Fermoy

Sleep hygiene includes having a relatively unvarying sleep schedule, an effective pre-sleep routine for falling asleep, an adequate amount of sleep, and living habits throughout the day that do not negatively impact sleep.

What do we think is the recommended amount of hours of sleep we should be getting as adults?

In and around 7-9 hours sleep is recommended for adults and older adults. This does vary from person to person and medications can impact our sleeping too.

Disruptions in sleep can impact your attention, concentration, memory, emotions and engagement in activities throughout the day.

are the routine activities that we do before sleep to help us get to sleep.

What are the things we do to help us get to sleep?

The foods and drink that we take in during the day and the level of physical exercise or movement we do can impact our ability to fall asleep at night. Reducing caffeine intake after 6 p.m., E.g. soothing activities like warm showers, face mask, skincare, shaving, reading a book, mindfulness, yoga, meditation.

What do we do to the physical room/bed to help us to sleep?

The bed and bedroom should be preserved for sleep & sex. Sometimes we might get into the habit of bringing the laptop into the bed to do work, or bringing food into bed. This confuses the body.

Our eyes take in the light in our bedrooms, and when we bring food or work to bed, we connect sleep/rest with these activities.

Light triggers the brain to believe that it is daytime and this makes it harder for us to sleep. We first have to reduce our light intake by switching off phone/ televisions/ laptop screens, dimming the lights (ideally pitch black, but each individual is different), closing the blinds/curtains.

Environmental adaptation: a comfortable mattress, number of pillows that you feel comfortable taking to bed, comfortable bed covers (e.g. the linen), reduced light intake, switching off your phone, dimming the lights, closing the blinds/curtains.

Bed partners (a spouse, pet etc.) may also disrupt sleep through snoring or going to bed at a different time to us. This is when you may have to set boundaries with your bed partner (come to bed a half-hour after I go to bed so I have the chance to get into deeper sleep). You may have to adapt to having a bed partner by using simple equipment like earplugs and facemasks.



These are the routine activities that we do after we sleep to help us to wake up/get out of bed.

What things do we do to help ourselves wake up?

Alarm clock, checking our phones, opening the curtains, going for a shower, having some coffee or tea (caffeine to alert the body), having breakfast (cereal, fruit, juice), exercise or doing your makeup/hair.

Information provided by: Occupational Therapy Dept. (Cork/Kerry Community Healthcare)  

<h2 style="text-align:center;">The Importance of Sleep Hygiene</h2>





Sleep hygiene includes having a relatively unvarying sleep schedule, an effective pre-sleep routine for falling asleep, an adequate amount of sleep, and living habits throughout the day that do not negatively impact sleep.



<ul>
<li style="text-align:left;">What do we think is the recommended amount of hours of sleep we should be getting as adults?</li>
</ul>
In and around 7-9 hours sleep is recommended for adults and older adults. This does vary from person to person and medications can impact our sleeping too.

<ul>
<li>Disruptions in sleep can impact your attention, concentration, memory, emotions and engagement in activities throughout the day.</li>
</ul>





Pre-sleep rituals: 
are the routine activities that we do before sleep to help us get to sleep.

<ul>
<li style="text-align:left;">What are the things we do to help us get to sleep?</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>The foods and drink that we take in during the day and the level of physical exercise or movement we do can impact our ability to fall asleep at night. Reducing caffeine intake after 6 p.m., E.g. soothing activities like warm showers, face mask, skincare, shaving, reading a book, mindfulness, yoga, meditation.</li>
</ul>




Environment:

<ul>
<li style="text-align:left;">What do we do to the physical room/bed to help us to sleep?</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>The bed and bedroom should be preserved for sleep &amp; sex. Sometimes we might get into the habit of bringing the laptop into the bed to do work, or bringing food into bed. This confuses the body.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Our eyes take in the light in our bedrooms, and when we bring food or work to bed, we connect sleep/rest with these activities.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Light triggers the brain to believe that it is daytime and this makes it harder for us to sleep. We first have to reduce our light intake by switching off phone/ televisions/ laptop screens, dimming the lights (ideally pitch black, but each individual is different), closing the blinds/curtains.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Environmental adaptation: a comfortable mattress, number of pillows that you feel comfortable taking to bed, comfortable bed covers (e.g. the linen), reduced light intake, switching off your phone, dimming the lights, closing the blinds/curtains.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Bed partners (a spouse, pet etc.) may also disrupt sleep through snoring or going to bed at a different time to us. This is when you may have to set boundaries with your bed partner (come to bed a half-hour after I go to bed so I have the chance to get into deeper sleep). You may have to adapt to having a bed partner by using simple equipment like earplugs and facemasks. </li>
</ul>

