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Mom shares the major reason why people can't afford to have children and how to change it

chidcare, daycare prices, inflation
via Canva/Photos

A couple realizes that can't afford having a child.

Since 2014, the U.S. birthrate has declined by about 2% a year. In 2023, just 3.59 million babies were born, the lowest number since 1979, when the overall US population was about 120 million lower. The precipitous drop in the American birthrate could lead to significant problems with the social safety net because there won't be enough young workers to pay into social security to take care of retired people.

In 2023, the fertility rate was 1.6 births per woman, significantly lower than the 2.1 births per woman necessary to sustain the population. There are many reasons why people aren't having as many children as they did in the past. A big one is that modern American life provides people with so many different lifestyle options that people believe they can live a fulfilled life without children. Others are also concerned about bringing a child into the world, given the state of the environment.

Cost is a significant factor among those who want to have children but are putting it off until their financial situation improves. Thirty-six percent of childless people under 50 say they cannot afford a child. A big reason for the cost is childcare, which has increased 36% over the past decade.

@sheisapaigeturner

People are choosing to have no kids or fewer kids because they simply cannot afford them. The cost of childcare has gone up exponentially over the last 10 to 20 years. On average in the state of Massachusetts it’s about $20,000 a year per child. These rates are unsustainable for most families, which is why more and more people choosing not to have children. Affordable childcare would not only benefit families and children, but it would benefit our economy and society as a whole ##childcare##daycare##daycarelife##childcarecrisis##millennialmom##momsoftiktok##newparents##workingmom

Paige Connell, known as @sheisapaigeturner on TikTok, is a working mom of four who, after seeing what it costs for childcare in Massachusetts, took to TikTok to call for change. “How do you afford kids here? Because nobody knows how anybody is paying for this," Connell shared. “For an infant, for five days a week with 10 hours of care is $664 a week. That is just shy of $35,000 a year for one child, and the price does not drop that much when they hit pre-K,” noting that it costs $521 a week for a child in pre-K, about $28,000 a year.

Things get worse when parents have multiple children to go to daycare, which could run up to $60,000 yearly. Who has an extra $60,000 lying around to pay for childcare? “That is unsustainable for most families. And yes, the cost goes down slightly as they get older, but that doesn't account for that rate sheet, [which is] the annual increase every single September," Conell continues.

childcare, daycare costs, inflationA teacher taking care of children at a daycare.via Canva/Photos

Things get even more dire as the costs of mortgages and other necessities have risen astronomically over the past few years. "The older generations have zero idea how serious younger people are when they say we can't afford kids," TwinDadTim wrote in the comments. "Yup. My husband and I are both professionals who make good money, and we just had our first (and likely only) child. Daycare, diapers, and formula together cost as much as our mortgage," J.TT added.

Connell believes that the only way to solve this is for the government to subsidize childcare costs, as they do in many other developed countries. Americans spend the highest percentage of their incomes on daycare compared to other developed nations. “If we had affordable childcare, it would not only benefit families and children it would benefit the economy. It would benefit businesses and it would benefit us as a greater society. The economy would be better for it,” Connell concludes her video. “This is not just a parent problem, right? But like people constantly are looking at adults who are married or of birthing years and saying, ‘Why aren't you having kids? And we’re looking around saying, ‘How could we possibly have kids when we can't even afford to buy a house?’”

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Dad's heartfelt lunch message shows how simple, everyday acts can change lives

You can make a huge difference by using O Organics.

via Meg Sullivan (used with permission) and Canva/Photos

A volunteer hands out food in a food bank and Meg Sullivan shares her dad's kind gesture.

When we consider people who have had a positive impact on the world, we often think of those who have made grand gestures to improve the lives of others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Greta Thunberg, or Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately, that type of effort is out of reach for the average person.

However, O Organics would like to remind everyone that they can positively impact the world through small, consistent acts of kindness that add up over time. Much like how a small creek can create a valley over the years, we can change lives through small, consistent acts of kindness.

O Organics is dedicated to the well-being of all by nourishing people everywhere with delicious organic foods grown by producers who meet USDA-certified organic farming standards.

Upworthy's Instagram page recently posted a touching example of everyday kindness. Meg Sullivan shared how her father, Tom, peeled oranges for her lunch just about every day from kindergarten through high school. But on the final day of her senior year of high school, he sent his 17-year-old daughter unpeeled oranges with a touching note about how she’d have to start peeling them for herself.



