Miami, FL
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.
Miami, FL
I went to 2 famous Miami restaurants, a flashy steakhouse and a Cuban hot spot. Here’s how they compared.
Café La Trova celebrated the city’s Cuban heritage through live music, warm hospitality, and dishes that felt deeply rooted in local culture.
Papi Steak, meanwhile, embraced Miami’s flashy, see-and-be-seen reputation with theatrical presentations, celebrity appeal, and an atmosphere that often felt more like a nightclub than a standard steakhouse.
Despite Papi Steak’s over-the-top reputation, nearly every dish I tried — from the wagyu pastrami to the hamachi crudo — was thoughtfully prepared and tasted just as good as it looked. If you’re looking for an indulgent, special-occasion dinner where the spectacle is part of the fun, it’s easy to understand why the restaurant has become such a phenomenon.
Still, if I could only recommend one restaurant to a first-time visitor, I’d choose Café La Trova.
While Papi Steak offered the more decadent, once-in-a-lifetime meal, Café La Trova delivered a more authentic Miami experience, pairing outstanding food and cocktails with a genuine sense of the city’s history and culture.
Miami, FL
7 more women arrested at southwest Miami-Dade massage parlors, accused of prostitution in undercover sting
Seven more women have been arrested at massage parlors across Miami-Dade, following a wave of arrests in an undercover prostitution sting operation run by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
All seven women appeared in bond court facing prostitution charges as well as running a massage business without a license. The arrests come a day after seven other women were arrested at massage parlors in southwest Miami-Dade. Those locations were closed after the first round of arrests.
According to arrest reports, the women would offer sexual acts to an undercover detective after a massage. They would also charge, according to the reports, prices ranging from $50 to $150.
The women’s ages ranged from 46 to 67 years old:
- Yaoying Lin, 58
- Xiufen Lin, 51
- Yan Xi, 48
- Zixuan Wang, 46
- Mei Hui Lin, 49
- Quirong Xu, 67
- Hongli Ren, 63
Judge Mindy Glazer presided over the bond court appearances. During the proceedings, she referenced charges of “committing a lascivious act and engaging in prostitution,” according to CBS News Miami’s reporting from the courthouse.
Yaoying Lin’s attorney, Paul Petruzzi, persuaded the judge to reduce her charge from a felony to a misdemeanor.
“She’s resided in Miami for many years. Married. And has never failed to appear,” Petruzzi said.
“They had my client held overnight. She was charged with a felony unfairly. To the point where a judge on her own dismissed it. It’s either real bad, bad, bad police work. Or it’s something else. A little bit more nefarious. I’m afraid the latter,” Petruzzi said.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said that they will not be providing any interviews regarding this undercover sting at this time.
This is the eighth edition of Miami Hurricanes on SI’s breakdown of each team on the 2026-27 Miami Hurricanes football schedule.
Miami, to this point, is coming off its biggest test of the year against Pitt. Now they will turn their attention to Bill Belichick and what he has accomplished to this point in his second season as a college football head coach.
North Carolina should be better than last season after a disappointing 4-8 2025 outcome. However, the Hurricanes also understand that this is the ideal trap game before they head on the road to face Notre Dame in one of the biggest games of the season, which could hold massive playoff implications.
Miami can’t look forward. All eyes will be on what the new season and another fun home game against a rising contender.
Here’s everything you need to know about UNC and its 2026 unit.
The Offense
Petrino03 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Thursday 17, 2014
After coming off one of the worst offensive outputs in the country last season, Belichick knew that he needed to make a move quickly. It started with hiring veteran coach Bobby Petrino as the teams offensive coordinator.
It won’t be the 126th ranked offense, but how much better could it get with Petrino making the calls? The Tar Heels will also have a new quarterback under center, but so far, no one knows who exactly it will be.
The most talented player in the quarterback room is Travis Burges. A 6-foot-4 freshman dual-threat quarterback with unlimited potential, but they also went into the transfer portal and landed some experience in former Wisconsin QB, Billy Edwards Jr., is expected to start, but the change could be made halfway through the season if things don’t work.
Two new starting receivers also entered from the transfer portal, but the consistency in the room was provided by Jordan Shipp. Last season, he led the team in receiving yards (671) and touchdowns (6), even with how bad the team was at scoring.
UNC’s rushing attack was also highlighted by returning sophomore Demon June. He rushed for nearly 500 yards in his limited snaps, averaging 5.5 yards a carry with two touchdowns.
Defense
Defense should be the calling card of the Tar Heels next season, led by their star pass rusher, Melkart Abou-Jaoude. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound rusher totaled 10.5 sacks and 47 tackles last season. Another year learning under Belichick would likely push him to be a first or second round pick in the 2027 Class, one that the Canes are paying close attention to.
Moreover, some familarity will be on the sideline and a likely starter during his freshman year in Keton Dopson, the former Miami Hurricanes commit. He reclassifed to the 2026 class, and flipped his commitment knowing that there is a better chance to get on the field quicker at UNC than the depth that he would have had to wait behind at least for this season.
UNC’s secondary is one of the more sound groups in the country compared to the rest of its roster. However, their linebacking core who rack up tackles, are transfers who have to learn the Belichick system.
Schedule
Schedule-wise, this game is the biggest trap game of the season for the Canes. If Miami finds its way past Pitt, it will be 7-0, and this game stands between the Canes and a rematch with the Fighting Irish.
This is the perfect time for Belichick to get his first signature win against a returning program like Miami, which puts a ton of pressure on the Canes to get the job done. However, the Canes can’t afford it, knowing what is coming next.
Moreover, this is the perfect chance for Darian Mensah to have a better game than last season’s outing against the Tar Heels. His one touchdown performance was one of his weaker games of the season, but it could be a step for him to get control of the Heisman conversation.
Outlook
MIami will be favored in this game, similar to how it will be for the rest of the season. UNC will give the Canes one of the better defensive matchups this season that will also test the offense.
Miami’s history against UNC in the Mario Cristobal era has shown it can have a high-flying offense but has to avoid self-inflicted wounds.
The Game
Date: October 31
Time: TBA
TV: TBA
Location: Hard Rock Stadium
Series History: UNC leads 16-11
Last Meeting: 2023
The Team
The Coach: Bill Belichick
Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Petrino
Defensive Coordinator: Steve Belichick
2025 Record: 4-8
2025 Rankings: 126th Total Offense, 70th Total Defense
Players to Watch: Melkart Abou-Jaoude, R-Sr, EDGE
Top Newcomer: C.J. Sadler, WR, Freshman
Biggest Question: How will Belichick adjust in his second year as a college football head coach?
The School
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Founded: 1789
Enrollment: 32,099
Nickname: Tar Heels
Colors: Power Blue and White
Mascot (Symbols): Rameses the Live Ram
The Program
Last Win in the Series: 2023
Last ACC Title: 1980
National Championships: NA
Playoff Appearances: NA
Last missed bowl season: 2025
Heisman Trophies: NA
The Schedule
October 31, Time TBA, Pitt Panthers @ Miami Hurricanes
This is the eighth story in Miami Hurricanes on SI’s early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Miami football in 2026.
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