Skullcandy’s New Cheap Earbuds Have Their Own Voice Assistant

You’ll just need to be comfortable with saying “Hey Skullcandy” out loud while out in public.

ByAndrew LiszewskiYesterday 8:00AMAlerts

One of the best reasons to choose Apple or Google’s wireless earbuds is that you can use either company’s always-listening voice assistants to control your music playback, without ever having to touch anything. Other wireless earbuds require you to tap a button first to make Siri or Google Assistant pay attention, which is less convenient, and why Skullcandy is introducing its own voice commands.

Is reaching up to your ear to tap or press a small button on your wireless earbuds that much of an inconvenience? Not necessarily, but for users who struggle to get wireless earbuds to stay put, even a tiny button tap can dislodge a bud, requiring a readjustment for a solid fit again. The task is further complicated if your hands are otherwise occupied, like when carrying groceries, wrangling a child, or steering a bicycle. It sounds like a small feature, but having wireless earbuds that are always listening for a voice command is actually incredibly useful, and a legitimate reason to opt for Apple’s or Google’s headphones over the competition. For those on tighter budgets, however, Skullcandy is finally bringing that functionality to buds that cost less than $100.

Available starting today, Skullcandy’s $100 Grind Fuel and the $80 Push Active both feature the company’s new Skull-iQ voice control functionality. Like the Apple AirPods or the Google Pixel Buds, the two new additions to Skullcandy’s lineup are always listening for voice commands, instead of requiring a button press first. That means that common functions like controlling music playback, adjusting the volume, turning on ambient sound modes, and even launching Spotify, can all be accessed by simply asking for them. The only downside? Instead of saying “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google,” you’ll have to say, “Hey Skullcandy” out loud. That might garner some odd looks from those around you—after all, Skullcandy isn’t really as well-known as Siri or Google.

Georgia Tech Researchers Create Wireless Brain-Machine Interface

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SEP 28, 2021 3 MIN READ

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• Anthony AlfordDevelopment Group Manager at Genesys Cloud ServicesFOLLOW

Researchers from Georgia Tech University’s Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering have created Soft Scalp Electronics (SSE), a wearable wireless electro-encephalography (EEG) device for reading human brain signals. By processing the EEG data using a neural network, the system allows users wearing the device to control a video game simply by imagining activity.

The research team described their system in a paper published in Advanced Science. Unlike conventional EEG devices, which have rigid electrodes attached to the skin with gel or paste, the SSE uses several microneedle electrodes mounted in a flexible headband, making the device easy to set up and comfortable to wear for long periods. The researchers used flexible substrates for the device’s circuitry, including a wireless interface to a bluetooth controller. The device captures EEG signals generated by motor imagery (MI), where the device wearer imagines performing some physical activity, such as moving their hands or feet; the signals are processed by a convolutional neural network (CNN) and used to control a virtual reality (VR) video game. According to lead researcher Woon-Hong Yeo:

The major limitation [of SSE] is that we are measuring signals on the skin, through the skull, through the tissues, so I believe we have to continuously improve our device quality to get better signals. And at the same time, we have to also continuously improve our data analysis…to have a better accuracy rate.

The goal of many brain-machine interface (BMI) researchers is to enable disabled users to control devices using only brain signals. Achieving the best signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for this purpose requires physical implants into the users’ brains; this of course has the drawback of requiring brain surgery, leading many scientists to pursue non-invasive techniques such as EEG. These systems conventionally use rigid electronics, with electrodes attached to the user’s skin with conductive gels and dangling wires leading away, resulting in sensing artifacts due to motion of the electrodes relative to the brain.

By contrast, the SSE sensors use microneedles which penetrate through the dry and dead skin cells of the scalp, and a flexible structure which conforms to the wearer’s head, reducing relative motion and achieving a higher SNR compared to conventional electrodes. The microneedles are grouped into six sets of approximately 6mmx6mm square, providing a higher spatial resolution than conventional electrodes.

To use the SSE device as a controller, the researchers trained a CNN model to classify the signals recorded by the sensor while users imagined performing an action: opening and closing a hand or moving a foot. The model achieved 93% accuracy on test data, outperforming similar systems described in previous research. The team used the system as a controller for a “rhythm-type video game” where players must perform specified tasks within a time limit to score points; the test users achieved nearly the highest possible score, “only missing a few points per 5 min game session” with minimal mental effort.