“It’s Time Baby Girl,” he wrote on a wikiHow printout on how to peel an orange with a drawing of himself crying. For the father, this daily ritual was about more than just making lunch; it was about showing that he cared by going the extra mile. “I could have put money on her lunch account,” Tom told Today.com. “But it’s one of those little things I thought was important, that she knows somebody’s taking the time to take care of her.”

The small, daily gesture taught Megan an essential lesson in kindness.

The post reminded people how their fathers’ small acts of kindness meant so much to them. “My dad peeled my oranges until I graduated high school, too. Now, I peel my daughter’s oranges and will for the next 7 plus years,” Katie wrote in the comments. “Love this. My dad peeled mine, too. When I moved out, he gave me an orange peeler gadget,” Mary added.

o organics, albertson's giving backO Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list.via Albertson's

Did you know that every time you go to the supermarket, you can also change the world through small gestures? O Organics not only allows you to feed your family delicious and nutritious organic food, but each purchase also gives back to help people and communities facing food insecurity.

Through contributions from customers like you, O Organics donates up to 28 million meals annually. The company’s contribution is essential when, according to the USDA, 47.4 million Americans live in food-insecure households.

O Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal,” Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products, said in a statement.

O Organics now offers over 1500 items, from dairy products such as eggs and milk to packaged meats and breakfast staples such as cereal bars, granola and oatmeal. You can also enjoy affordable organic produce with O Organics’ fresh salads and fruit.

Everybody wants to make the world a better place. With O Organics, you can feed your family healthy, organic food every time you go to the market while paying it forward by contributing to the company’s efforts to end food insecurity nationwide. That’s a small, daily gesture that can amount to incredible change.

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Education

Job recruiter is surprised when candidate put 671-day streak for Japanese Duolingo on his resume

Clever idea? Or just resume fluff?

@bllshfrv/Reddit, Wikipedia

Nearly two years of learning a language…something's had to have stuck.

In the age of algorithms and keywords and incredibly steep competition, people have to be more strategic and creative than ever to secure a good job. Especially when it comes to drafting a resume that stands out amongst hundreds of others.

Recently, one job recruiter was so impressed by one job seeker’s clever idea of listing their 671-day Duolingo streak—alongside a fluency in English and limited American Sign Language —under the "languages" section in their resume that he decided to share it online.

According to Newsweek, the job recruiter, named Bilal Ashrafov, was pleasantly surprised, and had even considered including something similar on his own resume, “but wasn't sure if it would come across as professional.”

“Seeing someone take that first step made me reflect on its relevance,” he said, noting that “a long-standing Duolingo streak can demonstrate dedication and continuous learning,” even if the popular app only requires a minute of practice a day.

After sharing the resume onto Reddit, others seemed to agree, and commended the potential employee for their innovative approach.

Someone sent a resume with their Duolingo streak under ‘Languages’
byu/bllshrfv induolingo

"Imagine explaining that in an interview—'I'm not just consistent, I'm Duolingo consistent!'" one viewer quipped.

Another commented, "If I was hiring, I would definitely interview this person."

Still another said, "It got noticed, didn't it? Sounds like not too bad of an idea."

Considering that there are a few ways folks can keep their Duolingo streak intact without truly getting proficient in a language, like continuing to purchase streak freezes, this idea might never take on as the new resume must-have. But, on a much broader scale, this story highlights the need to bring a bit of ourselves to our resumes. As the concept of portfolio careers, or a career that includes multiple income streams, rather than a single job title, becomes more and more mainstream, we’ve seen people find great success in listing what they uniquely bring to the table, professional or otherwise.

When it comes to adding resume items that pop, and offer a true reflection for who you really are, think about including:

Soft skills:

These are personal qualities that describe how you work and interact with others, such as conflict resolution or time management, and they are not only gaining importance across the workforce, but are highly transferable across different types of work.

Personal projects:

Whether you got paid for these isn’t paramount here. If you led a community initiative your passionate about, or even have a long-standing blog about something that interests you, this could be included.

Technical skills beyond the job description:

Do you have a proficiency in certain programs, like coding languages, data visualization, project management, etc? Even if a job doesn’t specifically ask for these skills, they could be helpful additions.

Creative or unique hobbies:

You never know what interesting conversations your oddball pastime might inspire, if anything else. So don’t be embarrassed if you’re a wiz a Photoshopping old-timey puppy portraits or engage in recreating Scandinavian folk tunes with GarageBand.

