Do you really know?

We all know someone who talks in their sleep, or occasionally sleepwalks around the house, perhaps even heading to the kitchen to prepare a nighttime snack. These kinds of episodes aren’t especially rare. But some forms are relatively unknown, one of which is sexsomnia. It’s a form of parasomnia, which means undesirable behaviour which occurs while falling asleep, during sleep, or while waking up....

One of the unsuspected consequences of a global pandemic is a re-evaluation not only of how we work but what work means to us. For some the flexibility was a breath of fresh air, others missed the office and even the commute but with employee happiness more important than ever and people feeling overwhelmed and stressed at work the question of how to achieve a work-life balance has never been more...

Let's be honest: being productive at work on Fridays can be a real challenge. A 2019 study by Accountemps found that Friday was the least common choice for American workers when naming their most productive day of the week. The slump is likely down to having worked hard over the first four days of the week, as well as thinking ahead to the weekend. What’s more, your colleagues are in the same fram...

Have you ever picked up clothes or random items on a whim, because you were stressed, bored, or just felt like celebrating? That’s what experts call impulse buying. It feels good in the moment, but it often leaves you with regret, and a lighter bank account. On top of that, it fuels overconsumption and harms the environment. So how do you actually resist the urge? Are there any simple ways to stay...

Do you ever feel frustrated about work dominating your life? Maybe in your free time, you try to make up for that by enjoying yourself and having a busy social life. You go to the cinema, fit in a workout and so on. But these activities sometimes end up putting more pressure on you than the pleasure you get out of them. What if I told you you could have a thoroughly satisfying evening, without it...

Have you ever noticed that you tend to have your best ideas in the shower? If so, you’re not alone! A 2014 study conducted by cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman found that 72% of people get creative ideas while showering. So it’s really not a coincidence. Science has shown that taking a shower is actually a perfect combination of a few factors which allow for optimal creativity. Struggling...

Paracetamol, a staple in UK households, is widely available over the counter and commonly used to alleviate headaches, toothaches, joint pain, flu symptoms, menstrual pain, and fever. In the UK, paracetamol is one of the most frequently used painkillers. The British Medical Journal reports that from April 2022 to March 2023, 16 million prescriptions for paracetamol were dispensed in England alone....

What is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet which allegedly helps weight loss and fighting diseases such as diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and cancer. This diet is growing in popularity, but not without its risks.  The idea is simple enough. Fats, proteins and carbohydrates are the macronutrients that make up the major part of our diets. With the keto diet, you drastica...

Regular listeners will remember how astrology has undergone somewhat of a revival in recent years. Knowledge of terms like “Saturn return” and “retrograde Mercury” is now actually pretty common, in particular among young people.  The topic of today’s episode actually blends astrology with the modern insights of psychology. The idea behind astropsychology is that the positions and movements of cele...

After lunch, many of us get that familiar afternoon slump, an overwhelming urge to just doze off for a little while. And on weekends or during holidays, it’s easy enough to sneak in a short nap. But at work, it’s another story. Firstly, it simply wouldn’t be practical in a lot of work environments, and even if it was, would you really dare to go for a kip in the middle of the work day? You might b...

Self-deprecation can be an endearing trait in some people. After all, it’s important not to take oneself too seriously, isn’t it? But when pick me boys, the subject of today’s episode, talk badly about themselves, they do so in a manipulative way, in the hope that it will bring them closer to women they’re attracted to. The term “pick me boy” first emerged on social media in early 2021. According...

When we talk about the Holocaust, most of us immediately think of death camps like Auschwitz or Dachau, chilling symbols of the Nazis’ “Final Solution”. But before they reached that level of industrialised brutality, the Nazis explored other ways to remove Jews from Europe. One plan, both absurd and terrifying, was to send all Jews to the distant island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. How on ea...

We’ve all heard the saying, "This is giving me grey hair!" But is there any truth to it? Actually, yes. Several scientific studies confirm that stress can speed up the process of hair turning white. One such study, published in the journal Nature in 2020, involved Harvard scientists who used mice to explore how stress affects hair pigmentation. What did they find? Is there any way to reverse this?...