In a discussion about the research on Hacker News, one user pointed out the limitations of BMIs, while noting:

Fortunately you don’t need a brain-reading device to produce something useful, just like you don’t need a teraflop computer to go to the moon. I’ve written recently about an EEG helmet that can be used by profoundly disabled folks to navigate a UI, type, and so on, and that doesn’t require a precise signal at all. So I think what you’ll find is while the Musks of the world are chasing a sci-fi dream of what they think the technology ought to be, most of the utility will come out of using what it’s actually capable of in a smart and compassionate way.

In addition to academic researchers, several tech companies are investigating BMI technology, although many are opting for implanted sensors. In 2019, InfoQ covered Facebook’s system that uses implants to decode electrical signals from patients’ brains into a text representation of the speech sounds that the patients hear and speak. In 2020, researchers from Stanford published an article in Nature describing an implant-based BMI that can convert imagined handwriting motion into computer text. Several of the Stanford team members have collaborated with Facebook as well as with Elon Musk’s BMI startup Neuralink.

It’s Still Not Fully Understood How Placebos Work – But An Alternative Theory Of Consciousness Could Hold Some Clues

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IMAGE CREDIT: ANDRUS CIPRIAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

By Steve Taylor

28 SEP 2021, 10:55

If you’ve had both of your COVID vaccinations, you may have suffered some side-effects – perhaps headaches, fatigue, fever or a sore arm. These effects are mainly caused by your immune system’s reaction to the vaccine. But most scientists agree that there is another cause: the human mind.Top ArticlesREAD MORELargest Recent Supervolcano Eruption Rumbled OnLong After The Main Eventhttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.482.0_en.html#goog_1784334694https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.482.0_en.html#goog_1688602035https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.482.0_en.html#goog_2025748723

The ability of the mind to generate the symptoms of illness is known as the “nocebo” effect. The nocebo effect is the unpopular twin brother of the placebo effect. Whereas the placebo effect alleviates pain and the symptoms of illness, the nocebo effect does the opposite: it generates pain and symptoms.

A 2018 study found that almost half of participants in placebo trials experience side-effects, even though they are taking inert substances. There was a similar finding in the first major trial of the Pfizer COVID vaccine in 2020. In the placebo group – who were not given the vaccine – between a quarter and a third of people reported fatigue, a similar number reported headaches, and around 10% reported muscle pain.

Indeed, Martin Michaelis and Mark Wass, bioscientists at the University of Kent, recently suggested that “for some vaccinated people the knowledge that they have been vaccinated may be sufficient to drive side-effects”.

Your brain on placebos

Unlike its unpopular brother, the placebo effect is so well known that it needs little introduction. But in many ways, the placebo effect has become so familiar that it’s easy to forget how strange it really is. It’s bizarre that pain relief and healing can take place without actual treatment. And that powerful positive physiological effects can occur without any real physiological intervention.

Research has shown that a vast array of different conditions benefit from placebos. This includes acne, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, ulcers, multiple sclerosis, rheumatism, Parkinsons’s disease and colitis. A recent study also found that placebos had a highly significant effect on erectile dysfunction.

Comparisons of placebos to antidepressants suggest that the placebo effect can play an important role in the treatment of depression. A 2008 study found no significant difference between leading antidepressants and placebos. In a 2018 study, antidepressants fared slightly better, but their effect was still only found to be “mostly modest” compared with placebos.

All of this isn’t simply a matter of suggestion or delusion: real and measurable physiological changes occur. Studies have found that, when taken as painkillers, placebos decrease neurological activity related to pain and make use of many of the same neurotransmitters and neural pathways as opioids. Similarly, researchers have found that, when taken by people with Parkinson’s disease, placebos can stimulate the release of dopamine, which reduces the symptoms of the condition.

Mind control and consciousness

Researchers looking into placebos have found that some factors, such as expectancy of treatment, different personality types and the patient-physician relationship, can have some bearing on the effects.

We also know that placebos can activate reward pathways in the brain – and increase levels of opioid and dopamine activity. That said, the underlying causes of the placebo effect are still mysterious.

Perhaps though, nocebo and placebo effects only seem mysterious because we are looking at them from the wrong perspective. And by this, I mean maybe if we consider an alternative view of consciousness, the placebo and nocebo effect could begin to make more sense.

The brain and the mind

In modern western culture, the mind is usually seen as a byproduct of the brain – a kind of shadow cast by neurological processes. Mental phenomena such as thoughts, memories and feelings are thought to be produced by brain activity.

If we have psychological problems, they are thought to be due to neurological imbalances that can be corrected by medication. But if this assumption is correct, how is it possible for mental processes to influence the body as well as the brain in such a powerful way?