Community involvement:

This can be your volunteering roles, and mentorship programs you might have participated in, or even charities you have close ties to.

Academic achievements:

Include relevant published research papers or presentations, and awards or honors you received during your studies, or any significant contributions you might have made to a research project

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. Include a few, or perhaps your own impressive Duolingo streak, or something else. Just remember, sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

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Humor

'Broccoli hair' and 14 of the 'worst millennium fashion trends people can't believe happened

People are passionate about the past 25 years of fashion.

via Canva/Photos, The White House/Wikimedia Commons, and Todd Dwyer/Flickr

Patrick Mahomes and his broccoli cut, a woman with a septum piercing and some hipsters circa 2009.

We are already a quarter of the way through the 21st century, and now that enough time has elapsed, we can look back on some older trends with a twinge of embarrassment. The turn-of-the-century brought low-rise jeans, velour tracks suits — some with cheeky sayings on the butt — and bedazzled everything. There was also the indie sleaze movement, where it seemed like overnight, everyone wore skinny jeans and looked like The Strokes.

Over the past 15 years, athleisure has been at the fashion forefront, along with eco-friendly gear. Sneakers have become status symbols, like in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with Jordans, Yeezys, and limited-run collaborations draining banking accounts. We’ve also seen a reemergence of ‘90s styles amongst teens, with baggy pants and crop tops making a huge comeback.


The past 25 years have also seen the rise of fast fashion, a movement in which trendy, low-cost clothing mimicking big brand names has flooded the market and is thrown out almost as quickly as it is manufactured. This trend has raised many questions about labor exploitation in developing nations, resource depletion, and overconsumption.

That said, many people hope the fashion trends of the past 25 years will remain in the past and that some we see today are over as soon as possible. On the AskReddit subforum, a Redditor asked, "What was the worst fashion trend this century?" We highlighted the top 15 highlights (or, for many, lowlights) of the first quarter century.

1. Fast fashion

"Fast generally doesn't refer to how long it lasts, it refers to how quickly it gets manufactured and sold. It's less about the poor craftsmanship, more about the environmental impacts, the waste, the labor exploitation, and the manipulation of fashion trends."

"I feel like there's two sides of fast fashion where one side is how poorly constructed garments are and using extremely cheap and/or non-durable fiber to make them, and then there's the side where we're pumping out clothes like crazy with the idea that producing enough will ensure something sells enough to make a profit margin."

2. Hyper-bro style

"That weird hyper-bro period of multiple polos with popped collars and an upside down backwards visor."

"My immediate thought was the popped collars. What a horrible period that was."

3. Dropped-crotch jeans

"Those pants that were tight in the legs but also somehow had a sagging butt."


4. Thick false eyelashes

"Oh God, this. I work part-time at a retail, and so many girls have those outrageous false lashes. I genuinely can’t fathom why anyone would get them and how they think it even looks decent."

"Really long fake eyelashes always remind me of Mr. Snuffleupagus. Which I assume is not what they're going for, but..."

5. Lip injections

"A beautiful woman can go from a 10 to wouldn’t date easily with either of these. I really don’t get it."



6. Broccoli hair

"I don't think it's a terrible hairdo in and of itself. And I like to see people embracing their curls. It just gets funny when every member of a generation has the same hairstyle."

"I was surprised so many people had this curly hair, and then I learned that many of these young boys are getting perms for the look."

"It’s a struggle. I have an 11-year-old with naturally curly hair. He gets stopped everywhere and asked if the curls are natural. Kids at school make fun of him by saying he must have a perm. But he loves his curls and doesn’t want to cut them. So he gets the broccoli/alpaca look; and I think he looks adorable."


7. Barrel jeans

"It makes it look like they have bowlegs - a medical condition that should be corrected in toddlers."

"Not a single person asked for barrel jeans."

8. Fake fingernails

"Super long fake fingernails that are bedazzled and sharpened to a pointed end. Way too much time, energy, and money spent on something that is straight up awful and impractical."

"It's like a lifted pickup truck on big rims, absolutely about the aesthetic while rendering it completely useless."

9. Low-rise jeans

"Low-rise jeans. Not because they looked bad, but because they made everyone collectively anxious about sitting down."

"I was a science teacher in a class where students sat on stools. Had to avert my eyes often while helping a student behind someone with these on."


