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    What Sleep Hacks Actually Work?

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    Mouth tape, melatonin, “worry journals” — here’s what might actually help you sleep.Dr. Sujay Kansagra spends enough time on social media to have opinions about even the most obscure sleep hacks. Often, said Dr. Kangsagra, who is a sleep physician at Duke Health, they aren’t backed by strong scientific evidence.This is especially true for trends or techniques that promise instant results, he said. If you see a video claiming that listening to soothing tapping sounds or pressing trigger points on your wrist, for example, can help you fall asleep in seconds, it’s probably not true. Still, there are some sleep strategies that do draw from legitimate science, Dr. Kansagra said.We asked him, and four other sleep experts, if some of the sleep hacks we’ve seen on social media can really help you fall and stay asleep. Here’s what they said to try, and what to skip.1. Pass on the mouth tape.Some on social media claim that mouth taping, which involves sealing your lips shut with a piece of skin-friendly adhesive, can prevent snoring and improve sleep by forcing you to breathe through your nose.While it’s true that breathing through your nose can help reduce snoring, there’s no strong evidence that mouth taping improves sleep quality, said Dr. Akinbolaji Akingbola, a sleep medicine physician at the University of Minnesota.Regular snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition marked by potentially dangerous pauses in breathing during sleep. If you use mouth tape to stymie snores instead of seeing a doctor, you might miss the chance of diagnosing a real medical condition and receiving proper treatment, Dr. Kansagra said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      6 Books to Help You Deal With Difficult People

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      These six books can help ease tensions.Earlier in my career, I worked for a hot-tempered woman who, according to an office rumor, had thrown a shoe at one of my predecessors. Rattled by her blowups, I tiptoed and stammered around her, fearing the day when she’d wing a pump at me.Then a friend passed along “Coping With Difficult Bosses” by Robert M. Bramson, which was published in 1992. The book’s solid, seen-it-all advice helped me stop perseverating and find my spine. I learned from Dr. Bramson to stand tall when my boss exploded, to call her by her name (to humanize the relationship) and, if I couldn’t quite look her in the eye, to focus on her forehead — close enough that she couldn’t tell the difference.If you’re struggling with a difficult colleague, family member or friend, books can validate your experience and teach you helpful communication skills, said William Doherty, a professor emeritus of family social science at the University of Minnesota and a co-founder of Braver Angels, a nonpartisan nonprofit that facilitates conversations between people with differing political views.But, he added, be wary of books that give you “one large global theory” about whatever is wrong with the other person. Most relationship problems are caused by both parties, at least to some degree, he said, so books that encourage you to consider your part are generally more helpful.We asked therapists, psychologists and other workplace experts to recommend books that can help you get along with difficult people — or at least disagree with them more constructively. Here are six titles that rose to the top of the list.Simon & SchusterWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Trump Tariffs Could Raise iPhone Prices, But Affordable Options Remain

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      Even if gadget prices surge, we have plenty of cheaper options, like buying last year’s phone model instead of the latest and greatest.On Friday, amid a tariff-induced frenzy that drove hordes of consumers to panic-buy iPhones, President Trump announced a tariff exemption on electronics like smartphones and computers. For a moment, widespread anxiety about a potential $2,000 iPhone dissipated.But two days later, the Trump administration said smartphones and computers were likely to be hit with new tariffs targeting semiconductors, or chips. More expensive iPhones could come after all! Talk about whiplash.Don’t panic. Even if tariffs did cause the iPhone’s price to surge, we would have plenty of cheaper options, like buying last year’s phone model instead of the latest and greatest.The most important lesson we can learn from the turmoil: The only consistent way to save money on tech is to use devices for as long as possible, which requires maintaining them as you would a car, and upgrading only when you must.“Buy the best and drive it into the ground,” said Ramit Sethi, a personal finance expert. “Holding that item for longer will bring down the overall cost of ownership.”There remains lots of uncertainty around future costs of tech hardware in general. Nintendo this month canceled plans to start taking orders for its game console, the $450 Nintendo Switch 2, to evaluate the impact of tariffs on pricing and availability. Costs of some accessories, like phone chargers, power bricks and cases, have already risen on Amazon.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      How Tariffs Could Cause Car Insurance Costs to Rise

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      New tariffs are expected to push up prices of vehicles and car parts, and that could raise premiums as much as 16 percent. Here are some tips on how to try to keep costs down.Add this to worries about the likely impact of tariffs: costlier car insurance.The new tariffs on imported cars, metals and parts announced by the Trump administration are expected to raise vehicle prices by thousands of dollars if they remain in place. And because parts used in auto repairs will also become more expensive, the average cost of automobile insurance is expected to increase.The average annual premium for a full-coverage auto policy was just over $2,300 at the end of last year, according to an analysis by Insurify, an insurance comparison shopping website. The site initially estimated that premiums would increase just 5 percent this year, based on factors like inflation and insurer losses.How much of an impact could tariffs have on car insurance costs?With the addition of the tariffs, Insurify now projects premiums to rise at least 16 percent, or $378, to almost $2,700 on average nationally — about $256 more than without tariffs. The analysis includes the tariffs on steel and aluminum, those on imported cars and those on imported auto parts scheduled to take effect May 3. (Tariffs announced in February on products from Mexico and Canada were adjusted to exempt some goods, including cars and auto parts, that comply with the free trade agreement President Trump negotiated in his first term, according to Insurify. If that exemption is lifted, the increase in automobile premiums could be as high as 19 percent, the analysis found.)An Insurify spokeswoman said the Trump administration’s announcement on Wednesday, pausing double-digit global tariffs for 90 days, didn’t change the company’s projections. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in response to a reporter’s question after the announcement, indicated that the pause didn’t apply to certain tariffs like those on automobiles.“Things that increase the cost of repairs impact prices,” said Robert Passmore, vice president of personal lines with the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, whose members are big insurance companies. About 60 percent of parts used in auto shop repairs are imported from Mexico, Canada and China, the association has said.The price of car insurance has soared in recent years for a variety of reasons, including more claims resulting from driving habits that deteriorated during the pandemic, the use of more expensive technology in cars, and damage from strong storms and hail. While increases had recently begun to moderate, the cost of motor vehicle insurance still rose 7.5 percent in March compared with a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      What to Know About Food Poisoning When Traveling