Indeed, the difficulties of explaining consciousness purely in terms of brain processes have grown so acute that some philosophers and scientists have adopted an alternative view: that consciousness is not a direct product of the brain, but a fundamental universal quality – like mass or gravity.

This is something I look at in my recent book, Spiritual Science and it’s a view that has been adopted by some contemporary philosophers – including David Chalmers and Thomas Nagel. Chalmers suggests that consciousness “does not seem to be derivable from physical laws” and believes it could be “considered a fundamental feature, irreducible to anything more basic.” Nagel also suggests that the “mind is not just an afterthought or an accident or add on, but a basic aspect of nature.”

Other scientists and philosophers – such as Christof Koch and Phillip Goff – have adopted similar theories, which suggest that the mind or consciousness is a basic quality of material particles.

These approaches are not yet widely accepted, and would need to gather more evidence to support them. And there are some difficult issues that need to be addressed: for example, if consciousness is a fundamental quality, how does it end up in individual conscious beings such as ourselves? Or, if consciousness exists in particles of matter, how does the consciousness of those particles combine to produce larger conscious entities such as human beings?

More mainstream scientists still hope that a neurological explanation of consciousness will be found, that will help to throw some light on “rogue” phenomena like the nocebo and placebo effects. But taking the philosophical idea of consciousness as fundamental might suggest that the mind is in some way more powerful than the brain and the body, and so could influence the latter in a profound way – and it might help explain one day why placebo pills can bring about real physiological and neurological changes in many people.

Steve Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Intense workouts shortly before bed found to impact sleep quality

By Nick LavarsSeptember 28, 2021https://newatlas.gystaudio.com/embedded/newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/intense-workouts-bed-impact-sleep-quality/

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A new study suggests that avoiding high-intensity workouts within two hours of bedtime is best for a sound night’s sleepchoreograph/DepositphotosVIEW 1 IMAGES

It is well known that a physically active day can make for a better night’s rest, and a new study has delved into how the timing of our workouts can lead to different results. The analysis turns up a few interesting revelations around when might be the best time to sweat it out, and suggests steering clear of late-night sessions if you want to feel rejuvenated in the morning.

The research was carried out by sleep scientists at Canada’s Concordia University, who set out to fill in some of the blanks in the relationship between exercise and sleep. To so do, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis of data collected across 15 studies focusing on how single intense exercise sessions affect young and middle-aged adults in the hours leading up to bedtime.

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This analysis involved weighing up different variables such as the fitness levels of the subjects and whether they were sedentary or physically active, whether the workouts were performed early or late evening, and what types of exercise they entailed.

“Overall, our analysis showed that when exercise ended two hours before bedtime, there were sleep benefits, including the promotion of sleep onset and increased sleep duration,” says study leader Emmanuel Frimpong. “On the other hand, when exercise ended less than two hours before bedtime, sleep was negatively impacted. It took longer for participants to fall asleep and sleep duration decreased.”

Other useful tidbits from the team’s analysis include the finding that cycling was the type of exercise that brought the most benefits in promoting sleep onset and deep sleep, and that high-intensity workouts of between 30 and 60 minutes were most beneficial for onset and sleep duration. One interesting takeaway was that high-intensity exercise, regardless of when it took place in the evening, did lead to a slight decrease in the rapid-eye-movement (REM) stage of sleep.

“Based on our review, for healthy, young and middle-aged adults with no history of sleep disorders, evening exercises should be performed in the early evening if possible,” says Frimpong. “Individuals should also keep to a consistent exercise schedule, as exercising at different times of the evening could cause sleep disturbances. Individuals should also consider whether they are morning people or evening people. High intensity exercise performed late in the evening can result in sleep disturbance for morning-type people.”

The research was published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews.https://c682e16b559d21fcdd7568b4989afda7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Source: Concordia University

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Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Gets Sneaky Update

By Ian Evenden 1 day ago

Doesn’t do much though

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(Image credit: Raspberry Pi Foundation)

The Broadcom SoC in the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has been quietly updated to match the one in the Raspberry Pi 400, according to St Louis-based app developer (and more importantly, Pi Cast guest) Jeff Geerling.Image 1 of 3

Geerling noticed the change after buying a new Raspberry Pi 4, an 8GB model, to replace a broken board, and spotting that one character in the model number on one of its chips had changed. The BCM2711 is the SoC (System on Chip), the whole brain of the Raspberry Pi housing its CPU, GPU, and the PCIe link that connects the USB ports. Previously, its model number has ended in B0T, but Geerling’s new baby has a model number ending C0T, matching that used in the Raspberry Pi 400’s SoC.