When we think of those who have high blood sugar, we tend to think of people with diabetes, as they often have to monitor their levels and sometimes undergo insulin treatment. But actually everybody can have blood sugar spikes, and many of us do without even realising. These occur when a simple sugar called glucose builds up in the blood. This is known as hyperglycemia. High blood sugar can make y...

It’s not something we like to dwell on too often, but the chance for each of us getting some kind of cancer during our lifetime is significant. After all, it's the second leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organisation, just behind heart disease. Cancer Research UK puts the estimated lifetime risk of a man or woman getting cancer at nearly one in two. Research has shown...

Let’s face it there are certain sounds that are just annoying to be exposed to, or sometimes even to think of! Someone chewing loudly with their mouth open, slurping soup, or making noise while eating pasta are a few examples.  But for some people, the impact of these sounds goes beyond being simply annoying; they bring on strong negative reactions. Those people have a neuropsychiatric condition c...

You’re no doubt familiar with what it feels like to be extremely tired after a long sleep. It’s a little like a hangover really: sluggishness, irritability, perhaps a slight headache too. And there’s actually a term for these sensations: sleep drunkenness.  According to the Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. But optimal sleep duration is unique for...

For some, true-crime stories have a strangely calming effect when they are tucked up in bed for the night. It’s a phenomenon that’s not gone unnoticed on TikTok, where people share how tales of mystery and suspense are part of their go-to nighttime routine. If you’re one of those who drift off to the narration of unsolved cases, rest assured, you’re in good company. And although the link between c...

A funeral is one of those rare occasions where you don’t really need to think too much about your choice of outfit. After all, everyone wears black to funerals as a sign of grief, don’t they? Well, that might be true in the Western world, but it’s not necessarily the case everywhere, which is what we’re going to talk about today.  In the Western world, funeral customs have long been intertwined wi...

All personal development coaches emphasise the importance of setting goals, even ones that may seem out of reach at first. Doing so not only boosts motivation but also enables gradual achievement.  Nowadays a lot of people find this kind of approach almost second nature, but others struggle with it. A fear of failure, workplace anxiety, and a lack of self-confidence can make ambition seem unattain...

If you’re asking yourself whether cracking your knuckles is a bad thing, we'll take it as a given that you do crack your knuckles. You’ve probably also been told at some point that doing so will give you arthritis, most likely by someone already annoyed at you doing it! So, just how seriously should you be taking the know-it-alls? As you’re probably aware, many people find the noise pretty off-put...

Polycystic ovary syndrome, also called PCOS, is related to hormonal imbalances in women’s bodies. It’s the leading cause of fertility problems in women and affects one in ten women of childbearing age in the UK, according to the NHS. Despite that, there is very little awareness about the condition. The most important thing there is to know about PCOS is that it leads to excessive production of and...

For some, a trip to the hairdresser feels like a chore, while for others, it’s a refreshing boost. Either way, getting regular haircuts isn’t just a matter of appearance; it’s key to maintaining healthy hair and encouraging natural renewal.  Cutting your hair doesn’t make it grow faster, as some people would have you believe, but it does make it stronger. Hair tends to wear out and thin, especiall...

Of all the involuntary spasms the human body has, hiccuping is one of the most peculiar. Sure, it’s funny at first, and in particular if it’s happening to someone else rather than you. But it quickly gets annoying if it doesn’t go away! There are two things to note when you have the hiccups. First, your respiratory muscles, and the diaphragm in particular, contract suddenly and push out air from w...

Picture this: your boss asks you to do something that feels unfair or pointless. You disagree… but you go along with it anyway. It happens all the time. Most of us comply simply because we don’t want to risk conflict or consequences. Why is saying no so difficult? But how far can that instinct go? So why don’t we push back more often? Is it just about avoiding trouble? So is disobedience impossibl...