It's only a number...
Find out exactly what is going on in the world... at a glance.
Gossip by any other name
Have a chat with the literary geniuses of our history... and find out all you ever wanted to know...
Photographic evidence
Hands up everyone who has a computer full of great photos that are becoming resigned to their digital destiny... we have the solution!
Mum's the word
A gift to all mums for Mother's Day... with no calories!
Wake up in style
If you could invent the perfect way to wake up, this may just be it...
Mischief Making
Want to throw a custard pie at your least favourite MP or celebrity? Be my guest...
Zzzzzzzzz...
Join me and indulge yourself in the best National Something Day ever!
I am so happy. In fact, I am beside myself with joy. We are continually being told that it is National Something Day which normally means that we have to give up something, buy something, sell something or think about one of the horrific 'somethings' going on in the world. Like many people, I try to do my bit for the greater good but it is never enough. Just this week, we are being asked to consider Fair Trade, Student Volunteers, Veggies, Books, Cancer and RSI!
Most are good, if not great, causes but, for one month only, it is time to forget your troubles, close the curtains, grab your teddy bear and nestle under the duvet as you do your bit to mark a very special occasion. March is National Bed Month. Oh, sweet joy.
Of course, the cynic in me knows that this awareness month is designed to ensure that I buy a new bed but the believer in me says that the world just wants me to enjoy more sleep. So I am a believer! At least I am for the month of March, so please join me in some serious slumber, indulge yourself. You know you want to.
If, on the other hand, you are not blessed with my powerful sleep abilities and your bedtime bliss is broken by an unwelcome array of tossing and turning, then National Bed Month probably fills you with more anger, frustration and envy than joy. Fear not, the Sleep Council is here to help. Yes, that's right, there's a Council right here in the UK just urging you to get your recommended quota of shut-eye.
Whether you are suffering from jet lag, allergies, bad circulation, stress, snoring, insomnia or a guilty conscience, sleepcouncil.com has a wealth of information to help you slip gently into the land of nod. There are even hints for shift workers, teenagers and a special feature on 'clubbers kip tips' for those determined night owls who refuse to give in to their bodies' needs.
Unfortunately, there is one little snippet that I am loath to confirm or deny. According to the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, women are the sex to avoid early in the morning. Apparently, we are 10% more likely to be in a bad mood than men. (Sorry girls, I don't want to let down the sisterhood!) Women are also, allegedly, likely to stay in a bad mood for a whopping 2-4hrs as they get used to the idea of a new day. Shocking, I know, but in my experience, true. I sleep wonderfully well but the phrase 'morning person' remains an enigma to me.
Apparently, bad moods start in bed so the site invites you to download a podcast (strictly speaking it's not a podcast but we'll let that go) to listen to two experts advising you on how to avoid the morning blues.
Some of the other tips and hints included on the site are basic to say the least, for example, if you are cold in bed you are told to wear clothes. It's not exactly rocket-science but it's well-meaning. More useful advise is found in Clare Rayner's tips for the over 50's. Clare, best known as the nation's favourite agony aunt, is a self-confessed cat-napper and she applies some good old-fashioned common sense to the changes in sleep patterns that often occur as we get older.
It's funny how cat-napping becomes power-napping when applied to the young and ambitious! There's no difference in the type of sleep, power-napping just sounds more about strategy and less about being knackered! Whatever you call it, March is the month to learn how to do it! Enjoy.