It makes sense for Raspberry Pi to have done this, as it cuts down on the different chips they have to order and handle, and we can probably expect the new model to trickle down throughout the range — indeed, Geerling presents some evidence that this is already happening. The difference between the two models, however, is somewhat fine-grained. Extremely so, in fact. Highly granular, you might say.

It’s basically nothing. There are two main fixes related to RAM addressing, allowing the PCIe and EMMC2 buses to access more memory than they could before (hence why the new chip has appeared on the Pi 4 with the most RAM) and some ‘power gating improvements.’RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU…CLOSEhttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.482.0_en.html#goog_18435771064 seconds of 15 secondsVolume 0% PLAY SOUND

The Pi 400 runs at 1.8GHz, compared to the Pi 4 Model B’s 1.5GHz, so the new chip may open up better overclocking potential, given sufficient cooling. Otherwise, unless you’re working on something that needs to access 8GB of RAM over EMMC2, it’s unlikely you will notice any difference. 

Information Can Reduce Selfish Behavior

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·September 28, 2021

Summary: People in competitive situations are more ready to accept the results and outcomes if they receive information that the process has been fair. This results in a reduction of selfish behaviors.

Source: Linköping University

Psychological research shows that people tend to attribute successes to their internal abilities, while they blame failures on external circumstances such as unfair processes. Previous experimental studies have found that egotistical and immoral behavior increases when processes have been unfair.

The study from Linköping University shows that the same tendencies can emerge in competitive processes where none of the participants have had any advantage or disadvantage.

“When we fail, we overestimate how unfair the situation has been. This increases the risk that we become more egotistical and immoral. For instance, it can result in employees starting to trash talk their colleagues in a recruitment process”, says Kajsa Hansson, doctoral student in economics at Linköping University’s Department of Management and Engineering (IEI) and JEDI Lab.

The researchers at Linköping University wanted to investigate whether a selfish behavior can be affected by providing information about the procedural fairness in a competitive situation.

The results have been published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

For the study, the researchers recruited 444 participants, who were assigned to compete against each other by solving mathematical tasks of different levels of difficulty. After the competition, each participant was informed if they had won or lost against their counterpart.https://92b9f8322885591830d06dede5d6d51c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

To examine selfish and altruistic behavior, participants were then given the opportunity to redistribute these tokens between them and their opponent. More specifically, the losers of each competition were given the opportunity to take an amount from the winner prize, while winners were asked to decide how much they much money they wanted to give away to the losers.

https://92b9f8322885591830d06dede5d6d51c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

They also investigated whether information about the procedural fairness in the competition affected how winners and losers distributed money between each other.

The results showed that the losers took less money from the winner if they received information that the competition was fair. Thus, the information made them less selfish. Losers who were not given any information about the fairness in the competition overestimated how unfair the competition had been. However, the winners’ behavior was not affected at all by them receiving information that the competition had been fair.

“We see that uncertainty about the fairness in a competitive situation makes people more selfish. But information and transparency can reduce this type of behavior. The take-home message from this study is that if we want to create a more ethical and fair society implementing fair processes is important – but informing people about this procedural fairness can be just as important”, says Kajsa Hansson.

In addition to Kajsa Hansson, two researchers from Linköping University, Emil Persson and Gustav Tinghög, as well as Shai Davidai from Columbia Business School, contributed to the study.

About this psychology research news

Author: Therese Ekstrand Amaya
Source: Linköping University
Contact: Therese Ekstrand Amaya – Linköping University
Image: The image is in the public domainhttps://92b9f8322885591830d06dede5d6d51c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Original Research: Open access.
“Losing sense of fairness: How information about a level playing field reduces selfish behavior” by Kajsa Hansson, Emil Persson, Shai Davidai, Gustav Tinghög. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization

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Losing sense of fairness: How information about a level playing field reduces selfish behavior

Inaccurate beliefs about procedural fairness often motivate people to act in self-serving and selfish manners. We investigate whether information about a level playing field might mitigate such behaviors.https://92b9f8322885591830d06dede5d6d51c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

In a pre-registered behavioral experiment (n = 444), using a competitive and real-effort task, we manipulate whether participants are informed about the fairness of a competition or not. Following the competition, participants (who either won or lost the competition) decided how to distribute earnings between themselves and their opponent.

