Health
The real reasons you’re still exhausted after 8 hours of sleep, according to an expert
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Getting a full eight hours of sleep and still feeling drowsy? Sleep experts say it’s not just about how much shuteye you get.
Dr. Wendy Troxel, a licensed clinical psychologist and senior behavioral scientist at RAND based in Utah, emphasized the “really important distinction” between quantity and quality of sleep.
SLEEP PATTERNS COULD PREDICT RISK FOR DEMENTIA, CANCER AND STROKE, STUDY SUGGESTS
“Many people will say, ‘Man, I’m sleeping enough, I got seven to eight hours of sleep, but I still wake up feeling groggy and not refreshed,’” she told Fox News Digital during an in-studio interview. “About one in three adults has non-restorative sleep quality.”
Sleep quality could be making you feel groggy, despite the number of hours you slept, an expert said. (iStock)
“There are many factors that can contribute to poor sleep quality, regardless of how many hours you slept,” Troxel noted.
These include drinking alcohol — a “major contributor” to poor quality or disrupted sleep — and consuming caffeine late in the day.
Being stressed or feeling worried about something can also contribute to fragmented sleep, as can phone use at bedtime.
CHANGE TO NIGHTLY EATING HABITS MAY HELP PROTECT YOUR HEART, STUDY SUGGESTS
Troxel addressed the belief that women need more sleep than men, noting that research does support it — though only slightly, by about 10 to 15 extra minutes per night.
“What we absolutely know is that women’s sleep quality often suffers more than men’s,” she said. “They may be getting more non-restorative sleep quality, therefore needing slightly more sleep.”
Women are also twice as likely to have insomnia compared to men, and their risk for sleep disturbances “skyrockets” during the menopausal transition.
Women suffer from poorer sleep quality than men, according to the expert. (iStock)
For those who claim they sleep better with fewer hours of sleep — and feel sleepier when they get the recommended seven to nine hours — Troxel said this is not an indicator that they actually require less shuteye. “It’s simply that their body is not used to it,” she said.
Laboratory studies have shown that sleep deprivation causes impairments in judgment, according to the expert. “That means someone who thinks they’re fine with only four hours of sleep per night likely isn’t aware of the impact sleep deprivation has on their cognition and performance.”
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For those getting less than the recommended amount, Troxel recommends taking small steps toward sleeping longer. That might mean adding about 15 minutes each night to see how it impacts the body, eventually getting into a healthier circadian rhythm.
“You will likely see benefits when you increase your sleep in small increments,” she said.
The expert recommends adding a few extra minutes of sleep each night to work up to a longer duration of rest. (iStock)
Tips for better quality sleep
Quality sleep hinges on following a healthy lifestyle and a consistent sleep-wake schedule, according to experts.
INSUFFICIENT SLEEP LINKED TO MAJOR HIDDEN HEALTH RISK, STUDY REVEALS
Eating a nutritious diet free of foods that cause upset stomach or indigestion, especially in the late evening hours, can help improve sleep quality, Troxel shared.
“You don’t want to be starving at bedtime, but you also don’t want to be trying to fall asleep on a full stomach while your body’s still actively digesting,” she said.
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Exercise helps to promote quality sleep, just as sleep also improves exercise quality. However, it’s best to avoid vigorous physical activity too close to bedtime, Troxel advised.
“Exercise is very stimulating, particularly if it’s in a social environment, and that can disrupt sleep,” she said. “Exercising earlier in the day is better.”
“Those who are natural morning people are more likely to benefit from exercising earlier,” Troxel said. (iStock)
That doesn’t have to mean working out first thing in the morning, Troxel noted, as not everyone’s circadian rhythm supports early wake-ups for exercise.
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“Those who are natural morning people are more likely to benefit from exercising earlier,” she said. “If you’re a night owl, don’t expect to love doing a workout first thing in the morning. That might not be consistent with your circadian rhythm.”
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Troxel added that people should not be “sleep-shamed” for adhering to their own internal clocks.
“These cultural trends have these subtle, or not-so-subtle, ways of undermining people’s sleep-wake biology, which is largely out of our control,” she said.
