Wellness

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in the brain that’s linked to your body’s sleep and wake cycle. The natural release of melatonin is stimulated by darkness and suppressed by daylight. It’s also available as a supplement that you can take as a pill or chewable gummy. As a supplement, a small dose can trigger your body to produce melatonin that makes you feel sleepy and helps you fall asleep. More people are asking their healthcare team about melatonin and report using it, including parents giving it to children. Here’s what you need to know about melatonin use in children and how to improve sleep hygiene without a sleep aid.

As winter arrives and the days grow shorter, many individuals experience a dip in mood known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This common condition, also referred to as winter depression, can leave you feeling fatigued, moody, and less motivated. But fear not; there are effective strategies to boost your well-being and beat those winter blues!

Craving more companionship in your daily life? You’re not alone. More than half of U.S. adults are lonely — and that number was rising even before the COVID-19 pandemic.1 It’s become such a problem that Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, has declared an “epidemic of loneliness.”2 And that lack of social connection is harming people’s physical, mental, and social health.

Wellness trends look a little different year after year. In 2022, we took our hot girl walks, ate our greens in powdered form, opened up about mental health struggles on social media, and tried quiet quitting our jobs in the name of less stress.

After a long winter spent hibernating on the couch, this is the time of year that many of us get that itch to start moving again. Spring weather draws us outdoors for walks and makes juicy fruits and veggies more appealing (bye, heavy comfort foods!).

There are plenty of common causes for a bad mood, but when do your mood swings have a more serious underlying cause? Learn when to seek help.

It seems we are living in an age of ever-increasing anxiety, stress, depression, and substance use.[1,2, 3] There are many possible reasons for these troubling trends, but researchers are not entirely sure which are most likely and are unable to identify a singular reason. As is the case with many things in life, there are likely many factors at play.

Brown noise’s low, deep tones have gained popularity online for its soothing sounds. Many claim that it improves sleep, concentration and relaxation. But what exactly is brown noise, and can it benefit you?