We show that informing participants about the fairness of the competition reduces selfish behavior among losers, while behavior among winners remains unaffected. Moreover, we show that losers who were not informed about the fairness of the competition incorrectly viewed it as having been unfairly stacked against them (i.e., believing that they encountered significantly more difficult tasks than their opponents).

Our findings suggest that information about a level playing field reduces selfish behavior and is important for understanding when and why motivated reasoning about procedural fairness helps people uphold a positive self-image.

Magnetic Brain Stimulation Can Improve Memory

TOPICS:BrainMemoryNeurosciencePLOS

By PLOS SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

Inhibitory brain stimulation allows better memorization by reducing the power of beta-waves in the brain.

Memories of past events and experiences are what define us as who we are, and yet the ability to form these episodic memories declines with age, certain dementias, and brain injury. However, a study publishing in the open access journal PLOS Biology on September 28^th by Mircea van der Plas and Simon Hanslmayr from the University of Glasgow and colleagues, shows that low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation—or rTMS—delivered over the left prefrontal cortex of the brain can improve memory performance by reducing the power of low frequency brain waves as memories form.

Based on current knowledge of the brain and the effects rTMS, the researchers hypothesized that they could improve episodic memory, and in the process, generate targets for future memory-related therapies.

The researchers first analyzed past data from 40 college students who had been asked to memorize lists of words. Half of the students received slow rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while trying to memorize the words, and the other half received rTMS over a control region of the brain. In a new experiment, researchers collected data from 24 college students who each performed a similar memory task under both rTMS conditions.

Analysis of both datasets revealed that memory performance was better for words that were memorized while the left prefrontal cortex was being stimulated. Examining the EEG data that was recorded during the experiments, the researchers found that the slow rTMS applied to the prefrontal region led to reduced power of low-frequency (beta) waves in the parietal region of the brain, which is known to be involved in attention and perception.

Because slow rTMS inhibits brain activity, and the prefrontal cortex inhibits the posterior regions of the brain, van der Plas and co-authors theorize that the slow rTMS disinhibited the activity of the parietal region, leading to enhanced encoding of the words being memorized, and thus improved memory.

van der Plas notes, “Our electrophysiological results suggest that frontal stimulation affects a wider network and improves memory formation by inhibiting parietal areas. These are complex but interesting effects that require further experiments to better understand their neural basis.”

Hanslmayr adds, “We were quite surprised when we saw these effects in the first study, which was designed to investigate a different question. Therefore, we needed to replicate the effects in a second experiment to see whether this is real, and indeed it seems to be.”

Reference: “Stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with slow rTMS enhances verbal memory formation” by Mircea van der Plas, Verena Braun, Benjamin Johannes Stauch and Simon Hanslmayr, 28 September 2021, PLoS Biology.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001363

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Sleep Country Canada Announces Exclusive Retail and Digital Partnership with US Ecommerce Sleep Retailer, Casper [Feature/Interviews]

BySean TarrySeptember 26, 2021 1 Share

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When it comes to the development of strategic partnerships and dynamic collaborations within the retail space, there isn’t a brand executing better than Sleep Country Canada. Following shortly behind the announcement of its expanded partnership with Walmart Canada and the launch of the brand’s Express stores, it’s set to launch an innovative new retail and digital collaboration with US bed-in-a-box provider Casper. It’s a development for Canada’s omnichannel specialty sleep retailer that President and incoming CEO, Stewart Schaefer, says allows the brand to continue expanding its sleep ecosystem while also building further on the incredible selection of sleep solutions that it provides customers.

“Sleep Country has cultivated a relationship with our customers over the years,” he says. “There’s a trust in the brand that’s resulted from ensuring that we’re the curator of the most relevant products and brands. Within the last five or so years, a number of wonderful brands like Endy, Purple and Casper started to appear on the scene with incredible product and innovation. And they were competing with each other and with us. The fact that Casper is now available in Sleep Country stores across Canada changes that landscape between us, and it changes the landscape for the customer in terms of the accessibility to one of the most relevant brands from coast-to-coast.”

Expanded sleep ecosystem

The partnership, announced in September, makes Sleep Country Canada the exclusive provider of six of Casper’s award-winning products, allowing Canadians, beginning early October, to purchase Casper’s core-collection mattresses – the Original, Nova, Wave, Hybrid Original, Nova Snow and Wave Snow – in most Sleep Country and Dormez-vous stores and online. The two companies have also developed a collaborative revenue sharing partnership concerning all Canadian sales within Casper’s Canadian stores and ecommerce platforms. In addition, the brands have entered into a multi-million-dollar cross-promotional marketing commitment intended to broaden and strengthen the awareness of each brand. And, just as important as the details of the deal, says Schaefer, is the ways in which the partnership further bolsters the brands ongoing omnichannel efforts.

