Miami, FL

Get better quality sleep in 2024 with these five tips

Published

2 years ago

January 1, 2024

Get better quality sleep in 2024 with these five tips

(CNN) – Each new year offers hope for a new beginning that focuses on you. Will it be eating a healthier diet? Getting more exercise? Nurturing new and old relationships? Reducing or coping better with stress at home and at work?

All these efforts are sure to bring benefits to your long- and short-term health. Yet you’re more likely to succeed in your objectives, experts say, if you start by focusing on better quality sleep. Being well-rested boosts mood and improves energy, thus giving you a jump start to achieve your dreams and goals.

The “sweet spot” for restorative slumber is when you can sleep continuously through the four stages of sleep four to six times each night. Since each cycle is roughly 90 minutes long, most people need seven to eight hours of relatively uninterrupted z’s to achieve this goal.

The good news is you can easily train your brain to get restorative slumber. Here are five science-backed ways to obtain high-quality sleep in 2024.

Establish a sleep schedule and stick to it
Establish a set wake-up time, even on weekends, vacations or after a night of poor sleep, experts say. If bedtime and wake-up times change from day to day or on weekends, your sleep rhythms aren’t predictable, and the body doesn’t know how to respond, clinical psychologist and sleep expert Michael Grandner told CNN in an earlier interview.

“The brain likes regularity and predictability,” said Grandner, who directs the sleep and health research program at the University of Arizona and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson.

“Waking up at the same time every day,” he said, “and then adding light and movement as soon as you wake up, will set your other rhythms for the day and give you increased energy and mood.”

Avoid certain food and drink
Don’t turn to alcohol to calm your nerves or help you sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it traps you in the lighter stages of sleep. Your body needs to experience all three stages of sleep – light sleep, the REM or dream state, and deep sleep – to repair and restore itself fully.

Staying away from caffeine after midday and avoiding heavy or spicy foods that can create heartburn or other digestive issues can help as well.

Practice good sleep hygiene
There are many more ways to train your brain to go to sleep and stay asleep. Good habits include eliminating blue light and noise, taking warm baths or doing yoga for relaxation, and keeping the bedroom cool and free of electronic devices.

Science tells us that we rest better in cooler temperatures of about 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 20 degrees Celsius).

Blue and other LED lights emitted by laptops, smartphones and television interfere with the production of melatonin, the body’s sleep hormone.

Make the bedroom sacred
Last, but definitely not least, reserve your bed for sleep and sex. As normal as it may seem sometimes to work from bed or play games with the kids in bed, doing so doesn’t teach your brain to view the bedroom as a place for slumber.

The holy grail of sleep tips
There’s one more recommendation that Grandner swears by, saying that in his clinic it is as effective as prescription sleep medications: “The best sleep tip you can ever give somebody is get up – don’t lay in bed awake but not sleeping.”

“Whether it’s the beginning of the night or the middle of the night, if you’ve been awake for 20 or 30 minutes, get up and reset,” Grandner said. “Maybe you just need five minutes to get sleepy, or maybe an hour, but don’t spend that time awake in bed.”

Why is that so important? Because lying in bed awake can form an association in your brain that can lead to chronic insomnia, Grandner said. Instead of being a restful spot where you peacefully fall asleep, your bed becomes an anxious place where you toss and turn and wake up tired.

“It’s counterintuitive, but spending time in bed awake turns the bed into the dentist’s chair,” he said. “You want the bed to be like your favorite restaurant, where you walk in and you start getting hungry even if you just recently ate. You want the bed to do that for sleep.”

Still not sleeping like a baby? You may need professional sleep training or a visit with a sleep specialist to rule out sleep apnea or serious sleep disorders. Search online for a diagnostic sleep center in your area.

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Miami, FL

Miami Heat build 54-point lead, roll past Chicago Bulls 134-91 with Adebayo, Larsson each scoring 20

Published

9 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Press Room

Miami Heat build 54-point lead, roll past Chicago Bulls 134-91 with Adebayo, Larsson each scoring 20

Updated on: February 1, 2026 / 9:02 PM EST
/ AP

Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson each had 20 points, and the Miami Heat tied their third-biggest victory margin ever in a 134-91 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night.

The Heat led by as many as 54; before Sunday, their biggest lead this season was 45 at Memphis on Oct. 24. It was Miami’s second-largest lead of the play-by-play era that dates to 1996; the Heat beat Memphis by 60 on March 29, 2024.

Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, right, drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Miami.

Lynne Sladky / AP

The 54-point hole was Chicago’s biggest since a 58-point deficit against Boston on Dec. 8, 2018. The Bulls’ biggest deficits this season were a pair of 41-point games — one against Minnesota on Dec. 29, the other also against Miami on Nov. 21.

Kel’el Ware scored 17 points, Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each scored 14 and Davion Mitchell returned from a shoulder injury to score 13 for Miami, which played without guard Norman Powell (personal reasons) and Tyler Herro (ribs). Powell was announced as an NBA All-Star selection shortly after tip-off on Sunday, getting that nod for the first time in his career.

Coby White scored 16 points for Chicago, which got 12 from Nikola Vucevic and 10 from Ayo Dosunmu.

Vlad Goldin got his first NBA points for Miami in the fourth quarter — a dunk, where he kicked out his legs as if to mimic the famed Jumpman logo for Michael Jordan’s line of Nike shoes and apparel.

The game completed a very rare instance of teams facing each other three consecutive times in the regular season, something the NBA hadn’t seen since 1972. This was scheduled as a two-game set in Miami; a game that was scheduled to be played in Chicago in January was rescheduled to Thursday, which set up the two-team, three-game, four-night set.