Post sleep rituals: 
<ul>
<li style="text-align:left;">These are the routine activities that we do after we sleep to help us to wake up/get out of bed.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li style="text-align:left;">What things do we do to help ourselves wake up?</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Alarm clock, checking our phones, opening the curtains, going for a shower, having some coffee or tea (caffeine to alert the body), having breakfast (cereal, fruit, juice), exercise or doing your makeup/hair.</li>
</ul>

Information provided by: Occupational Therapy Dept. (Cork/Kerry Community Healthcare)&nbsp;&nbsp;

Minding Your Mental Health During the Pandemic: Sleep Hygiene

There's been so much bad news in our newspapers, our feeds, and on our tellys lately. Here at Xplore Local, we know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by the doom and gloom, and that's why we've scoured the web and collected some of the most uplifting stories of the week to help make your day a little brighter. 

Stolen Springer Spaniel Reunited with Cork Family After 7 Months 

Several months after she was snatched from her kennel in Greater Midleton, Co. Cork, Springer Spaniel 'Ruby' has been reunited with her family following her discovery in the UK. Ruby was reported missing in June 2020. A Gardaí investigation and Facebook appeal were launched, to no avail. 

Ruby's journey back home began when a lady in the UK recognised her for sale on an English website and notified police. Soon after being recovered by local police, she was transported home to her beloved Cork family shortly before Christmas. 

Student Wins Young Scientist Award With Programme That Exposes 'Deepfakes'

17-year-old Greg Tarr won the coveted 2021 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) last Friday with his 'deepfake' detection programme. The programme, which judges deemed faster and more accurate than existing software, detects images and videos on the web that have been maliciously tampered with. With the advent of social media and new editing technologies in recent years, it's never been easier to spread misinformation to huge audiences, but it's also never been harder for us to detect with our naked eye whether or not a video or image has been messed with in some way. 

Greg Tarr's new and improved programme is promising news for us consumers and those in the tech industry currently battling this scourge. 

Irish Entrepreneurs Find Way to Convert Cigarette Butts Into New Products

Cigarette butts have always been notoriously difficult to recycle, due to the fact that they're made up of a combination of toxic organic compounds, paper and plastic. However, a couple of young Irish entrepreneurs have discovered an innovative new way of recycling some of the butts' components (like plastic filters) into new products such as eyeglass frames. 

Liam Lysaght, an engineering student at TCD, has developed a method of extracting the plastic from the butts so that it can be reused in the production of commercial products. Meanwhile, his partner Mike Wylde of NoButts.ie is working to collect discarded butts with his 'Stashtray' bin, which has been installed in a number of spots around the Capital. 

The partnership promises great things for the future of Irish recycling, not to mention our streetscapes!

There's been so much bad news in our newspapers, our feeds, and on our tellys lately. Here at Xplore Local, we know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by the doom and gloom, and that's why we've scoured the web and collected some of the most uplifting stories of the week to help make your day a little brighter.&nbsp;

<h3 style="text-align:left;">Stolen Springer Spaniel Reunited with Cork Family After 7 Months </h3>
Several months after she was snatched from her kennel in Greater Midleton, Co. Cork, Springer Spaniel 'Ruby' has been reunited with her family following her discovery in the UK. Ruby was reported missing in June 2020. A Gardaí investigation and Facebook appeal were launched, to no avail.&nbsp;
Ruby's journey back home began when a lady in the UK recognised her for sale on an English website and notified police. Soon after being recovered by local police, she was transported home to her beloved Cork family shortly before Christmas.&nbsp;

<h3 style="text-align:left;">Student Wins Young Scientist Award With Programme That Exposes 'Deepfakes'</h3>
17-year-old Greg Tarr won the coveted 2021 BT Young Scientist &amp; Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) last Friday with his 'deepfake' detection programme. The programme, which judges deemed faster and more accurate than existing software, detects images and videos on the web that have been maliciously tampered with. With the advent of social media and new editing technologies in recent years, it's never been easier to spread misinformation to huge audiences, but it's also never been harder for us to detect with our naked eye whether or not a video or image has been messed with in some way.&nbsp;
Greg Tarr's new and improved programme is promising news for us consumers and those in the tech industry currently battling this scourge.&nbsp;

<h3 style="text-align:left;">Irish Entrepreneurs Find Way to Convert Cigarette Butts Into New Products</h3>
Cigarette butts have always been notoriously difficult to recycle, due to the fact that they're made up of a combination of toxic organic compounds, paper and plastic. However, a couple of young Irish entrepreneurs have discovered an innovative new way of recycling some of the butts' components (like plastic filters) into new products such as eyeglass frames.&nbsp;
Liam Lysaght, an engineering student at TCD, has developed a method of extracting the plastic from the butts so that it can be reused in the production of commercial products. Meanwhile, his partner Mike Wylde of NoButts.ie is working to collect discarded butts with his 'Stashtray' bin, which has been installed in a number of spots around the Capital.&nbsp;
The partnership promises great things for the future of Irish recycling, not to mention our streetscapes!