“We are not only the retailer that brings Canadians the most innovative products available on the market, but we’re also channel agnostic,” he asserts. “This philosophy has allowed us to be flexible and to develop partnerships with brands, whether they’re digital-first or brick-and-mortar-first. This has enabled us to serve our customers in the way they want to be served. The acceleration of customer shopping behaviours and preferences toward the online channels throughout the pandemic has been incredible. Of course, this was an evolution in the consumer that was already happening prior to COVID, but the increased comfort demonstrated by Canadians to shop and purchase online means that you have to be there with your product if you want to grow going forward.”https://5131916bc205c1e56ccae08b6ef0e954.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Increasing awareness

For the award-winning American sleep products provider, this exclusive partnership marks its largest Canadian distribution platform to-date, with mattresses being sold across Sleep Country’s national network of 287 retail locations and robust e-commerce platforms. Casper has made significant progress in the expansion and distribution of its products through retail partnerships over the past year. Its partnership with Sleep Country, in particular, allows it to extend its presence in the Canadian market and raise awareness of the brand with the Canadian consumer.

“We are thrilled to announce Sleep Country as our exclusive retail partner for our most popular mattresses across Canada,” says Emilie Arel, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Casper. “As we strategically and thoughtfully expand Casper’s footprint, we aim to partner with respected retailers that possess unparalleled sleep and market expertise, and who prioritize a commitment to customer service. As Canada’s leading sleep retailer, I am confident that Sleep Country is the right partner for us to expand our distribution, while leveraging their nationwide logistics network and supply chain to efficiently serve the Canadian consumer.”

Focus on the consumer

As part of the partnership, Sleep Country and Casper will collaborate on the development of new Casper products designed exclusively for the Canadian market, combining the American company’s commitment to design excellence and innovation with Sleep Country’s intimate knowledge of Canadian consumer preferences. It’s a partnership and collaboration that offers each brand tremendous opportunities to continue growing. And, as Schaefer points out, it provides Sleep Country with another layer of offering, building further on a fast-growing sleep solution omnichannel ecosystem in order to continue satisfying the needs of an evolving and varied consumer.

“I learned years ago that not everybody wants to walk into a Sleep Country or Dormez-vous store to shop. The brand has a very strong loyalty-base that we continue to grow every year. But sometimes people will want to shop at a Casper or with Purple or Endy. And it’s up to Sleep Country to ensure that the Canadian consumer has access to all of these amazing brands. In the end, we’re a retailer. We sell mattresses and sleep products, and we do that very well. But we’re also a distribution and logistics machine with two new super hubs to better service the customer. And, as part of that service, we need to provide the range in products that our customer is looking for. We’ve been very focused on this and have been active for the last long while, developing partnerships with brands that share the same vision as Sleep Country. And, moving forward, we plan to continue being creative and innovative in the ways we grow and engage with the Canadian consumer.”

One Major Side Effect Not Sleeping Enough Has on Weight Gain, New Study Says

The researchers’ logic might surprise you, but it makes so much sense.

BYJOHN ANDERERSEPTEMBER 26, 2021FACT CHECKED BYKRISSY GASBARRE

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We’ve all got days we’re lethargic, maybe even cranky—when suddenly, the thought of an indulgent snack seems like the perfect way to brighten the mood. A candy bar or bag of chips may be an OK pick-me-up on occasion. However, new research suggests that lazy feeling may be associated with your calorie consumption in a way you never realized. The good news is, you might be able to fix it.

We all know that too much snacking can lead to weight gain and even obesity in the long-term, but to kick a snacking habit is usually easier said than done. The problem seems to affect a lot of people, as a recent survey concluded that seven in 10 Americans never leave the house without a snack. Similarly, another poll found that just under half of surveyed Americans (48%) routinely keep a “snack stash” hidden away from even their closest loved ones for covert munching.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.482.0_en.html#goog_51310332700:13 / 00:15

If you’ve been working to establish healthier habits, new research at the Ohio State University that was just published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics may interest you. Read on to learn more about the surprising connection between sleep patterns and snacking. Also, don’t miss This New Study Just Discovered The #1 Weight Loss Lie About Eating Nuts.

Sleep more, snack less

The research team at OSU reports that failing to attain at least seven hours of sleep per night is associated with eating more snacks that are high in carbohydrates, added fats, sugar, and caffeine.