Miami took two of the three games.

Up next

Bulls: Visit Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Heat: Host Atlanta on Tuesday.

In:

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Miami, FL

5 potential first-round draft picks Dolphins’ fans should get familiar with

Published

21 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

5 potential first-round draft picks Dolphins’ fans should get familiar with

The Miami Dolphins may not make that annual “Who the heck is that?” draft pick this year. A staple of Chris Grier’s 9 years with the Dolphins, this is Jon-Eric Sullivan’s show now. An outsider from a team with a far better draft history.

The NFL Draft is still three months away, but as time ticks and calendars flip, fans will hear words like driven, toughness, and physical. This is the new Dolphins, hopefully. Somewhere along the line, Grier got complacent in his job. Sullivan is taking on his first job as a GM. He believes he is ready for the challenge. So does everyone else who knows him.

As the Dolphins prepare for the draft, Sullivan has no choice but to rely on the Dolphins’ current scouting department. Sullivan, too, has a lot of knowledge of this draft class. It will be interesting to learn who sticks around once Sullivan gets through this one.

The Miami Dolphins have a clear vision of what types of players they want to draft

Sullivan wants football players. Not guys that can play the game, but guys that live it, love it, and prioritize it. They want players that won’t get caught up in the South Florida nightlife; they want winners.

Fans will spend a lot of time poring over mock drafts by the best media guys covering the sport. They will run their own simulations, and they will criticize most of them. What fans also need to see is which players the Dolphins are likely to target and why these five names are guys to pay attention to.

David Bailey – Edge – Texas Tech

Bailey is the second-best edge option in this draft. His current stock puts him just ahead of the Dolphins at 11, but strange things happen on draft day. If Bailey is available, the Dolphins are likely taking him over anyone else. He has the attributes that check all the boxes for Sullivan and Jeff Hafley. Miami needs edge help, and Bailey would not only provide it, but he would be the best player in the draft at pick 11.

Caleb Downs – Safety – Ohio State

Downs is the best safety in this year’s class, and Sullivan won’t have an issue drafting him if he is on the board. Physical on the field, Downs has shown a tremendous amount of leadership while with the Buckeyes. Miami needs these types of players. He makes the defense tougher, fills a need, and is the type of player Hafley has stated he wants to build around.

Mansoor Delane – CB – LSU

Delane and Jeromd McCoy are the top two CBs in this class, but neither stands out as being better than the other. McCoy’s injury history is a bit of a turnoff. Delane plays well outside, and we have to be honest: as much as Dolphins fans would love to see the offensive line beefed up, the secondary is a horrible mess.

Ty Simpson – QB – Alabama

Dolphins fans might throw up if the team drafts another Alabama quarterback, but consider this: he isn’t a product of Nick Saban. Simpson is likely to be the second QB taken in this year’s draft and may not be picked until the late 20s. If the Dolphins look at Simpson as a potential franchise QB, I might expect them to trade back and take him later. He is worth keeping an eye on, and some see him as the best “ready now” QB in this class.

Carnell Tate – WR – Ohio State

Yes, Sullivan called out Jaylen Waddle by name when he spoke about the team’s building blocks, but Tyreek Hill is all but officially gone, and the Dolphins don’t have a replacement. Malik Washington was supposed to be that guy. He showed flashes, but he is better suited to be a third receiver. The Dolphins need a receiver built to play physical, that’s Tate.

The problem is that this draft’s QB class isn’t as good as others. That will mean teams who might normally take a shot on a QB in the top 10 will now likely wait. That makes guys like Tate come off the board sooner.

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Miami, FL

Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls Injury Report, Betting Lines, How to Watch, Lineups & More

Published

2 days ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls Injury Report, Betting Lines, How to Watch, Lineups & More

Game date, time and location: Saturday, Jan. 31, 8:00 p.m. EST, Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, Chicago Sports Network

Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), 670 AM The Score, 1200 AM (Chicago)

VITALS: The Miami Heat (26-23) and Chicago Bulls (23-25) meet for the third of four regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 143-107, win in Chicago on November 21 and a, 116-113 win on January 29th. The Heat are 66-68 all-time versus Chicago during the regular season, including 37-29 in home games and 29-39 in road games.

PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Kasparas Jakucionis

G Jaime Jaquez Jr.

C Bam Adebayo

F Pelle Larsson

F Andrew Wiggins

BULLS

G Ayo Dosunmu

G Kevin Huerter

C Jalen Smith

F Isaac Okoro

F Matas Buzelis

Betting Lines (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Spread: Heat -6.5 (-108), Bulls +6.5 (-112)

Moneyline: Heat -240, Bulls +198

Total points scored: 233.5 (over -106, under -114)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

INJURY REPORT

HEAT

Davion Mitchell: Out – Shoulder

Norman Powell: Out – Personal Reasons

Tyler Herro: Out – Rib

Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team

BULLS

Coby White: Doubtful – Injury Management

Nikola Vucevic: Doubtful – Rest

Josh Giddey: Out – Hamstring

Jalen Smith: Out – Calf

Emanuel Miller: Questionable – Migraine

Tre Jones: Out – Hamstring

Zach Collins: Out – Toe

Noa Essengue: Out – Shoulder

QUOTABLE

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the loss to the Orlando Magic: “Basically all four games we’ve had great first halves. We just have not been able to sustain it against that team. We started out flat, it’s hard to explain that.”

“We had some really deflating offensive possessions. We couldn’t guard,” he said. “We struggled to defend them, so that stacks up their paint points, and then they did a good job leveling off our drives.”