10. Jeans under dresses

"I may have fallen victim to this one lol. I don’t wear dresses much now, but I definitely did the jeans thing a time or two long ago lol."

"Pants under dresses only look cute on girls in Elementary school."

11. Long beards

"And their obsession with running their paws through it all the time. Imagine the smell!"

"Long beards are fine if you take care of it though, which some don't."


12. Bedazzled jeans

"The bedazzled jeans with excessive stitching and adornments. True Religion was one of the more popular brands. The kind of pants you’d wear with an Affliction shirt. Don’t know what they’re called, but I hope they stay gone."

"These have filtered down to rural areas/suburbs of small cities for people who want to think of themselves as cowboys, and it’s super gross."



13. Septum piercings

"It's so ridiculous. I keep picturing a bull in a field."

"I don't mind nose rings or other types of piercings, but that one bugs the sh*t out of me."

14. The Edgar haircut

"The Edgar haircut is the worst one. So many people are going to look back on those pictures in shame 20 years from now."


15. Super small suits

"When I got married I wanted the tight suit with inch-too-short pants: it was 2013, that was the look. Bought a suit from an independent shop, 70 year old owner/tailor refused to alter the suit like that. He said I’d look back at my wedding pics and wish I was wearing something more classic. I took his advice and I’m glad I did."

"While I like the recent James Bond movies, I blame Daniel Craig (or at least the stylist) for the too small suit look. His suits were consistently about two sizes too small in the movies."


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Joy

A toddler kept tapping a woman's arm on a plane. Her response holds a lesson for us all.

"These are the types of people we need on airplanes."

@Cosmic-Chen/Reddit

What do you do when a little hand comes out of nowhere to feel your arm?

Being locked in a metal box with 150 random people all hurtling through the air at 30,000 feet is quite the social experiment, but one many of us do willingly in this age of air travel. One of the most notable parts of that experiment is that you never know who's going to sit near you on an airplane. Will you get the quiet reader? The Chatty Cathy? The cougher who doesn't cover their mouth? The sweet-but-over-perfumed old lady? The parent with a baby who screams from takeoff to landing?

Flying can feel like a game of roulette, especially when you find yourself sitting near one of the most unpredictable forces on Earth—a toddler. Tiny tots can make for the most delightful trip ever or the most annoying one, but as one couple demonstrates, the difference sometimes comes down to our own attitude.

A video shared on Reddit reads, "We were on the plane when this baby's hand kept reaching out and touching my arm from behind…" At first, we see a zoomed in shot of a woman's arm next to the window as a little hand reaches around the side of her seat and taps her repeatedly and enthusiastically. Then the camera pants to the woman's face and the face of the man with her, and their expressions say it all.

Clearly, the child is enjoying the feel of the woman's arm. Tap tap tap, rub rub, squeeze, tap tap. No hesitation, zero sense of decorum, just a totally oblivious toddler sensory experience. A little annoying? Probably. Pure and wholesome and worthy of a laugh? Absolutely.

This woman could have asked the parent to stop their child from touching her (and she may have eventually). Not everyone finds small children cute and some people have sensory issues of their own that make such encounters more bothersome than it would be for others. But assuming the toddler arm massage was temporary and that the parents saw what was happening and stopped it, the reaction of the couple is a perfect example of finding the joy in life and rolling with the punches.

As the post reads, "Those small hands are a sign of absolute tenderness," and people are loving the immediate mirthful reaction the pair had to the wee one's curious little fingers.

"Nothing cuter than seeing a baby flailing their arms and slapping things because they are happy. They have no control. They just know they’re happy."

'The baby slaps 'yep this is good arm' tap tap."

"My grandma had the softest bat wings in the world. I used to love to touch them. I’m sure she was self conscious about it but I loved them lol."

"As a parent I would be horrified to discover my kid was doing this but so relieved that they were such good sports about it. These are the types of people we need on airplanes."

"Same, I’m always concerned how my kid behaves on a plane ride (and he freaking loves being on a plane) but I find most people to be such good sports around him. Love when it works out that way. Though I 10/10 would have snatched that hand away soon as I noticed 😂😂😂."

"The people laughing were so kind! I can imagine some people would lose it if a child did this but they just enjoyed it. 🥰"

"Seriously! Seeing the humor in everyday life says a lot about their temperament. They seem like great folks."