So why does neglecting sleep lead to more snacking? The study’s authors explain that when we stay up late, we give ourselves more opportunities to carelessly chow down. It’s a simple equation: If you’re sleeping, you can’t be snacking!

Moreover, this research finds that pretty much everyone, regardless of sleep habits, prefers salty or sugary foods and non-alcoholic soft drinks when it’s snack time. This is one more reason people with poor sleep patterns end up ingesting more unhealthy calories on a daily basis.

It’s universally recommended that adults sleep for at least seven hours per night in order to maintain ideal health and wellbeing, and lack of sleep has long been linked to a long list of health issues like increased risk of heart disease and obesity. Still, this study takes things a step further by drawing a straight line from lack of sleep to more unhealthy snacking. “We know lack of sleep is linked to obesity from a broader scale, but it’s all these little behaviors that are anchored around how that happens,” said senior study author Christopher Taylor, professor of medical dietetics in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University.

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The research

The study analyzed data on nearly 20,000 American adults between the ages of 20 and 60 years old. All that information had originally been collected between 2007 and 2018 for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a health poll led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Each participant had filled out a series of dietary surveys asking about their daily eating and sleeping habits.

Using that data, the research team separated subjects into various categories based on the amount of sleep they were getting, the nutrition value of their usual snacks, and the usual time of day in which said snacking occurred.

A subsequent analysis produced a number of revelations. To start, most participants (95.5%) said they habitually ate at least one snack per day. Over 50% of all snacking calories among all participants came from—you guessed it—not-so-healthy foods and beverages such as soda, energy drinks, chips, cookies, and pastries.

Notably, in comparison to adults who routinely slept seven or more hours per night, those with less-than-ideal sleep patterns were more likely to eat a morning snack. They also consumed more snacks with little to no nutritional value in general.

This finding regarding morning snacking is important because it shows not all snacking occurs in the evening. One possible explanation for this is that those who don’t sleep enough requiring more caloric energy to get going in the A.M. (due to inadequate sleep).

RELATED: The #1 Best Supplement for Sleep, Says Dietitian

Night snacking comes naturally

Another important element of these findings is the observation that nighttime snacking has particular consequences, since many people avoid workouts or strenuous activities.

The end result is that those extra calories go to bed with you, instead of being burned off with activity.

“At night, we’re drinking our calories and eating a lot of convenience foods,” Taylor explained. “Not only are we not sleeping when we stay up late, but we’re doing all these obesity-related behaviors: lack of physical activity, increased screen time, food choices that we’re consuming as snacks and not as meals. So it creates this bigger impact of meeting or not meeting sleep recommendations.”

RELATED: This Is the #1 Worst Nighttime Snack for Your Waistline, Says an Expert

Sleep for your health… and your diet

There are plenty of reasons to prioritize sleep, but researchers hope their findings encourage at least a few readers to hit the hay earlier. Besides just keeping you refreshed, a steady sleep schedule also promotes cleaner eating.

Meeting sleep recommendations is also tied to not doing the things that can harm health, Taylor concluded. “The longer we’re awake, the more opportunities we have to eat. And at night, those calories are coming from snacks and sweets. Every time we make those decisions, we’re introducing calories and items related to increased risk for chronic disease, and we’re not getting whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

“Even if you’re in bed and trying to fall asleep, at least you’re not in the kitchen eating,” Taylor said, “so if you can get yourself to bed, that’s a starting point.”

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Sleep expert: The shut-eye tip based on YOUR personality – and the three things everyone needs to do to always clock eight hours

• Sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo revealed why knowing your ‘dosha’ is best for sleep
• She said there are three different personality types: vata, pitta and kapha
• When you know what you are, there is one thing you can do to improve sleep
• Everyone should have a ‘wind-down routine’ that is tech-free and relaxing 

By SOPHIE HASLETT FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA 

PUBLISHED: 23:17 EDT, 26 September 2021 | UPDATED: 00:21 EDT, 27 September 2021

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A leading sleep expert has revealed how knowing your sleep type can help you to get better shut-eye, and her top tip based on your personality.

Olivia Arezzolo, from Sydney, said she subscribes to the Ayurvedic principle of ‘doshas’ – whereby every person has one governing energy pattern, which dictates our overall thinking and behaviour.

By knowing whether you are predominantly ‘vata’, ‘pitta’ or ‘kapha’, you can hack your sleep to improve the quality and quantity of your shut-eye and sleep better from now on.Dailymail.co.uk: News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities from Daily MailPauseNext video1:03 / 2:21SettingsFull-screenRead More

‘By identifying your dosha you can become more aware of your patterns, and signs of imbalance,’ Olivia posted on Instagram.

