How to Stop Procrastinating at Bedtime
And Get a Good Night’s Sleep
We all know a good night’s sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, so how can we stop putting it off? A good place to start is by keeping track of your day. The human mind isn’t meant to internalize checklists and task reminders, so use your phone or journal as a scheduling assistant. However you decide to keep track, make sure to give yourself a set amount of time to accomplish your tasks, like letting yourself watch TV for just one hour or blocking out three hours to help your kids with their homework. It might even help to set alarms on your watch or on your phone to let you know when your time is up on any of your activities. Another big part is creating an environment that is conducive to a good night’s sleep, and that starts with turning your electronic
devices off well before you get under the covers. Smartphone screens, computer screens, and even some energy-efficient lightbulbs emit blue light, which reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to go to bed. Instead of looking at your phone, try reading a book before going to sleep. If your screens prove to be too big of a draw for you when bedtime comes, it might be a good idea to move your devices to another room so they’re out of sight and out of mind. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you don’t start getting better sleep right away. Setting up good bedtime routines takes time. But if you stick with it — and maybe have someone else in your house hold you accountable to your commitments — you’ll start to get better sleep and have more energy to take on the day in no time.
Though there are very real medical conditions, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, that deprive people of sleep, the reason most of us probably don’t get enough sleep is simply because we put off our bedtime. Instead of getting into bed, we opt to check off another item on our to-do list or watch another episode of our favorite show. This is sometimes called “bedtime procrastination.”
Never Feel Stranded: Get Uninsured and Underinsured Coverage
It’s true that insurance companies take plenty of our money already — but there’s a daily, potentially life-altering risk that we take almost every day. That’s driving. Worse yet? An estimated 30 million vehicle drivers in the U.S. don’t have any insurance, according to a study by the Insurance Research Council (IRC). That’s why you don’t want to be on the road without your new best friends: uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Why do you need it? Drivers who don’t have insurance typically can’t afford the cost, much less your medical bills, if they crash into your vehicle. However, many more only ever buy the minimum, which, in Massachusetts, is $20,000 per claim. That’s not actually enough to pay for the average costs of a nonincapacitating injury, which is $23,400,
and the average for an even more severe incapacitating injury is around $72,700.
aren’t stacked on top of your bodily injury coverage but are triggered when your UM/ UIM coverage exceeds the at-fault person’s coverage. So, if your own underinsured coverage exceeds the other party’s insurance policy, you can rely on your own coverage instead of theirs.
An auto accident is already often a tragic event — but, by paying for insurance to cover you (if you’re ever hit by these uninsured or underinsured drivers), you will prevent a potentially worse outcome. How much coverage do you need? We highly recommend
UM/UIM can make your life so much easier and costs far
less than your primary bodily injury coverage. Don’t forget to choose the right amount; it won’t break the bank, and although we hope it’s never needed, it just might save your bank in the future.
that you buy UM/ UIM coverage with the same limits as your own liability
coverage. Ideally, this means about $250,000 per claim and $500,000 per accident. It’s important to note that these
42
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter