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Published – March 14, 2025 02:23 pm IST
Sleep, being a dynamic process, lets the body and brain undergo essential restoration. Yet in our current fast-paced life, sleep quality and quantity, have taken a backseat. Photograph used for representational purposes only | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Sleep is the oldest and most spoken about physiological activity. Hindu scriptures refer to Kumbakarna, the giant who loved his sleep, while the fairy tales refer to Sleeping Beauty. We have been introduced to the concept of sleep all through our lives. There is no “on and off button” to sleep, but it shapes the very basis of our existence and is important for holistic development for a healthy mind, body and emotions. 
Sleep, being a dynamic process, lets the body and brain undergo essential restoration. Yet in our current fast-paced life, sleep quality and quantity, have taken a backseat. On this World Sleep Day, which falls on March 14, 2025, it is crucial to recognise that sleep should be our priority: not a luxury, but a necessity for optimal health, mental clarity and emotional well-being.
Numerous studies have stressed the adverse effects of poor sleep as an increasing risk to almost all diseases starting from diabetes and hypertension to cancer. Another aspect often overlooked is how bad sleep affects mental health, emotional balance and cognition. Good sleep, especially in the night, is critical to having a good day, with better mental resilience, a calmer mindset and enhanced productivity.
How well we sleep determines the quality and productivity of our wakeful time. There is a lot of data available, but the translation to meaningful sleep is where we struggle — insomnias, restless sleep and chronic fatigue are taking over the world like a pandemic. This is further exacerbated by digital overload, stress, poor nutrition and anxiety.
The good news is, mindfulness, something from our ancient traditions backed with scientific evidence, is emerging as a powerful aid in fighting the poor sleep dilemma. It is not rocket science, but a non-judgemental practice that has you remain in the present. One of the most common advocated techniques to improve sleep quality is meditation, giving focused attention to breathing and allowing thoughts to reduce and settle into stillness. Integrating simple techniques like guided imagery, body scan and mantra meditation into your sleep routine can help achieve better sleep outcomes. Scientific evidence shows that mindful meditation is even equivalent to sleeping pills, demonstrating a significant reduction in time to fall asleep and improving sleep quality.
Athletes are taught the importance of warm-ups before any workout. Similarly, our brain can also benefit from a warm-up before a good sleep. This can be achieved using a mindfulness technique called progressive muscle relaxation. In this, the individual systematically tenses and relaxes various muscle groups, enhancing body awareness and fostering relaxation. This method not only prepares the body physically to rest but also reduces mental stress, creating a holistic pathway toward improved sleep.
Gentle yoga, like the child pose, downward dog pose, forward bending, shavasana and breath control can reduce stress and improve the sleep quality. These activate the parasympathetic nervous system, signalling the body that it is time to unwind. Simple breathing techniques like the 4-7-8 breathing technique or alternate breathing technique relaxe the brain, heart and also reduce stress, thus preparing us for a good night’s sleep.
Sleep, when planned well, is a battle half won. This means planning a mindful bedtime routine which can contribute to maintaining good sleep hygiene. Every small act counts if it is done with deliberation and planning. The ritual ideally starts right from the evening, approximately around 5 p.m., by reducing caffeine intake, having an early dinner, minimising exposure to blue light by restricting digital devices, and mild physical activity or gentle yoga, reflective activities or reading to allow the brain to wind down and transition from daytime stress to nighttime relaxation. Sleep hygiene also includes ensuring your bedroom has minimal lights and sounds and an ideal temperature.
This World Sleep Day, let us commit to prioritising sleep. Recognise that sleep isn’t wasted time, but productive time, essential for our mental health, emotional resilience, and physical well-being. Let’s embrace it as an essential part of our self-care routine. The path to restful sleep is within reach. By embracing the practice of mindfulness, let us reclaim restful nights, rejuvenated mornings, and vibrant days ahead.
(Dr. D.C. Mathangi is Head,Department of Mind Body Medicine and Lifestyle Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai. dcmathangi@sriramachandra.edu.in)
Published – March 14, 2025 02:23 pm IST
health / Wellbeing
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March 14, 2025  By: Anthony Matt
Anna Ahrendt-Madsen, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner in pediatrics, is thrilled to join the Essentia Health St. Joseph’s-Baxter Clinic.
“I chose Essentia as I have been working here as a registered nurse for the past few years,” said Ahrendt-Madsen. “We also have a wonderful pediatrics team that I am thrilled to be a part of. Essentia Health’s values closely align with my own, which is important in my practice.” 
Ahrendt-Madsen received her education from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. She is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
“I have always been extremely passionate about helping others,” said Ahrendt-Madsen. “I want all my patients and their families to feel heard and validated.”
To schedule an appointment with Ahrendt-Madsen, please call (218) 828-2880. To see her full profile or schedule online, please visit EssentiaHealth.org and click on “find a doctor.”
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Mehmet Oz speaks during a campaign rally in Pennsburg, Pa., Nov. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Friday morning.
The 64-year-old was a respected heart surgeon who turned into a popular TV pitchman. Now he has his sights on overseeing health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage.
Republicans, who have coalesced around Trump’s nominees for the health agencies, are likely to ask Oz about his plans for Medicare and Medicaid, including the Trump administration’s focus on eliminating fraud from the $1 trillion programs.