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      Whether you’re traveling off-the-beaten path or staying at a high-end resort, paying attention to how food is prepared and handled can help keep you safe.Two cases involving possible food poisoning among tourists have raised concerns about what travelers can do to prevent and treat food-borne illnesses — not just during off-the-beaten-path adventures, but in and around resorts.While the cause of the recent death of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of the former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, has not been confirmed, Miller, along with other members of the Gardner family, is reported to have experienced gastrointestinal distress after eating a meal while on vacation in Costa Rica. And a lawsuit filed this year in Toronto in connection with the food poisoning-related deaths in 2023 of 8-year-old Stephen Gougeon and his mother, April, alleges, among other things, that the Dominican Republic resort where they stayed did not take sufficient care in food handling.In general, gastrointestinal illnesses among tourists — travelers’ diarrhea and food poisoning — is especially likely to occur in countries where the water supply is unsafe. But there are also many cases of food poisoning, and hundreds of deaths, in the United States every year, and these infections can occur anywhere there are lapses in how food is handled. Raw or undercooked meat, fish and shellfish can be contaminated, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of high-risk foods includes raw eggs and unpasteurized milk.Travel presents additional concerns. “People may be in places where the tap water is not necessarily safe, and they don’t have control over how food is prepared or handled,” said Dr. Adam Ratner, director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone in New York. “When you’re home, you have some control, and you have U.S. and local health department standards. It can be harder to assess safety somewhere else.”Ice made with unclean water may cause gastrointestinal problems because freezing, unlike boiling, does not kill most pathogens.Getty Images Parents should be especially vigilant. Babies and young children are vulnerable to dehydration, which is generally the most dangerous aspect of gastrointestinal illnesses; other groups at high risk include pregnant women, older people and anyone who is immunocompromised. But even younger adults and adolescents may not realize how serious the symptoms of food poisoning can be, and when it is important to get medical help.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Is Skipping Really a Good Workout?

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      It feels like play. Here’s what fitness experts say about using the activity as a training tool.When kids skip, it rarely looks like work. There’s something playful, almost primitive, about the urge to bound yourself forward through space, your body briefly levitating with each stride. And yet, as adults, many of us quit.But skipping has entered the social media conversation, thanks in part to a recent episode of Andrew Huberman’s podcast, during which the track coach Stuart McMillan touted the activity as an overlooked form of exercise for athletes of all levels.The enthusiasm is deserved, fitness experts told The Times. The movement, which is a form of plyometric training and basically involves a step and a hop on repeat, can help build power, agility and speed, and improve coordination, balance and mobility.Here’s how to make skipping work for you.Can skipping really improve your fitness?When you’re a kid, skipping is a key part of motor development — it helps you develop the power and coordination needed for running, and an awareness of where your body is in space, known as proprioception, said Mary Winfrey-Kovell, a senior lecturer of exercise science at Ball State University.As an adult, you can benefit from going back to these basics, she said. “You’re challenging just about every muscle in your body” when you skip, she added, particularly if you swing your arms — and you’re training your brain to react more quickly.Skipping can also improve balance and stability, since it requires hopping on one leg at a time, said Grayson Wickham, a physical therapist in New York City and the founder of the stretching and mobility app Movement Vault.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      5 Books on Healing From Trauma

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      Neuroscientists, psychologists and other experts share the titles they recommend most.When Gabor Maté was in his 40s and a successful doctor in Vancouver, Canada, he struggled with depression and strained relationships. Picking up “The Drama of the Gifted Child,” by Alice Miller, was the first step to understanding the root of his problems.“A good book gives you a map to yourself,” said Dr. Maté, now a trauma researcher and author of “The Myth of Normal.”While reading Dr. Miller’s book, his experiences started to make sense. “My depression, my self-loathing,” he explained, were a result of early childhood trauma.Trauma is a deeply distressing experience that leaves lasting effects on a person’s thoughts, emotions and behavior. It rewires both the body and mind and shapes overall health. Research shows, however, that the right tools can help us regulate our emotions and rebuild a sense of safety.Many people are hungry for books that explore trauma: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s “The Body Keeps the Score” has sold more than three million copies globally and spent more than six years total on the New York Times best-seller list. But there are other works that can help us make sense of negative experiences.The five titles below were recommended by neuroscientists, psychologists and trauma specialists as sources to help you understand and process trauma.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More