Bestselling author Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL sniper and military leader, is right now traveling the country to discuss his new nonfiction book, “Targeted: The 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing,” the first in a new series about key terror events around the globe.

For him, the new book — a nonfiction work of military history — is the result of the highly focused new mission he took on after leaving the world of U.S. Special Forces and matching this new mission in life with a longtime passion for writing.

Carr spent 20 years on SEAL teams.

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The veteran’s turn to literary endeavors produced novels featuring James Reece, his protagonist, first in “The Terminal List” and then in such New York Times bestselling novels as “True Believer,” “Savage Son,” “The Devil’s Hand,” “In the Blood,” “Only the Dead” and more.  

But none of this was a snap. It took mental focus, a key set of decisions and perseverance, he shared. (See the video at the top of this article.)  

With Veterans Day already on the horizon this fall, Carr spoke to Fox News Digial in an on-camera interview about the importance for anyone moving from the military world to the civilian to chart a new course — and how he was able to carve his own meaningful path. 

As a Navy SEAL Task Unit commander and sniper, Carr had deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I can only talk from my own experience,” he said. “But I recognized as I was getting ready to leave the SEAL teams that it was a hard place to leave.”

“They can have a hard time leaving this foundation.”

He said, “Meaning, someone has put in their papers to [move] out [of Special Forces] or move into the private sector. And they can have a hard time leaving this foundation.” 

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“It was almost like a foundation of cement and their feet were on it and it was drying all around them — and they couldn’t move forward,” he said. “They couldn’t build on that foundation because they were stuck in it because it was just so powerful.”

Carr said, “This was five years or 10 years or 15 or 20 — however long they’d spent in the military in Special Operations. It was a very powerful few years, and it’s hard to move on from something like that.”

Carr, at left, said he’d read many thrillers during his formative years by such authors as Tom Clancy, right, as well as Louis L’Amour, David Morrell, Nelson de Mille and others. They “were my professors in the art of storytelling,” he told Fox News Digital — giving him a foundation for a new phase of life.   (Jack Carr; Getty Images)

The bestselling author noted, “I think people in professional sports deal with it. People in amateur sports deal with it. College athletes, too. You know, anybody making a transition in life, [after the] death of a loved one, divorce, a new job — it can be anything.” 

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He added, “But my experience just happens to be in the SEAL teams. So for me, it was important to identify a mission going forward and a purpose going forward.”

“It was important to identify a mission going forward and a purpose going forward.”

Said Carr, “For me, my mission is taking care of my family.”

He told Fox News Digital, “We have a middle child with really severe special needs. He needs 24/7 full-time care forever. So my mission was kind of handed to me.”

Carr’s newest book is his first nonfiction entry, “Targeted: Beirut,” published this month.  (Mike Stoner Photography; Jack Carr/Simon & Schuster; iStock)

He continued, “I knew that I loved writing. I loved telling stories. I’d trained myself from an early age, inadvertently, just from the fan perspective, by reading David Morrell and Nelson de Mille and Tom Clancy and … all these guys who were essentially giants in the thriller space back when I was growing up in my formative years.” 

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He said that he’d given himself “this education, and those were my professors in the art of storytelling.” 

It was critical, Carr said, to “identify that mission and identify a passion — [for me], writing and then the mission, taking care of the family, and then combining those two.”

Carr during his years of military service to the United States of America. (Simon & Schuster)

So “that passion, that mission, can give you purpose going forward.” 

He said, “It’s going to be different for everyone. But for me, it was very important, too, because I recognized how difficult it was to leave this organization that I was in and turn that page.”

And so “for me, mission and passion combined — for me, anyway. I’m not saying it’s going to work for everybody.”

But “that was a very natural thing for me to do.”

“And it has given me purpose in life going forward.”

Brittany Kasko of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

Do you often wake up feeling exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep? You might be one of the millions of people unknowingly living with sleep apnea. But here’s some great news. Apple has just introduced a game-changing feature that could help you identify this hidden health issue right from your wrist.

If you own an Apple Watch Series 10, 9 or Ultra 2, you’ll soon have a personal sleep detective on your arm. This new feature uses the watch’s built-in technology to monitor your breathing patterns while you sleep, looking for signs that could indicate sleep apnea. 

No more need for complicated sleep studies or expensive equipment; your everyday smartwatch could be the key to uncovering this common but often undiagnosed condition.

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How it works

The sleep apnea detection feature utilizes the watch’s built-in accelerometer to monitor a new metric called “breathing disturbances” during sleep. By analyzing these disturbances over time, the watch can identify patterns consistent with moderate to severe sleep apnea.

Possible Sleep Apnea notification on iPhone and Apple Watch (Apple)

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FDA approval and availability

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for this sleep apnea feature, marking a significant milestone in wearable health technology. Apple plans to roll out the functionality to more than 150 countries and regions this month, including the United States, Europe and Japan.

The Sleep apnea feature is available in 150-plus countries and regions (Apple)

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User experience and data analysis

You can view your nightly breathing disturbance data in the Health app on your iPhone, where it will be categorized as either “elevated” or “not elevated.” The watch analyzes this data over a 30-day period and notifies users if it detects consistent signs of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea data from Apple Watch showing “Not Elevated” (Apple)

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Performance metrics

In clinical validation studies, the notification performance achieved a sensitivity of 66.3% and specificity of 98.5%. This means that while the algorithm is effective at identifying those with moderate to severe sleep apnea, it also minimizes false positives, ensuring that you can trust the notifications you receive.

