffee, no booze and no sleeping pills And while Im ruining everything and being a total buzzkill let me add there is no Santa Claus.To sleep more sleep less Dont think of it as CBT look at it as getting revenge on your brain for not letting you sleep.Whats the question you definitely want to ask your doctor before your next procedure?How much sleep did you get last night?The amount of zzzs you get certainly affects your life. But dont forget that how much sleep other people get can affect your life too. Or end it. After a 30 hour shift, residents make 460 percent more errors.From Why We SleepAdditionally, after a thirty-hour shift w ithout sleep, residents make a whopping 460 percent more diagnostic mistakes in the intensive care unit than when well rested after enough sleep. Throughout the course of their residency, one in five medical residents will make a sleepless-related medical error that causes significant, liable harm to a patient. One in twenty residents will kill a patient due to a lack of sleep.But hopefully you wont be seeing a doctor anytime soon because youll be in tip-top shape due to all that glorious shut-eye youre getting.And this is the one post where if you fell asleep while reading it, well, Im not offended.Thisarticleoriginally appeared atBarking Up the Wrong Tree.