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Sedentary work linked to 37% higher risk of insomnia-like symptoms, new study finds [Video]
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Sedentary work linked to 37% higher risk of insomnia-like symptoms, new study finds [Video]

A restless night may leave you feeling tired at work, but what if your job is the very thing disrupting your sleep?Related video above: Simple daytime hacks for better sleep and more energyPeople with highly sedentary jobs accounting for 80% of the current U.S. workforce face a significantly higher risk of insomnia, according to a new study published January 7 in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.”We already know sleep is as close as a magic bullet that we have for employee productivity and well-being, yet the way job design has changed work endangers sleep health,” said Dr. Claire Smith, lead study author and assistant professor of psychology at the University of South Florida.How job design impacts your sleepThe research, which analyzed data from more than 1,000 workers over 10 years from the National Midlife in the United States study, examined how job design impacts employees’ sleep patterns. Job design, as defined by the study, includes elements such as the amount of technology used at work, levels of physical activity and work schedules, specifically the time of day when employees work.Participants reported their sleep habits at the beginning of the study (2004 to 2006) and again a decade later (2013 to 2017) using six sleep health indicators: sleep duration, regularity, insomnia symptoms, napping habits, daytime fatigue and the time it took to fall asleep.To track changes in sleep patterns over 10 years, the study identified three distinct sleep health categories: good sleepers, insomnia sleepers and catch-up sleepers.Good sleepers are those individuals who exhibit optimal sleep patterns, which include regular sleep cycles with low levels of daytime tiredness.Insomnia sleepers experience short sleep cycles and higher levels of daytime fatigue.Catch-up sleepers fall between these two groups and often rely on naps or extra weekend sleep to compensate for irregular sleeping patterns.Workers operating on nontraditional schedules, particularly those working overnight hours, were 66% more likely to fall into the catch-up sleeper category because of their evening shifts. Smith noted that white-collar employees were more frequently categorized into the good sleeper or insomnia sleeper groups, whereas blue-collar workers were more likely to be catch-up sleepers because of their demanding shift schedules.Employees who develop poor sleep patterns because of their job design are also at risk of dealing with these habits for years. Ninety percent of insomnia sleepers saw continuous symptoms up to 10 years later.Insomnia sleepers also face a 72% to 188% greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and frailty, according to another study coauthored by Smith.The study’s large sample size and statistical technique, which allows the volunteers’ sleep patterns to be tracked over an extended timeframe, makes the research incredibly valuable, said Dr. Luis Buenaver, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine program at Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.Unlike other sleep studies, which tend to focus on sleep quantity or quality, Smith said this research considered many factors that could provide a deeper understanding of common sleep problems.”By using this approach, we’re able to gain access to a whole new population of people, (catch-up sleepers) who are having sleep problems that are typically ignored,” Smith said.While the researchers expected extensive computer usage to worsen sleep health, they found little correlation between the two factors.While that’s surprising given that devices are known to emit light that can be disruptive to sleep, Smith said the rise in technology use may offset these negative effects by increasing employee efficiency, ultimately protecting their sleep health.What you can do to improve your sleepSmith acknowledges that switching careers to better align with sleep needs is unrealistic for most people. However, if possible, she recommends job crafting making small adjustments throughout the workday to better align with personal needs to address sleep issues.For sedentary workers, these tweaks could include short breaks throughout the day to move. Quick bouts of physical activity such as briefly walking through the office may help you feel more tired at bedtime and help some people avoid sleep-disrupting musculoskeletal issues, Smith said.To ensure you don’t forget to take breaks, Buenaver advises people to set an hourly alert on their phone as a movement reminder. He added that taking the stairs instead of the elevator is another small way to add some more physical activity to your day.If your job allows it, setting firm boundaries around work hours can prevent late-night tasks from disrupting your biological clock, which can lead to a reliance on catch-up sleep, Smith said.Buenaver recommends unplugging smartphones and computers two hours before bedtime to avoid disturbances and setting up a charging station outside of your bedroom to avoid the temptation.If avoiding screens isn’t an option, Buenaver suggests using the blue-light filter on your device to minimize the impact on your sleep.For those working the night shift, Smith said employees may find relief by using light exposure to readjust their circadian rhythms.Ultimately, Buenaver advises people who struggle with sleeping not to lose hope if they find themselves trapped in poor sleep habits.”I want to send a positive message that you can change,” he said. “Even with little behavioral changes, they can amount to significant change if you’re persistent.”

