Primetime Living 2.22.26 - Flipbook - Page 11
A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, February 22, 2026
Academy commencement speech.
It shares ten life lessons learned
from his Navy SEAL training that can
inspire personal growth and positive
change. It’s ‘dressing’ your bed. And
if you haven’t read it, please do.
Afternoon
• Exercise at lunch. Early workouts
may sacrifice sleep.
• If you need a nap, take it before 3
p.m. and limit it to 30 minutes.
• Cut caffeine by 4 p.m. If you’re sensitive, stop by noon.
Evening
• Use lamps and dimmers. Bright
lights will make your brain think it’s
still daytime.
• Use warm – not hot – water for
showers and baths.
• Turn down the thermometer a few
degrees to mimic your nighttime
sleep temperature.
• Turn off tech ten minutes before
bedtime.
• Stick to the same bedtime or vary it
no more than an hour.
One-third of Our Lives
Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler is a sleep
medicine specialist and the director of
Mayo Clinic’s Center for Sleep Medicine
in Rochester, Minnesota. He explains
why we spend a third of our lives sleeping.
“It’s really absolutely essential because
every single system in our body needs
sleep. It’s nothing short of amazing. Let’s
just kind of start thinking about things:
physical restoration. First of all, sleep
is really when your body does its repair
work. During sleep and especially during
deep sleep – our so-called slow wave
sleep – your body is like a construction
crew. It’s busy fixing tissues, building
muscle, repairing muscles that were torn
or injured, strengthening bones.
“Our brain is super busy when we’re
sleeping. They used to think that sleep
was a very passive activity, kind of
like nothing’s happening. But, actually,
I’m sure every person has noticed how
much clearer they feel, and how much
clearer they think after a good night’s
sleep.
“And that’s because when you’re
sleeping, your brain is busy processing
and organizing all the information that
you brought in during the day and kind
of locking it into long term memory,
especially during some stages of sleep,
like REM sleep. Oftentimes people think
it’s kind of like there’s a librarian in your
brain going through and sorting and
cataloging and storing things in the right
location and giving you an index for how
you can find it.
“Also, your brain while you’re sleeping,
is taking out the trash. There’s a system
in the brain that’s called the glymphatic
system. We didn’t really know about until
2012, but it’s busy clearing out the waste
products that accumulate while your
brain is so busy thinking and doing and
acting out things during the day.”
First, Try This
If you can’t get into a good sleep
pattern, talk to your primary doctor.
You don’t need to avoid sleep aids if
you absolutely need them. There may
be something you could take for those
nights when you just can’t sleep.
Physicians and researchers are studying sleep all the time because sleep is so
important to our health, and the lack of
sleep can be an early warning system.
Harvard Health points out that “rest-
The Importance of Sleep
Continued on page 22
In An Unpredictable World
FIND STABILITY HERE
In today’s shifting economy, stability means peace of mind, and that is exactly what
HeartLands Senior Living at Ellicott City delivers. While the cost of groceries,
utilities, and home repairs continues to rise, our all-inclusive lifestyle offers
Step into a safer, simpler way of life that offers comfort, care, and peace of mind.
• A locked-in monthly rate
for 12 months
• Chef-prepared meals with an
on-site pizzeria
• Maintenance-free living
• A warm, secure, engaging
community
99 First Month’s Rent*
$
Inviting community
commun spaces.
Indoor pool for year-round wellness.
410.424.0396
HeartLandsAtEllicottCity.com
3004 North Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Active Independent Living | Assisted Living
*Valid for new residents only. Cannot be combined. Subject to change at any time. Valid on select apartment homes. ©2026 Discovery Management Group. All Rights Reserved. Prices,
plans and programs are subject to change or withdrawal without notice. Void where prohibited by law. Managed and Operated by Discovery Management Group. HLEC-0034 1/26.
11
