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Napping Improves Your Memory

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:30:00 -0800

Raise your hand if you're gearing up for a Thanksgiving food coma on the couch! While lying down after a huge meal doesn't help the digestion process, napping is good for your brain.

A recent study shows snoozing for a short time may help to boost your memory, and help you learn new tasks and ideas. It may also encourage creativity and the ability to see the big picture. Scientists have discovered that the "slow-wave sleep" that occurs in the beginning of a sleep session is more important than the REM, or dream sleep that occurs once you've been sleeping for a while. That means a power nap, even a short 12-minute nod can be beneficial to our bodies and to our brains. Happy napping!

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Have You Ever Received a True Love Letter?

DearSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Remember the scene in Sex and the City where Carrie reads her book of love letters aloud to Mr. Big? Well apparently it caught the attention of many, because according to an article yesterday in the Telegraph, fans were inundating book sellers with requests for a copy of Love Letters of Great Men. And in typical movie form, the book didn't exist . . . until now. The British firm Macmillan decided to issue a book filled with excerpts from historical figures using the same name - genius, if you ask me!

This news got me thinking about love letters in general. Since times have so drastically changed, love letters seem to be a thing of the past, as are handwritten letters of any kind. I've been lucky enough to have received a love letter, and it will be something that I'll treasure forever, but what about you? Tell me ladies, have you ever received a true love letter from someone special? If so, tell us about it!

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema

Are You Sentimental?

DearSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:00:00 -0800

Being the sentimental person that I am, I'm a total saver when it comes to anything special. I collect business cards of restaurants I've been to with friends, napkins from weddings, menus from great first dates, and place cards form dinner parties I've attended. I savor love letters, old photos of my parents when they were my age, and I even have a piece of the ratty, old blanket I used to snuggle with as a child. I have my very first driver's license, my high-school report cards, and a postcard from my third-grade pen pal.

I also have things that don't fit in the scrapbook like my grandmother's engagement ring, the first hat I ever knit, shells from the beach, and a mix tape my first boyfriend ever made. All these things help to tell stories and spark old memories I want to hold onto forever.

So I was wondering if you were sentimental, too? If so, what kinds of things have you held onto?

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Do You Remember Your Dreams?

DearSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:00:00 -0800

Part of the reason I love going to sleep is because I love to dream. I tend to have really lengthy, vivid ones. They're often about people in my life who are important to me, both dead and alive. I love when I have dreams about my past or about my future.

Sometimes my dreams take place in familiar places like in my parents' house, or really bizarre settings like underwater. My dreams are usually very pleasant, but occasionally I'll wake up frantic or scared. Since dreams contain subconscious thoughts, I love to analyze them and think about what they might mean to my life.

Everyone dreams, but not everyone remembers them. So tell me: Do you remember your dreams? Do you ever have recurring dreams where you dream about the same thing? Do you think your dreams help you figure out problems or give you insights into your life?

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Do Tell: What's Your Favorite Scent on Him?

DearSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 07:00:00 -0700

Since scent is one of the strongest senses tied to memory, it's no wonder women pay such close attention to the way their man smells. If I'm walking down the street and pick up the scent of an old boyfriend, I am immediately reminded of him and past memories. With that said, I can also easily recognize the smell of my boyfriend, or my dad, or even my brother, so ladies, if you have the same connection with scents as I do, do tell, what's your favorite scent on the man you love?

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Caffeine Could Be Good For Women's Memory

YumSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:03:11 -0700

What was this post going to be about? I completely forgot what I was going to write. If only I drank more caffeine...

According to a new French study, drinking three or more daily cups of coffee or tea may help women preserve their memory. Participants in the study took several tests over the course of four years. The women who stated they drank at least three cups of coffee or tea per day showed less of a drop in test scores during the study, than their non-caffeine drinking counterparts. Although the study was conducted on older women (65+), and is only observational, I can't help but wonder whether if I should start my daily coffee routine back up.

Source: CBS News via Topix
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Good Idea or Bad Idea: Supressing your Memory

DearSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:00:00 -0700

New research came out last week suggesting new ways to suppress your memory, offering hope for people suffering from post traumatic stress disorders. This issue is sure to spark debate on whether it's a good idea or a bad idea to be able to train your brain to forget certain events or memories from your past. As someone who has thankfully not suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, I believe in the old saying "what won't kill you will make you stronger'. But what about you? What I want to know is, do you think it's a...

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Do Tell: Where do you do your Best Thinking?

DearSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:11:01 -0700

Do you have a specific place where you do your best thinking? I go to work everyday, but I always come up with great ideas to write about when I am in the shower -- weird, I know! For some reason, my mind is clear and things just come to me. Not sure why, but it is my secret place to brainstorm about everything from what I am going to wear to that cocktail party this weekend or what I should get my mom for her 60th birthday. So ladies, do tell, where do you do your best thinking?

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The How-To Lounge: Remembering Someone's Name

DearSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:30:00 -0700

When meeting someone for the first time, do you constantly forget his or her names? I am personally great at remembering, but my best friend is terrible at it -- she has even been known to call people we have known for years by the wrong name! As bad-mannered as it is to forget, forgetting someone's name happens all the time, so don't beat yourself up about it, but if you fall into that category, here are some helpful tips so you never forget a person's name again.

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Right after an introduction, repeat her name, i.e., "It's nice to meet you Denise" or "Where are you from Denise?" Sometimes saying the name aloud makes it easier to remember versus simply saying it to yourself
Regardless of where you are meeting someone, pay attention. If you are trying to carry on too many conversations at once, it will be harder to remember someone's name. Same holds true for alcohol, don't drink too much during cocktail hour as that is the time when people are usually meeting and greeting each other
Try to associate the name of the person you are meeting to an already established friend or acquaintance that has the same or a similar name
If you are a more visual person, try to associate the face of the new person you are meeting with a recognizable person with the same name. For example, think of Denise Richards when you are trying to remember the Denise you just met at your office party. Try to find any way to bridge the mental gap
Some people have a hard time remembering things until they write it down. Ask for their business card and write their name and a characteristic that you will remember about that person on the back of the card
If you can't make a connection to their name or face, make a connection with a word, i.e. Denise sounds like my favorite restaurant Pastise, etc.

I find myself being very impressed when someone I have only met once or twice remembers my name the next time they see me, or even later on in the night. I think it is an attractive quality to posses; it makes me think they care to remember me. I hope these tips were helpful for you, and if any of you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below!

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What Would you Erase from your Memory?

DearSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 08:30:00 -0700

Are you the type of person that people feel they can tell anything to? Well, I most certainly am! But sometimes having too much information can be burdensome. Being a wealth of knowledge can oftentimes affect the way you view your friends, family members, co-workers, etc. so ladies, do tell, if you could erase one thing from your memory that someone told you or that you somehow acquired, what would you want to unknow?!

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