Check Alabama, Atlanta airport flights for Thanksgiving [Video]
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Check Alabama, Atlanta airport flights for Thanksgiving [Video]

This Thanksgiving week is expected to end in another record-setting time period for air travel in the United States.The people responsible for keeping security lines, boarding areas and jetliners moving from the U.S. transportation secretary and airline chiefs on down the line swear they are prepared for the crowds.Airline passengers might get lucky like they did last year, when relatively few flights were canceled during the holiday week. A repeat will require the weather’s cooperation. And even if skies are blue, a shortage of air traffic controllers could create delays.”This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “Fortunately, our staffing is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. We are ready.” An ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays at other airports.Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures to deal with shortages at some facilities.”If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” he said.Check your flightsWVTM 13 has compiled a list of airports so that you can check your flights easily.Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International AirportArrivalsDepartures Dothan Regional AirportFlight StatusHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportSecurity wait timesFlight statusHuntsville International AirportArrivals and DeparturesMobile International AirportFlight StatusMobile Regional AirportFlight StatusMontgomery Regional AirportFlight StatusNorthwest Alabama Regional AirportFlight StatusThe timing of Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel.With more time before the holiday, people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines.”A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late,” Watterson said.The rise of remote work also has caused the Thanksgiving travel period to expand, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.”The pandemic changed everything,” she said. “What we have seen is that post-pandemic, people are leaving at certain times, perhaps even leaving the weekend before Thanksgiving, working remotely from their destination a couple of days, and then enjoying time with their loved ones.”This article contains information from The Associated Press.

‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel [Video]
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Remote Work Opportunities

‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel [Video]

Just as sure as the turkey will taste dry, airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end in another record day for air travel in the United States.The people responsible for keeping security lines, boarding areas and jetliners moving from the U.S. transportation secretary and airline chiefs on down the line swear they are prepared for the crowds.Airline passengers might get lucky like they did last year, when relatively few flights were canceled during the holiday week. A repeat will require the weather’s cooperation. And even if skies are blue, a shortage of air traffic controllers could create delays.U.S. flights appeared to running relatively normally on Monday, with fewer than 40 canceled but more than 1,600 delayed by midday on the East Coast, according to FlightAware.Thanksgiving, by the numbersAuto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car.Drivers should get a slight break on gas prices. The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Monday, down from $3.26 at this time last year.The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024.The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through airport security checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next-busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week.TSA says it’s ready”This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “Fortunately, our staffing is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. We are ready.”Pekoske said TSA will have enough screeners to keep general security lines under 30 minutes and lines for people who pay extra for PreCheck under 10 minutes.A Thanksgiving week airport strikeWorkers who clean planes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport began what was expected to be a 24-hour strike over their demands for higher wages. Only a handful of flights were canceled, and there were fewer than 100 delays.The Charlotte airport is the nation’s ninth-busiest in passenger volume and serves as a hub for American Airlines. Airport officials expect about 1 million passengers to depart on flights between last Thursday and next Monday.FAA staffing shortage could create delaysAn ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays at other airports.Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures to deal with shortages at some facilities.”If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” he said.In the last two years, similar measures have slowed down flights in New York City and Florida.The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency’s lofty hiring goals.And the weatherWintry weather is always a wild card for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel by plane and automobile.Forecasters predicted more rain in California, where crews were trying to restore power lost to flooding from storms late last week. The Midwest and Great Lakes regions were expected to get rain and snow Monday, while the Northeast was expected to get hit with wet and blustery conditions by Thursday and Friday.Timing of holiday shapes travel patternsThanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel.With more time before the holiday, people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines.”A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late,” Watterson said.Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 about one of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights.Combining work and leisureThe rise of remote work also has caused the Thanksgiving travel period to expand, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.”The pandemic changed everything,” she said. “What we have seen is that post-pandemic, people are leaving at certain times, perhaps even leaving the weekend before Thanksgiving, working remotely from their destination a couple of days, and then enjoying time with their loved ones.”Nightmares of Thanksgivings past have further shaped holiday traffic jams. Motorists who learned to avoid traveling the day before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving have created new bottlenecks on other days, according to Diaz.”Because we warned for so long (that) Wednesday and Sunday are the worst days to travel, people were like, ‘OK, I’m going to leave on Tuesday and come back on Monday to avoid the rush,'” she said. “So now those two days are congested as well.”Advice for travelersAirport security officials are pleading with passengers to arrive early, not to put lithium-ion batteries in checked bags in case they overheat, and to keep guns out of carry-on bags. TSA has discovered more than 6,000 guns at checkpoints this year, and most of them were loaded.Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas bring out many infrequent travelers, and they often have questions about what they can bring on the plane.TSA has a list on its website of items that are banned or restricted.Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX.On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said.In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said.

10X More Productive with 11 Secret Hacks! [Video]
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10X More Productive with 11 Secret Hacks! [Video]

In this video, we’re going to share with you 11 secret hacks that will help you become 10X more productive. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but it’s how we use those hours that makes all the difference. By implementing these productivity hacks, you’ll be able to accomplish more, achieve your goals faster, and ultimately live a more fulfilling life.In this video, we’ll cover everything from time management techniques to productivity apps and tools that will help you streamline your workflow. We’ll also discuss the importance of self-care and how taking breaks can actually help you be more productive in the long run.So whether you’re a student, entrepreneur, or just looking to get more done in your day, these 11 productivity hacks will transform the way you work. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more tips and tricks on how to optimize your productivity and live your best life. Let’s get started!*None of this is intended to be construed as investment advice, it is for entertainment purposes only. People who watch the videos and invest, do so at their own risk.