Huntington’s disease is bleakly characterized as ‘the cruelest disease known to man,’ and it has been so described for decades. Families usually passed down the Huntington’s gene while knowing that nothing could halt the disease’s persistent course. Generations all lived with a heavy certainty that it was all over when the symptoms started to manifest themselves through jerking movements, lapses of memory, changes of mood. The illness would progress, and treatments only alleviated some discomfort. This is why the news recently struck such a powerful chord that there is hope for successful therapy. A recent experimental treatment made breakthrough results , and the progression of Huntington’s disease was slowed down in a clinical trial. It was the first time scientists could identify tangible evidence that the progression of the disease could be interrupted. Although this is not a comprehensive cure, the results are a milestone whereby hope will replace inevitability, and come with the...

  Sleep time is supposed to be a period of rest, recuperation, and revitalization. For some people, the night may come with sudden fright, bewilderment, and agitation. Such a person may awake screaming in the middle of the night, eyes open and their heart racing, without fully realizing what is happening. This is a disturbing experience that most individuals refer to as a night terror. The name itself is dramatic, but night terrors are a real sleeping conditions, which have their basis in the sleep processes of our brain. They do not resemble nightmares, and they usually confuse the individual having them as well as their close ones. To further explain this puzzling sleeping disorder, we shall delve into the definition of night terrors, their cause, their victims, and what can be done to control them. What Are Night Terrors? Night terrors or sleep terrors are characterized as outbursts of extreme fear, screaming, and flailing, and typically happen in non-REM (NREM) deep sleep...

  Checking your phone before you put the lights out has become an almost automatic habit. Checking social media for a few seconds, glancing at tomorrow’s emails, or shopping on the Internet for a few minutes does not seem harmful. However, those few minutes can turn into hours, and the screen light is all you get to look at before going to sleep. What you think is a simple habit has an enormous impact on your energy, productivity, and mental health. Studies indicate that watching televisionat night disrupts the normal physical sleep process and does not allow one to rest appropriately. In addition to sleep, it takes away concentration and adds stress to the next day. This is why an increasing number of individuals are welcoming the idea of a digital detox, a period of purposely shutting off technology, and in particular, before going to sleep. This is about establishing healthier relationships with our devices to reclaim higher quality sleep, better concentration, and more relaxed...