Some people shared their own stories of toddlers similarly pawing at perfect strangers. It's helpful to remember that these little ones have only been on the planet for a hot minute and they barely have anything figured out yet. The nuances of what and whom to touch and not to touch takes a while, as does having the impulse control to not just reach out and feel whatever looks soft or interesting in the moment.

"Oh my gosh, that reminded me of a time when my son was small, maybe 18 months? We were in line at a restaurant and he was toddling around my legs and holding on to my finger while I chatted with my sister and mom. I felt him let go, and looked down to see where he was off to. He was standing by a lady a couple of people ahead of me who was wearing fishnet tights. He was rubbing her leg with his tiny baby hands and looked just MESMERIZED. I, on the other hand, was absolutely mortified and grabbed him up, apologizing all over the place, but luckily she was very cool about it and was just laughing.

Little kids like to just touch stuff to learn more about the world around them, but parents need to be constantly paying attention so their kid doesn't accidentally harass someone!"

"A little kid of around that age did this to me at restaurant once- he walked up to me, rubbed my bare forearm, and then gave me that same mesmerized look and tapped me with his hand a couple times. I didn't think too much of it (was more puzzled/confused than anything), but his mom had to pick him up and apologized anyway. Kids are funny haha."

"Yes this is so adorable. The last time I took a flight with a kid sitting behind me he was kicking my seat for like two hours before I politely turned around and gave a look to his mother and said 'hey my little friend. I know this flight is long and you wanna get out of this seat but do you mind not kicking my seat anymore?' Then I gave him a piece of paper and some (like 5 out of my 50) colored pencils and asked him if he could make me a secret drawing and pass it to me quietly and I’d make him one. I’m an artist and I always carry watercolors and colored pencils and sketch books on flights. We ended up passing drawing back and forth for the rest of the remaining 5 hour flight. He didn’t kick my seat again… I suspect it was the poignant look I gave mom. But so he was engaged. Every 20 minutes or so I’d feel a little tap on my arm and a folded up little drawing would appear. I still have them in the pocket of a moleskin somewhere."

Here's to grownups joyfully embracing the reality of co-existing with small children, in all their curious, sensory-driven, hands-on glory.

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Women rally behind a mom who's tired of being judged for having a full face of makeup

“Why are we judging moms on their parenting because of how they look?"

@emloublogger/TikTok

Self care doesn't make you "one of THOSE moms."

Virtually no one is here to argue that mom shaming isn’t a very real thing that every woman with kids must endure on some level during parenthood—be it for whether or not the breastfeed, whether they enroll their kids in this school or that school, or in this case, whether or not they choose to wear makeup.

Yep, you read that right. Recently, a mom named Emma Hutton, who happens to work in the beauty industry as a nail tech, shared via TikTok how she experiences judgement for always being seen with her makeup and hair completely done. In fact, she had been dubbed "one of them type of moms” for it, as though that could possibly indicate what type of mom she was.

In reality, Hutton explains, wearing makeup has absolutely nothing to do with being a mom. She wakes up extra early to put on a full face because “it makes me feel my best.” And when she feels her best, “the day goes better." That’s it, no deeper hidden meaning. But somehow some folks have taken it to be some sort of signal about how inattentive or superficial of a parent she must be, which Hutton seems to find ridiculous.

@emloublogger I’ll always be one of “them” 😎😂 #mums #mumlife #mumsoftiktok #momlife #momtok #mumtok #mommy #parents #mum ♬ original sound - Emma💕

“Why are we judging moms on their parenting because of how they look? You don’t see me judging moms that are in the school playground in pajamas because they literally run out of the house to get their kids to school on time,” she says in her clip.

Clearly, Hutton wasn’t the only one who was irked by this double standard, judging from the support she got in comments. One person even surmised that some jealousy was at play, writing “how you look triggers insecure people that don’t make enough time for themselves. Only miserable people look at what others are doing.”

Others simply commiserated on the fact that, no matter what, the mom shaming would commence. As one person shared, “I go days looking done up and then days looking like Adam Sandler, either way I'm judged. Can’t win.”

We’re all pretty aware that maintaining our appearance can do wonders for our mental health, and makeup can play a huge role in releasing those mood-boosting endorphins. For example, a study published in the journal Cosmetics in 2018 found that when women applied makeup, they reported significant decreases in feelings of sadness, tiredness, and anger.