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Health
Pediatricians group stands up for kids’ rapidly shrinking recess time: ‘Very powerful benefit’
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Recess may look like downtime, but pediatricians say cutting it could cost kids far more than a few minutes on the playground.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated guidance for the first time in more than a decade that urges schools to protect recess, highlighting that the unstructured break delivers major benefits for kids’ health, learning and behavior.
“It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest,” said Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author of the new guidance, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
Researchers say recess helps students reset between lessons, improving focus and memory. It also gives kids time to build social skills, boost confidence and stay physically active, a key factor as 1 in 5 U.S. children and teens struggle with obesity.
THIS SIMPLE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CAN IMPROVE AMERICANS’ HEALTH, SAYS GOVERNOR
Students play ball during recess at St. Agnes Elementary School in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 3, 2020. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP)
Despite those benefits, recess time has been shrinking for years. Since the mid-2000s, up to 40% of school districts have reduced or eliminated it, according to data from the Springboard to Active Schools group and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The group is pushing schools to reverse that trend, recommending at least 20 minutes of daily recess and multiple breaks. It further warned against using it as punishment.
Whittier Elementary School students enjoy recess in Mesa, Ariz., on Oct. 18, 2022. (Matt York/AP)
“If the child is disruptive or rude and disrespectful, recess is one of the things that teachers use to punish kids,” Murray said, noting that those students often need it most.
GOV. KATHY HOCHUL: WHY NEW YORK IS SAVING EDUCATION BY GETTING PHONES OUT OF CLASSROOMS
Doctors also stress that recess isn’t just for younger children. As screen time rises, older students need time to unplug, move and recharge.
Elementary school students play tag outside on the grass during recess. (iStock)
“As kids get older, they’re more on their screens,” said Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, a pediatric specialist. “So it’s really helpful, I think, for outdoor activity and recess to be happening. Recess is great. We all kind of need recess.”
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In other countries such as Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom, students already get more frequent breaks, often after every 45 to 50 minutes of instruction. Experts say this model could help U.S. schools improve both learning and student well-being.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Health
Cruise ship linked to deadly Hantavirus outbreak arrives off Tenerife as passenger evacuation begins
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The cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak arrived early Sunday off the Spanish island of Tenerife, where passengers began to evacuate and fly to their home countries.
Passengers are being tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they are asymptomatic before being transported ashore in small boats, Spanish officials said, according to Reuters.
Spanish health authorities confirmed that the first plane carrying the Spanish passengers has departed for a military hospital in Madrid, where they will be under quarantine.
The 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius will be flown to a medical center in Nebraska after health officials allow them to disembark.
AMERICANS TO BE EVACUATED FROM HANTAVIRUS CRUISE SHIP AS GLOBAL HEALTH CHIEF TRAVELS TO QUARANTINE ISLAND
The cruise ship MV Hondius arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official told ABC News on Saturday morning that federal officials currently do not plan to mandate quarantine when the American passengers arrive in Nebraska.
They will instead be screened upon arrival in the U.S. and either stay briefly at Nebraska’s National Quarantine Unit or return home to monitor for symptoms for 42 days while staying in contact with local health authorities, the official said.
The ship set course for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the WHO and European Union requested assistance in managing the outbreak.
The ship’s arrival comes hours after World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on the island.
The WHO said Friday that eight people aboard the ship had fallen ill, including three who died. Six cases have been confirmed, with two others suspected.
HANTAVIRUS DEATHS ON CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHT DANGERS OF RODENT-BORNE DISEASE
A cruise ship linked to a Hantavirus outbreak anchored near the Spanish island of Tenerife ahead of a planned evacuation. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
In a statement Saturday, Ghebreyesus said the public health risk remains low.
“I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word ‘outbreak’ and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest,” he said.
“The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID-19. The current public health risk from Hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he continued.
ARGENTINA INVESTIGATORS ZERO IN ON POSSIBLE ORIGIN POINT OF HANTAVIRUS IN DEADLY CRUISE OUTBREAK
A police boat operates next to the cruise ship MV Hondius at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
Ghebreyesus noted that the virus identified aboard the ship is the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can be severe.
“Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their families,” he wrote, reiterating that the public health risk posed by the virus remained low.
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An ambulance evacuates patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship to the airport in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
About 30 crew members are expected to remain on board as the vessel continues to the Netherlands, where it will be disinfected.
Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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