Democrats, meanwhile, will question Oz’s tax filings, which they say show he has used a tax code loophole to underpay taxes by thousands of dollars on Medicare, the program he’ll oversee. They will also grill Oz on any cuts he would make to the health insurance coverage as well as comments on his TV show supporting privatized Medicare.
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has done an “extensive review” of Oz’s finances, spokesman Christopher Krepich said in a statement about Oz’s taxes. He added that the office has indicated “any potential conflicts have been resolved and he is in compliance with the law.”
Oz has hawked everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on his former TV series, “The Dr. Oz Show,” which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune.

Oz’s net worth is between $98 million and $332 million, according to an analysis of the disclosure, which lists asset values in ranges but does not give precise dollar figures. His most recent disclosure shows he also holds millions of dollars worth of shares in health insurance, fertility, pharmaceutical and vitamin companies. He has promised to divest from dozens of companies that would pose conflicts for him as the CMS administrator.
In the job, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S. because he can make decisions about who and what are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
Oz’s hearing comes as the Trump administration seeks to finalize leadership posts for the nation’s top health agencies. On Thursday, Senate committees voted to advance the nominations of Marty Makary, poised to lead the Food and Drug Administration, and Jay Bhattacharya, set to helm the National Institutes for Health, for a full Senate vote. The nomination of Dave Weldon to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was abruptly withdrawn Thursday.
Those men have all leaned into Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ‘s call to “Make America Healthy Again,” a controversial effort to redesign the nation’s food supply, reject vaccine mandates and cast doubt on some long-established scientific research.
“Americans need better research on healthy lifestyle choices from unbiased scientists,” Oz wrote late last year in a social media post praising Kennedy’s nomination to be the nation’s health secretary.
This isn’t Oz’s first time testifying before senators. In 2014, several senators scolded him during a hearing about the questionable weight loss products he hawked on his television show.
AP Health Writer Tom Murphy contributed to this report from Indianapolis.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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The sun has a bad rap in the beauty space. So often, you’ll hear beauty experts disclosing the dangers of powerful UV rays and the importance of protecting your skin every single day, rain or shine. These warnings are well warranted, as excess sun exposure is associated with some pretty serious potential skin health concerns.
But the sun is literally a source of life! It impacts your mood and mental health! It provides you with essential vitamin D! That last point, however, isn’t so cut and dried. According to board-certified dermatologist Shasa Hu, M.D., professor at the University of Miami who specializes in skin cancer detection, the link between sunlight and vitamin D is trickier than you think. 
In fact, you can soak up the sun until you’re at serious risk of skin cancer and still remain vitamin D deficient. Here, she explains a better way to get your fill of the sunshine hormone. 
Here’s the thing: You can get vitamin D from sunlight, but for many, sun exposure alone is not enough to provide all the vitamin D that your body needs. 
Even if you’re outside in the heat all day long, you still may be vitamin D deficient. “In one study, [researchers] followed migrant farmworkers in Florida, as well as farmworkers in Hawaii,” Hu says on a recent episode of Clean Beauty School. “They found significant vitamin D deficiency in farmworkers who don’t use sunscreen. So even if you work outside on the field eight hours a day in various sunny [conditions], you can still be vitamin D deficient.” 
What’s more, attempting to get enough vitamin D from sunlight risks exposing you to unsafe skin practices. Excess sun exposure, after all, is the source of about 80% of visible signs of skin aging1 and a major cause of serious skin issues (the most notable being melanoma). And even if you ignore these risks, you still might wind up vitamin D deficient! 
The question becomes: How do you get enough vitamin D without increasing your risk of skin cancer and accelerated skin aging? 
Says Hu, “It’s much safer and more reliable to take a vitamin D [supplement] than go in the sun, get sunburned and potentially skin cancer because of that fear of vitamin D deficiency.” 
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One study even pinned supplementation and sunshine against each other, finding that those who took a modest level of oral vitamin D supplementation (1,000 IU of D3 taken daily) experienced an increase in vitamin D blood levels. Participants who chose to rely on sunlight exposure, on the other hand, had no significant increase. Another study even found that people who regularly took vitamin D supplements were less likely to have melanoma!
“There are also a lot of other studies supporting that our skin’s capacity to convert vitamin D from sun exposure declines over age2, but our GI absorption stays relatively stable,” Hu explains. Meaning, older adults experience a reduced capacity to produce vitamin D33 from UVB radiation (aka, sunshine). 
But a food-only approach also fails when it comes to optimal vitamin D status. That’s why many health experts recommend taking a multifaceted approach4, including high-quality supplements.
Updated research points to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day, regardless of where you live, the tone of your skin, or what time of year it is—here, you can find a list of our favorite vitamin D supplements with this potent dose. 
Look, sun exposure is necessary for a healthy, full life. It’s excess sun exposure that becomes an issue over time, so please, continue to take measures to protect your skin from UV rays.
If you are worried about getting enough vitamin D, Hu (and plenty of other experts) say supplementation is the surefire way to go. Just make sure you’re taking an optimal form and dose—here’s how to vet your favorite formula.
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"This vitamin D is sustainably sourced, organic and a highly-absorbable form."*
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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