Even the ritual of putting on makeup, which Hutton told Newsweek was her “me time,” can be a sort of mediation, helping folks tune into the present moment and lower stress. Plus, there can be something very empowering in mastering which colors and techniques bring out your best features. Yes, we live in a world where the beauty industry tries to capitalize on needing to “fix” flaws, but for far longer, makeup has been a magical form of self expression and self care.

And more to the point, why are we chastising moms for trying to maintain this aspect of their identity? As Hutton told Newsweek, "I have always worn makeup and cared about my appearance, so I don't think that should change just because I'm now a mom." And that’s really the message to drive home here. Motherhood is a major component of womanhood, but it isn’t the only component. Women are allowed to nurture the part of themselves that isn’t solely focused on raising a child, and in fact need to in order to stay sane—whether that be through throwing on some lipstick, going to a workout class, having coffee with a friend, or carving out some other variation of “me time.” Kudos to the moms who prioritize self care in whatever way they see fit, regardless of the looks they get. You really are paving the way for more empowerment.

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Health

Trouble sleeping? Meditation expert's 'house-tour hack' could help you get the ZZZs you crave.

"It sounds like it makes no sense."

via Canva/Photos

Familiarity breeds relaxation, apparently.

Few things are better for your mental and physical well-being than a good night’s sleep. Getting the correct amount of sleep each night is great for your immune system, reduces stress, and lowers your risk for chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It also makes you feel great and helps you concentrate during the day at work or school.

However, far too many people aren’t getting enough shut-eye to enjoy all these incredible benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep daily. Nearly 40% of adults fall asleep accidentally during the day without meaning to, and 50 to 70 million Americans have ongoing sleep disorders.

A technique to help you fall asleep.

There is no right way to fall asleep at night, but if counting sheep hasn’t worked for you since middle school, meditation expert Emily Kessler has an easy-to-do technique to help you get the sleep you need. Kessler, a medication coach in Brooklyn, New York, is “happiest when helping people tap into their truest selves.” She shared the technique, known as the "house-tour hack," in August 2024 on TikTok, and it has had over 2 million views.

@emilymeditates

I repeat: I have never made it to the upstairs 😂 Try this & let me know what happens!! #sleephack #fallasleepfast #fallingasleep

“When you are trying to sleep at night, and you're laying in your bed, what I recommend is taking a few nice, deep breaths calming your body a little bit and then start to visualize a house,” Kessler begins her post. “Not your own house, but a house that you know really well. I use my grandmother's old house.”

“You basically visualize yourself slowly walking up to the house, noticing all the details about the outside, going up to the door, opening the door, walking in, seeing the layout, and then slowly going through each room, noticing things in as much detail as possible. Making your way through every room, seeing the art, the furniture, the layout,” she continues. “There is something about this that distracts your thinking, busy mind enough to let you fall into sleep. I've literally never made it upstairs at her house.”


Visualization can help people fall asleep.

Kessler’s house-tour hack uses a visualization technique known as “visual distraction,” which researchers have scientifically proven to help insomniacs fall asleep faster. Visualizing a calm, serene scene, such as visiting your grandmother's house, effectively prevents intrusive, stressful thoughts from taking hold while you lay in bed at night.

Some commenters shared the visualization techniques they use to fall asleep. "I pick a topic and then try to think of a related word for each letter of the alphabet. Usually only make it to G," Hillary wrote. "A hack that I do is just immediately create a dream and trick my brain into thinking I’ve already fallen asleep. It's no joke; the dream continues, and I fall asleep," Najah added. "I used to 'pray' for all of my family members. I would list every single one down to great aunts and uncles, and I rarely made it all the way through," Samantha wrote.

How to fall asleep using cognitive shuffling.

Another popular technique that we recently highlighted on Upworthy is called "cognitive shuffling." Denver-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Scott Walter says it has been a game changer for helping him fall asleep. “One is just thinking of random words or objects that have nothing to do with each other,” Walter said. “For example, cow, leaf, sandwich, butter, liver, things like that — just random words that make no sense,” he said on TikTok. He adds that it's successful because it “mimics what are called 'microdreams,' which occur during the transition to sleep, [letting] your brain know, hey, it’s safe to fall asleep.”

Ultimately, it seems that our minds are the greatest barrier to getting a good night’s sleep because, no matter how badly our bodies want to turn off, the mind loves to chatter away when it should be calming down. According to science, and meditation expert Emily Kessler, we can calm our busy brains by conjuring dreamlike images to help us fall into deep, restorative sleep.





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