Scroll down for video +3

A leading sleep expert has revealed how knowing your sleep type can help you to get better shut-eye, and her top tip based on your personality (Olivia Arezzolo pictured)

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To find out which dosha you are, Olivia recommends taking this simple quiz by the herbal tea brand, Pukka. 

The quiz consists of 18 questions, based around your body shape, metabolism, appetite and basic personality.

It then reveals which is your dominant dosha or whether you’re a combination of two of the three types.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE A VATA

The first personality type that Olivia was keen to provide a sleep tip for is the ‘vata’ dosha.

Vata consists mostly of the two elements air and space and is generally described as cold, light, dry, rough, flowing and spacious. 

‘Vata is me, so I know this dosha type very well. We are energetic, creative and often up in the sky,’ Olivia said in a video. 

‘When we are out of balance, we become restless, nervous and we find it difficult to sleep.’

Olivia’s sleep tip for those among us who are vatas is to replace caffeine with herbal tea:

‘When we are sleep-deprived, we produce more adrenaline after caffeine than we usually would, which can leave us feeling even more restless,’ Olivia said.  

Because vatas are slim, energetic and creative, they benefit from warming drinks like teas and herbal teas, rather than being overly stimulated through caffeine.+3

Olivia Arezzolo (pictured) subscribes to the Ayurvedic principle of ‘doshas’ – whereby every person has one governing energy pattern, which dictates our overall thinking and behaviourSleep expert shares sleep tip based on your personalityLoaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00PreviousPlaySkipMuteCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time3:53FullscreenNeed Text

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE A PITTA

The second dosha Olivia was keen to talk about is the ‘pitta’ dosha.

Known for being associated with a tenacious personality, the pitta dosha is based on fire and water.

It’s commonly described as hot, light, sharp, oily, liquid, and mobile. Summer is known as pitta season for its sunny, hot days. 

‘Pittas are tenacious, fiery individuals, but out of balance, they can become too fiery,’ Olivia said. 

‘This can often mean you are irritated at bedtime, which no one wants.’

Olivia’s top tip for the pitta dosha is to ensure you have a cool bedroom of about 18 degrees Celsius, because when your core body temperature is lower or cool, it helps you to produce melatonin.

Try to keep an eye on the temperature in your bedroom and invest in a fan if you consistently feel hot and stressed.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE A KAPHA

The final dosha is ‘kapha’. Kapha is based on earth and water. It can be described as steady, stable, heavy, slow, cold, and soft. 

Spring is known as kapha season, as many parts of the world slowly exit hibernation.

‘Kaphas are grounded, steady, reliable individuals, but out of balance, they can become sluggish and prone to oversleeping,’ Olivia said.

‘My advice to kaphas is to ensure you expose yourself to 20 minutes of direct sunlight as soon as you wake up.’

The reason why this works is because it automatically reduces your melatonin levels, or the sleepiness hormone, meaning you’re less likely to feel sluggish throughout the day.+3

Finally, the sleep expert said there is one thing that all the doshas or personality types can do, and that is establish a decent wind-down routine before bed (stock image)

The three-step wind-down routine to know 

1. Disconnect from all devices at least one hour before bed.

2. Instead of scrolling on your device,  find the time to do a ‘mindfulness activity’ – whether that is 10 minutes of journalling, meditation or yin yoga.

3. Enjoy a herbal sleepy tea 45 minutes before you intend to go to bed. Olivia’s favourite has both lavender and valerian to promote relaxation. 

Source: Olivia Arezzolo 

WHAT ALL THE DOSHAS NEED TO DO

Finally, the sleep expert said there is one thing that all the doshas or personality types can do, and that is establish a decent wind-down routine before bed.

‘It’s so important to practice relaxation in the evening, and there are generally three steps to doing that,’ Olivia said.

‘The first is to disconnect from all of your devices one hour before bed, at least.’ 

This means that you will stop exposing yourself to blue light, and your body will know it’s nearly time to relax.

The second step is instead of scrolling, you find the time to do a ‘mindfulness activity’ – whether that is 10 minutes of journalling, meditation or yin yoga. 

Finally, Olivia said 45 minutes before you go to sleep, you should have a herbal night-time tea, her favourite of which is ‘Night Time’ from Pukka.

‘It includes lavender, which can reduce anxiety; plus valerian, which is an ancient herb shown to improve your overall sleep quality,’ she said.