Health Psychology
Music as a Sleep Aid
“Turn up the music, I’m trying to sleep!” It’s not a phrase you’re likely to hear, but it’s one that apparently describes many people’s bedtime routines. Music is a popular sleep aid, and a new study from researchers in the United Kingdom reveals just how common using music to facilitate sleep is. In the online…
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More Evidence That Happier People Live Longer
A new study adds weight to the idea that happiness and physical health go hand-in-hand. The study, by researchers in Singapore, looks at two groups of people who have been previously underrepresented in research on the health effects of happiness: people over the age of 60 and people in non-Western countries. In the study, 4,478…
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Going Gluten-Free Changes What Potential Romantic Partners Think of You
It’s unclear whether going gluten-free has any health benefits for people without celiac disease, but that hasn’t stopped the diet from catching on. Last month, a Gallup poll found that one in five Americans make a point of including at least some gluten-free food in their diet. Those who opt for a gluten-free diet are…
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The Health Benefits of Playfulness
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It also makes him less healthy, less physically fit and less likely to lead an active life. That second part isn’t from the original proverb. Rather, it’s from a study published this month in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. In the study, researchers looked to…
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Perfectionism and Insomnia
Perfectionists might find that when they lie down for the night, their sleep is anything but perfect. A growing collection of studies are highlighting a link between perfectionism and insomnia, as well as giving clues about why that link exists. Last year, a study of 334 people spending the night in a sleep laboratory found…
Read MoreWhat Weekend Exercise Means for Monday Morning
People choose to spend their precious weekend hours in different ways. Sometimes taking it easy and recharging your batteries is just what you need to start the next week off fresh. Other times, you might find that planning a physically active weekend is the antidote to stress. Why is it that weekend exercise can boost…
Read MoreWho’s Afraid of Needles?
Do you hate giving blood, getting an IV, or doing really any medical procedure that involves a needle? You’re not alone. Recently, a pair of researchers conducted a meta-analysis of previously published studies on the fear of needles. One of their goals was to come up with an estimate of how many people have a…
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Emotional Skills Can Undo the Link Between Stress and Cardiovascular Health
Ongoing stress is looking like an increasingly guilty suspect in sabotaging people’s health. The American Psychological Association now cites chronic stress as a risk factor for heath disease, high blood pressure and stroke. But does chronic stress have the same effects on everyone? Probably not. A recent study by researchers at Yale and University of…
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3 Reasons People Procrastinate at Bedtime
It’s possible to procrastinate on almost anything, and that includes going to sleep. You feel the urge to fit just one more activity in before you call it a night, and before you know it your bedtime is far behind you. To learn more about why people end up going to bed later than they…
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Making Workplaces Less Sedentary
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about a study where people were asked to stand up during work meetings. The results of the study suggested that one factor contributing to the unhealthy amount of time people often spend sitting at work is the social expectation that everyone should sit in certain situations, like meetings. So…
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