Sleep and your brain, the popular drug that's useless, what's living on your face

Plus: Are scented candles polluting your home's air?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

THIS COMMON DRUG IS USELESS VIEW ONLINE

THIS COMMON DRUG IS USELESS

This week: How sleep deprivation affects your body; what to know about melatonin; decongestants that actually work; 6 herbs used to treat common ailments; scented candles and your home's air quality; postpartum depression is older than you think; the tiny critters living on your face.

PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC We're not getting enough sleep. Here's why that's so bad—especially if you're a woman More than a third of us aren't getting enough sleep—and that has serious implications for our health, from heart disease to obesity to type 2 diabetes and depression. Here's how sleep helps our bodies, why women are more prone to sleep disorders, and how to improve the sleep you're getting. HOW TO SLEEP BETTER WOMEN AND ALCOHOL: Women are drinking just as much as men now—and it's killing them +

MICROGRAPH BY ALFRED PASIEKA, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY What's really in melatonin—and is it giving you nightmares? The dosing in these popular over-the-counter sleep supplements can vary wildly from what's printed on the label, which can result in side effects. Here's how to use it safely. HOW TO USE IT SAFELY PHOTOGRAPH BY BSIP, UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGES How even mild sleep apnea can take a toll on your body It can cause you to stop breathing several times an hour, setting off a cascade of threats to your brain and heart health. But how do you even know you need to get tested? HOW IT'S DIAGNOSED

What you need to know about sleep:

• While we sleep, our mind goes on an amazing journey • How magnesium affects your sleep and anxiety • Are you a 'lark’ or an 'owl'? Your body clock holds the answer.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NEWSCAST/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGES This popular oral decongestant is utterly useless. Here's what does work. More than 200 over-the-counter oral decongestants contain a key ingredient that was just revealed to be ineffective. It turns out scientists have long known that it was useless—yet you've been buying it for decades anyway. Here's why—and a look at the decongestants that actually do work. WHAT DECONGESTANTS DO WORK? PSEUDOEPHEDRINE: Why isn't this proven cold medicine on store shelves? +

PHOTOGRAPH BY WARWICK SAINT Looking for home remedies? These herbs might be able to help Chamomile tea to ease cramps and restlessness. Aloe to heal burns. Rue to ward off the evil eye. Natural remedies have been used for generations to treat a host of common ailments. Here is a roundup of six herbs that have long been used to treat everything from allergies to poison ivy. 6 HERBS TO TREAT COMMON AILMENTS FIGHTING COLD AND FLU: 7 herbs, from echinacea to marshmallow, commonly used to offer relief +

ARE SCENTED CANDLES POLLUTING YOUR HOME?

PHOTOGRAPH BY KNUD PFEIFER, PICTURE PRESS/REDUX When we light a scented candle, aromatic molecules are warmed and lifted from the wax in an updraft from the flame, attaching to sensors in our nose. But a warm glow and nice smells aren't the only thing candles give off. HOW TO MINIMIZE CANDLE EMISSIONS

Your home and your health:

• Can houseplants actually purify the air? • These 'everywhere chemicals' are in hundreds of products—and help uterine fibroids grow • The scientific case against gas stoves—and what you could do with yours

THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

PHOTOGRAPH BY GERTRUDE KÄSEBIER This summer, the FDA approved the first oral medication specifically designed to treat postpartum depression—a common childbirth complication that affects an estimated 1 in 7 women after giving birth. Here's a brief history of the condition, and why it may be partly driven by societal roles, not biology. FROM HYSTERIA TO THE DEVIL

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ILLUSTRATION BY ARMANDO VEVE Hundreds or thousands of tiny eight-legged animals are nestled deep in the pores of our faces—my face, your face, your best friend's face, and pretty much every other face you know or love. Scientists aren't sure what these microscopic face mites do, but here's what we do know—from their sex lives to their biology, to how many species we're hosting. MEET YOUR FACE MITES

You probably aren't getting enough vitamin D—here's what the experts say Would your dog eat you if you died? Get the facts. Are you drinking water all wrong? Here's what you need to know about hydrating. Ramses II ruled for 70 years and had 100 children. Egypt paid the price. These 5 cities vanished without a trace. We're finally learning their stories. Colon cancer is rising among young adults. Here are signs to watch for.

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