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Apple Watch Accelerometer Signals and Ground Truth Respiration Signals (Apple)

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Potential impact

Dr. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of health, emphasized the rigorous development process behind this feature. The detection algorithm was created using advanced machine learning with extensive datasets from clinical-grade sleep apnea tests. The studies included diverse participants across various demographics and evaluated both at-home and in-lab sleeping environments.

This new feature has the potential to significantly impact public health by helping identify undiagnosed cases of sleep apnea. Research suggests that up to 80% of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed, making this tool invaluable for many people who may not exhibit obvious symptoms.

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Setting up sleep apnea notifications

To use the new sleep apnea detection feature on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Update your devices

Ensure your Apple Watch is running the latest version of watchOS. Here are the steps:

• Tap on the Watch app icon on your iPhone’s home screen
• In the Watch app, tap on My Watch at the bottom of the screen
• Scroll down and tap on General
• Select Software Update. Your iPhone will check for available updates for your Apple Watch.
• If an update is available, tap Download and Install. You may need to enter your iPhone passcode.
• Follow any additional prompts that appear on your screen.
• The update process may take some time, so be patient. Your Apple Watch will restart automatically once the update is complete.
• After your watch restarts, you can confirm that the update was successful by going back to the Watch app, tapping on My Watch and then selecting General and About to view the current version of watchOS.

Steps to update your Apple Watch (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Update your iPhone to the latest iOS version. Here are the steps:

• Tap on the Settings app on your iPhone’s home screen
• Scroll down and select General
• Tap on Software Update. Your device will check for available updates.
• If an update is available, you’ll see a prompt with options to Download and Install. Tap this option
• If prompted, enter your passcode
• Read and agree to Apple’s terms and conditions, if required
• Once the download is complete, tap Install Now. Your iPhone will restart during this process.

Steps to update your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

2. Set up sleep apnea notifications

• In the Health app, tap Browse
• Then click Sleep
• Under “Sleep Apnea Notifications,” tap Set Up
• Next, tap Next

Steps to set up sleep apnea notifications (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• Then confirm that you are 18 or older by tapping the circle next to Yes or No
• Indicate whether you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea by tapping the circle next to Yes or No 
• Then tap Continue
• After reading “How sleep apnea notifications work,” tap Next
• Finally, tap Done

Steps to set up sleep apnea notifications (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3. Wear your watch to sleep

• Wear your Apple Watch to bed for at least 10 nights within a 30-day period
• Ensure your watch is charged to at least 30% before bedtime
• After the initial 30-day evaluation period, check the Health app for any notifications
• View your breathing disturbances data in the Respiratory section of the Health app

Remember, this feature is designed for users 18 years or older who have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea. If you receive a notification suggesting signs of sleep apnea, it’s important to consult with your health care provider for proper evaluation and diagnosis.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

It’s incredible how technology can empower us to take charge of our health, and the new sleep apnea detection feature on the Apple Watch 10, 9 and Ultra 2 is a perfect example. With this tool, you can monitor your breathing patterns while you sleep, potentially uncovering issues that have gone unnoticed for far too long. Just remember, while this feature is a fantastic step toward better health, it’s essential to consult with a health care provider if you receive a notification about possible sleep apnea. Embracing these advancements could lead to a more restful night and a healthier life.

How do you feel about using wearable technology like the Apple Watch for health monitoring? Are you excited about these advancements, or do you have concerns about privacy and accuracy? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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One in three Americans over 30 wake up at least twice each night to use the restroom, studies show.

These frequent interruptions can wreak havoc on your sleep, but there are some practical ways to manage them.

Dr. Hana Patel, resident sleep expert at Mattress Online, who is based in London, provides the following tips to cut down on nightly bathroom trips to improve your rest.

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1. Train your bladder with Kegels and exercise

Patel recommends doing Kegel exercises — also known as pelvic floor muscle training — as a means of strengthening the muscles that support the bladder.

“When done right, Kegels can strengthen pelvic muscles, cutting down on the urge to go at night,” she told Fox News Digital.

The doctor also emphasized the importance of staying active overall.

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“Simple preventive measures, like regular exercise, can significantly lower the need for nighttime bathroom visits,” she said. 

Exercises that involve the lower abdomen are particularly effective, the expert noted.

2. Say no to triggering beverages

Cutting back on certain drinks can help reduce the need for nighttime bathroom trips. 

“Caffeine, alcohol, artificially sweetened and fizzy drinks are diuretics, meaning they’ll increase urine production, so I advise avoiding them where you can,” Patel said.

Cutting back on certain drinks can help reduce the need for nighttime bathroom trips, the doctor said. (iStock)

To reduce nighttime disruptions, she recommends either enjoying these beverages earlier in the day or switching to less irritating alternatives, like decaffeinated or non-alcoholic drinks.

3. Ease up on evening salt and protein

Adjusting your meal timing and composition can help reduce the need to visit the bathroom overnight, Patel said. 

“Salty and protein-rich meals can boost urine production, especially close to bedtime,” she told Fox News Digital.

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Eating these types of meals earlier in the evening or at lunch instead of dinner can prevent increased nighttime trips to the bathroom without having to give up those foods entirely, the doctor added.

4. Limit the TV, and keep your feet up

A recent study found that adults who spend five or more hours a day watching TV or videos are 48% more likely to experience nocturia (frequent urination at night) compared to those with less than an hour of screen time. 

For those who spend long periods of time in front of the TV, the doctor suggests setting limits and elevating the legs when possible. (iStock)