Good News Corner 

The Xplore Local Voucher initiative has gone from strength to strength after enjoying a fantastic reception in the charming Cork town of Fermoy last month.


The Xplore Fermoy Voucher launched before Christmas, as businesses were reopening their doors after the 2nd lockdown. Sales of the voucher saw €10,000 circulate in the local economy over the last few weeks. Vouchers were purchased by locals using the Xplore Fermoy App and Fermoy.ie, with many reported to have gifted them to employees, family, and friends.


So far, 16 businesses from a variety of trades and industries in Fermoy have signed up, with more expected to be added in the coming weeks. 


Commenting on the news, chairperson of Fermoy Forum Michael Lyons said “I am delighted to learn that €10,000 worth of Xplore Fermoy Vouchers have been purchased. In simple terms, this is €10,000 that can only be spent in the local economy and is a direct benefit to Fermoy.


“Thank you to all those who have purchased the digital vouchers. As this is a first for Fermoy (and the first of its kind anywhere), it has been a steep learning curve for Fermoy Forum who collaborated with Colin Hanley of Booniverse (app developers) and Declan Clancy of ePresence (marketing experts) to deliver on our commitment to support local businesses.”

The project has been backed by Cork County Council under project ACT along with the forum’s long term partner McCarthy Insurance Group. 

Speaking on what’s to come, Mr Lyons said “The next phase will see Fermoy Forum actively encouraging the digital vouchers to be redeemed. When restrictions are lifted there will be a big drive to support local business and we hope the value of vouchers will give local traders a boost. If you want your business to be able to receive Xplore Fermoy Vouchers, why not join Fermoy Forum and we will help you get set up.”


Xplore Local Vouchers is a digital initiative developed using state-of-the-art, secure and consumer-driven technology. Its aim is to support local economies by offering a paperless, user-oriented solution to challenges faced by local businesses and shoppers. Customers data is stored on AWS (the same tech stack that powers amazon.com), meaning that Xplore Local benefits from Amazon's expertise and security. We also never store your payment information, our payment processor Stripe does. This means that your information is completely secure and we follow the SCA (Strong Consumer Authentication) as mandated by the EU.


Vouchers are available in any amount from €20 to €500, and you can send them directly from the website or app via email. To find out what businesses are accepting them, look out for the Xplore Fermoy Voucher sticker in shop windows around town or log in to your Xplore Local account. If you don’t already have an account, you can set one up by visiting the website or by downloading the Xplore Local App from the App or Google store. 


Plans are in place to launch the voucher initiative in Clonakilty, Tralee, Killarney, Bagenalstown, Portumna and Gort over the next few months. Business owners who wish to sign up should register their interest with their local forum or chamber of commerce. Xplore Local will work in conjunction with these organisations to get your business voucher-ready.

<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">website

The Xplore Local Voucher initiative has gone from strength to strength after enjoying a fantastic reception in the charming Cork town of Fermoy last month. 
The Xplore Fermoy Voucher launched before Christmas, as businesses were reopening their doors after the 2nd lockdown. Sales of the voucher saw €10,000 circulate in the local economy over the last few weeks. Vouchers were purchased by locals using the Xplore Fermoy App and Fermoy.ie, with many reported to have gifted them to employees, family, and friends. 
So far, 16 businesses from a variety of trades and industries in Fermoy have signed up, with more expected to be added in the coming weeks. 
Commenting on the news, chairperson of Fermoy Forum Michael Lyons said “I am delighted to learn that €10,000 worth of Xplore Fermoy Vouchers have been purchased. In simple terms, this is €10,000 that can only be spent in the local economy and is a direct benefit to Fermoy. 
“Thank you to all those who have purchased the digital vouchers. As this is a first for Fermoy (and the first of its kind anywhere), it has been a steep learning curve for Fermoy Forum who collaborated with Colin Hanley of Booniverse (app developers) and Declan Clancy of ePresence (marketing experts) to deliver on our commitment to support local businesses.”
The project has been backed by Cork County Council under project ACT along with the forum’s long term partner McCarthy Insurance Group. 
Speaking on what’s to come, Mr Lyons said “The next phase will see Fermoy Forum actively encouraging the digital vouchers to be redeemed. When restrictions are lifted there will be a big drive to support local business and we hope the value of vouchers will give local traders a boost. If you want your business to be able to receive Xplore Fermoy Vouchers, why not join Fermoy Forum and we will help you get set up.” 
Xplore Local Vouchers is a digital initiative developed using state-of-the-art, secure and consumer-driven technology. Its aim is to support local economies by offering a paperless, user-oriented solution to challenges faced by local businesses and shoppers. Customers data is stored on AWS (the same tech stack that powers amazon.com), meaning that Xplore Local benefits from Amazon's expertise and security. We also never store your payment information, our payment processor Stripe does. This means that your information is completely secure and we follow the SCA (Strong Consumer Authentication) as mandated by the EU. 
Vouchers are available in any amount from €20 to €500, and you can send them directly from the website or app via email. To find out what businesses are accepting them, look out for the Xplore Fermoy Voucher sticker in shop windows around town or log in to your Xplore Local account. If you don’t already have an account, you can set one up by visiting the <a href="https://xploreapp.io/fermoy" target="_self"><ins>website</ins></a> or by downloading the Xplore Local App from the App or Google store. 
Plans are in place to launch the voucher initiative in Clonakilty, Tralee, Killarney, Bagenalstown, Portumna and Gort over the next few months. Business owners who wish to sign up should register their interest with their local forum or chamber of commerce. Xplore Local will work in conjunction with these organisations to get your business voucher-ready.

