Modern life seems to be getting busier for most of us and it seems the quest for ultimate efficiency is running away with itself. It's no surprise why sleep-time would be the obvious area to skimp on because sleeping does not seem to be a very productive activity for go-getters.

Notable persons in history have proclaimed their disdain for sleep

Thomas Edison described sleep

as a criminal waste

while Margaret Thatcher said

sleep is for wimps

Dr Mike, a doctor-professor, curates some wonderful online videos that are short and inspirational to help people make positive changes for their health.

In this 4 minute video Dr Mike proposes a movement called 'Make your day harder'

Dr Mike considers why the baby-boomer generation suffer more health issues than their previous 'mad-men' generation despite smoking less and apparently exercising more.

Do you shop on the internet, have an electric toothbrush or even one of those automatic self-driving vacuum cleaners? Do you communicate with your children via text-message even when you are all under the same roof? If you can answer yes to any of these then you definitely want to watch this short video.

Good quality sleep is really important. Sleep not only enables the body to recharge physically but is also essential for helping us stay mentally alert and balanced. In fact, poor quality and not enough sleep over prolonged periods can affect our health in many negatively ways.

This infographic describes The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation

Ireland is clearly not immune to the rising levels of chronic illness and health threatening lifestyle trends that are causing worldwide concern for current and future generations.

We are told that mortality rates have decreased significantly for circulatory diseases as well as cancers. But at the same time research suggests an increasing number of people being diagnosed with such chronic illnesses. If modern medicine is sustaining life despite decreasing levels of general health and wellbeing - then there is still much to be done.

In this article we share important news about

• The Irish government's new framework for improved health and wellbeing 2013 - 2025
• Some key health facts about our Irish community
• How we can influence our health dramatically by following certain lifestyle recommendations
• Which recommendation has the greatest potential impact for reducing our risk of death from disease

The internet is great, isn't it? 

Despite its many benefits there is the issue with information overload and how we are adapting to consume more data and stretch the limits of multitasking. But what is that doing to our brains?