Lyndon Thomas Insurance
UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF NATURAL REST TUNE IN TO YOUR BODY’S CLOCK
When we lie down and settle into sleep, our brain starts descending from the conscious realm into the soothing arms of slumber. As you drift off, your brain activity decelerates, your body temperature dips, and muscles relax. This phase, known as light sleep, makes up about half of our total sleep time. As the night progresses, we enter the deep sleep stage. Here, our body’s muscle tone and heartbeat find their calmest rhythm while the brain’s activity shifts to delta waves. It’s like a restorative elixir flowing through you, bolstering your immune system and mending the day’s wear and tear. Deep sleep is pivotal in cementing memories and contributes to creativity and insightful thinking. Then, we enter the famous REM sleep, when our brain activity escalates. It is the stage responsible for our most vivid dreams and a fountain of learning and creativity. To enter REM sleep, we must be asleep for at least 90 minutes to cycle through light to deep sleep. Once we are in it, REM can last for about 90 minutes. If we wake up naturally from the light sleep stage, we feel refreshed and rejuvenated. A clock alarm, though, doesn’t know which sleep stage we are in, so it may wake us when we are in the deep sleep stage. Being abruptly awoken in this state leaves us disoriented and groggy. It creates sleep inertia, an uncomfortable stage that can put us in a bad mood when we first wake up.
Our bodies are not designed to wake up during deep sleep. Cortisol, our natural
energy hormone, is like a slow-release pill crafted by nature. Levels decrease as we get ready to go to bed and rise when it is time to wake up. If the alarm disrupts the natural sleep cycle, waking us before the cortisol surge, we feel out of sorts.
Our brains and bodies are designed to balance our well-being. When we respect its natural rhythms, we enhance our mood, boost our cognitive abilities, and nurture our overall health. Each night is a new opportunity to reconnect with your body’s innate wisdom and wake up to a more vibrant and harmonious life. So tonight, when you lay your head on the pillow, listen to the whisper of your internal clock and embrace your natural sleep patterns. Sweet dreams and sweeter morning awakenings are ahead if you do.
Keeping Costs Down — An Annual Reminder
If you have Medicare and have an ambulance ride, while you may receive an invoice for the full amount, never pay the full amount billed! In the event of a medical emergency transport, the EMT staff might not get a copy of your insurance cards. Their job is to get your broken leg or heart attack to the hospital ASAP! Taking the time to get your insurance information may be a dangerous delay. So, they take your name and address and send you a bill for the full amount. Here is the important part: Even though the bill may be for the full amount, several thousand dollars, you are responsible ONLY for a portion of that cost based on how you are using Medicare. Here’s the breakdown:
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Medicare Only: You are responsible for 20% of the bill after you pay the annual Part B deductible ($240 in 2024). Action to Take: Give the provider your Medicare number and pay the 20% to the provider. Medicare Plus a Supplement Plan: Supplement F pays the annual deductible and the 20%; you pay nothing. Supplements G and N pay the full balance of the ambulance bill after you pay the annual Part B deductible. Action to Take : Send your Medicare and supplement plan information to the ambulance company. They will send the claim to Medicare, which also sends the claim to the supplement company. Send no money unless you have not paid the Part B deductible for the year.
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Medicare Advantage Plan: You pay only the emergency transportation/ ambulance copay for the plan of which you are a member. Action to Take: Pay the copay to the provider, then call the health plan member service number on your ID card and ask them to take care of it from there. Most Advantage plan ambulance copays are less than $300.
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Having to take a ride in an ambulance is bad enough! Don’t pay more than you need to! As explained here, the out-of-pocket amount with Medicare and a plan range from $0 to less than $300, not several thousand! If you have questions about this or other Medicare-related questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
2 1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
CA# 0D96309
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