€10,000 Worth of Xplore Fermoy Vouchers Processed in First Month

Forest Bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku, is a wellness practice that originated in Japan. It involves walking around or sitting in the forest — without electronics or a sense of direction — and taking in your surroundings using every one of your five senses. 

The idea is to completely immerse yourself in nature by putting away your devices, disconnecting from work, and leaving the comfort of your home. The practice is versatile in that you can either sit down amongst the leaves or wander through the trees, following any scents or sounds you might encounter. You can also explore alone or with family/friends —  it's recommended, however, that you maintain total silence in order to best absorb the atmosphere of the woods.

You should remember that forest bathing isn't a form of exercise; it's not a hike, jog or expedition. Because it's more of a meditative activity, in fact, you should focus on moving around the forest at your own pace, resting where and when you please. 

Japanese scientist Qing Li has spent years investigating the health benefits of forest bathing. Some of his studies found that our 'natural killer' cell activity (white blood cells that help our immune systems fight viral infections and developing cancers) increased by up to 50% after engaging in the practice. 

The stimulation of cancer-fighting cells is just one of the many ways in which forest bathing may positively affect your health. It may lower your cortisol (stress hormone) levels as well as decrease your blood pressure. Having the chance to reconnect with nature and distance yourself from modern-life stressors can do wonders for your mental health; meanwhile, the fresh woodland air will be a treat for your lungs. 

Forest bathing is a fantastic, free way of practising self-care during the ongoing pandemic. It combines mindfulness with time spent in nature. It's an outdoor space where the risk of catching or transmitting the virus is much lower. Most of all, it allows you to connect with your surroundings in a deeper way, relax in the quiet company of family or friends, and explore a space that's free from 21st-century distractions. 

increased by up to 50%

Forest Bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku, is a wellness practice that originated in Japan. It involves walking around or sitting in the forest — without electronics or a sense of direction — and taking in your surroundings using every one of your five senses. 
The idea is to completely immerse yourself in nature by putting away your devices, disconnecting from work, and leaving the comfort of your home. The practice is versatile in that you can either sit down amongst the leaves or wander through the trees, following any scents or sounds you might encounter. You can also explore alone or with family/friends — it's recommended, however, that you maintain total silence in order to best absorb the atmosphere of the woods.
You should remember that forest bathing isn't a form of exercise; it's not a hike, jog or expedition. Because it's more of a meditative activity, in fact, you should focus on moving around the forest at your own pace, resting where and when you please. 
Japanese scientist Qing Li has spent years investigating the health benefits of forest bathing. Some of his studies found that our 'natural killer' cell activity (white blood cells that help our immune systems fight viral infections and developing cancers) <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17903349/" target="_self">increased by up to 50%</a> after engaging in the practice. 
The stimulation of cancer-fighting cells is just one of the many ways in which forest bathing may positively affect your health. It may lower your cortisol (stress hormone) levels as well as decrease your blood pressure. Having the chance to reconnect with nature and distance yourself from modern-life stressors can do wonders for your mental health; meanwhile, the fresh woodland air will be a treat for your lungs. 
Forest bathing is a fantastic, free way of practising self-care during the ongoing pandemic. It combines mindfulness with time spent in nature. It's an outdoor space where the risk of catching or transmitting the virus is much lower. Most of all, it allows you to connect with your surroundings in a deeper way, relax in the quiet company of family or friends, and explore a space that's free from 21st-century distractions.&nbsp;

Fermoy Latest

Minding Your Mental Health During the Pandemic: Sleep Hygiene

Good News Corner

€10,000 Worth of Xplore Fermoy Vouchers Processed in First Month

Forest Bathing: How Spending Time in the Woods Can Improve Your Health

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