THE QUESTION OF SLEEP
Always something that people wonder about--why do some of us need a lot of sleep, while others of us don't?  A piece today briefly explores the issue:
"Excessively long nights of sleep can be a sign that something is wrong. But in some people who are otherwise healthy, a need for unusually long amounts of sleep may simply be a genetic predisposition, writes C. Claiborne Ray in this week’s Science Times.

Sleep duration, or quantity, varies widely and may be genetically determined, said Dr. Ana C. Krieger, medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Some people are considered “long sleepers” and need to make sure they get enough sleep to function normally during the day. They may be prone to infections if lack of sleep interferes with the immune function.
In some instances, Dr. Krieger said, people appear to sleep longer, but the sleep is fragmented. In that case, an evaluation by a sleep expert is recommended.

MEANWHILE...LOOKING FOR A JOB?
Updating your resume?  Jobs and resumes are always important issues to be thinking about for those in our community.  So one thing you want to do, when it comes to your resume, is avoid those overused "buzzwords" often found in resumes.  Such as?  Read on:
"Are you highly motivated? A creative, innovative thinker with a successful track record in effective problem solving? What about your organizational and communication skills? Do you have extensive experience maneuvering a dynamic workplace?
If any of this sounds familiar, then you've probably used one of the top 10 overused professional buzzwords in the United States in 2011, according to career-networking site LinkedIn.
The site culled its top 10 list from 135 million member profiles worldwide, finding that "creative" was the most overused word globally and in the United States. After that, the list goes:
2. Organizational
3. Effective
4. Extensive experience
5. Track record
6. Motivated
7. Innovative
8. Problem solving
9. Communication skills
10. Dynamic
There are several repeat offenders from 2010's rankings, including "extensive experience," "innovative" and "motivated."
Meanwhile, "team player," "results-oriented," "entrepreneurial" and "fast-paced" fell off the list to make room this year for "creative," "communications skills," "organizational" and "effective."
The list also delivers small tweaks from last year. "Proven track record" is now "track record" and "problem solver" has become "problem solving."
What does it all mean? That the words are basically meaningless and don't help distinguish you from other job seekers, said Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's connection director and author of the book "Girl on Top."
"Banish buzzwords from your profile," she said. "Use language that illustrates your unique professional accomplishments and experiences. Give concrete examples of results you've achieved whenever possible and reference attributes that are specific to you."
In other words, with a new year around the corner and unemployment hovering around 9%, it might be a good time to dust off your resume and rethink the words you use to conjure your professional image.
The 2011 analysis also includes top buzzwords for countries in which LinkedIn conducted the study:
Creative: Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States
Multinational: Brazil
Dynamic: France
Effective: India
Problem solving: Italy
Motivated: Ireland
Managerial: Spain
Track record: Singapore"

"You are more likely to act yourself into feelings, than
feel yourself into action." -Dr. Jerome Brunner