Time to Fall Back

 

It’s that time again. It’s time to throw a monkey wrench into your body’s rhythm by messing with your sleep cycle just to jump to the hands on the clock. While you may gain an hour the first day, what you’ll lose is an hour of daylight in the end. So, before we have to deal with a full case of Cabin Fever, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston offers up these tips to cope with the time change:

• Stay away from caffeine and other stimulants, especially during the days before and after the time shift, and avoid napping for a few days because it can disrupt your sleeping at night.
• Sleep through that extra hour if you can instead of trying to get things done.
• Don't drive if you feel sleepy because of the time shift. Consider taking public transportation for a few days to give your body time to adjust.
• Relax, avoid stress and remember to take your regular medications over the weekend of the time change.

For those who have trouble sleeping overall, try the following:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same times, even on weekends. No sleeping in.
• Avoid food and drinks with caffeine after lunch, including coffee, tea, soda and chocolate.
• Take 15 to 30 minutes to wind down before heading off to bed.
• Keep your room dark, quiet and cool; ear plugs and eye masks can help.
• Keep in mind that time in front of screens -- the computer or television varieties -- before bedtime can disrupt sleep.
• Don't work or study right before bedtime, in order to allow yourself to relax.
• Don't exercise strenuously right before bedtime.

Learn more at the National Sleep Foundation.

Soap or Sanitizer? Both.

The most common way for any germ to enter the body is through the mouth, nose and eyes via the hands. Try to be aware of how often your hands stray to your face, and you will see for yourself just how infectious germs are carried to their target.

The difficulty of killing those germs on your hands arises when those left behind after washing or sanitizing develop a resistance to the agents in the products used to mutate and continue to infect. Ironically, the biggest culprit is antibacterial soap that leaves behind enough of a residue for the germs to become immune to it.

Washing your hands with warm water and soap is still the most effective way of preventing the spread of germs. But, it’s the technique that makes it so. It’s important to suds up and scrub for at least 20 seconds. That allows the suds to penetrate every nook and cranny of the skin, with the added benefit of actually cleaning your hands, especially in the bathroom. Plus, soap will kill e coli, a particularly potent germ that hand sanitizers won’t kill.

That’s not to say that hand sanitizers don’t have a place in the war against germs, as long as the product used contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Alcohol kills by dissolving the germ cell’s membrane and evaporates quickly so that nothing is left behind for the germs still present to become immune to.

Like soap and water, it is important to rub sanitizer into your hands until the alcohol evaporates. And don’t worry, it won’t dry out your hands.

Pilot: 150 Miles Not a Serious Event

"It was not a serious event, from a safety issue," said Northwest Airlines pilot Richard Cole. "I would tell you more, but I've already told you way too much."

With an investigation in progress, few details have come out about the now two-going-on-three day old mishap of overshooting the destination by 150 miles. That overshot prompted the National Guard to be put on alert if needed to chase down the rogue jetliner.

While the 144 passengers were unaware of anything amiss, the flight crew stated that no one was sleeping, there were no arguments, and no one noticed that they weren’t in communication with the ground, according to one police report. The pilot and captain had just come off a 19 hour layover and were at the beginning of their work week. Both passed the breathalyzer, and both were apologetic.

Instead, the report cited the crew “indicated they had been having a heated discussion about airline policy.”

Nice cover. We can all rest assured that Northwest Airlines employees were only talking about work-related topics as they flew aimlessly around the sky. And, by the way, it’s not a serious event. Right.