Your sleep cycles are approximately 70 to 100 minutes each1, cycling through phases of REM and non-REM sleep, plus all of the stages in between. Each phase is correlated with specific regeneration or detoxification of cells and organs throughout your body. Factors like elevated cortisol (stress) levels and unstable blood sugar levels can throw off your sleep cycles. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend in bed if your sleep cycles are not healthy....

In relationships, self-sabotage is when you’re actively trying to ruin your own relationship or make it fall apart, whether consciously or subconsciously. Stirring up relationship drama can also be a way to keep your partner interested, Dancel tells mbg: “Individuals may not feel that they can get better, so they settle for any attention, affection, and connection, negative or positive.” On the other side of the spectrum, some individuals might fear commitment due to what the relationship will mean for their independence, leading them to self-sabotage the relationship in order to keep their distance and maintain a sense of freedom....

While the combinations of emotions and facial muscles can create infinite expressions and smiles, there are 12 types of smiles you’ll see most often. Here’s what they each mean. “Smiles of true enjoyment are the ones that have the smiling muscle that brings the lip corners up but also the muscle around the eye is activated,” explains David Matsumoto, Ph.D., body language expert and founder of Humintell. “What the muscle around the eye does is brings the cheeks up, makes a shiny appearance of the cheeks, gives some people crow’s feet wrinkles, and thins out the eyelids and eye cover fold....

As board-certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., FAAD, told us about hypoallergenic products (which essentially means fragrance-free): “[Fragrance] is one of the most common ingredients to cause sensitivity, puffiness, itch, and rash.” We should note that even natural fragrances, like essential oils, can cause irritation for some—namely, those with hypersensitive skin. That’s why we rounded up our favorite fragrance-free body washes for your browsing pleasure. Not only are they free of irritants that can trigger sensitive skin, but our picks also simultaneously feed the skin barrier with nourishing ingredients....

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to what counts as “intimate,” since sexual and emotional variance between people is unimaginably large. One person’s intimacy is the intensity of being flogged and humiliated by their lover, while another’s is oral sex with the lights on. The key connecting factor is trust, security, and openness. When you feel completely able to open up to your partner and show them the private side of yourself that is usually hidden from the world, you engender a bond of trust from which intimacy can grow....

On the contrary, taking time to really connect with each other and just have fun is perhaps more important now than ever. Strengthening your relationship can help you both feel more grounded and secure in the face of uncertainty, and getting those feel-good hormones like oxytocin (from touch) and endorphins (from laughter) flowing can help quell stress and anxiety. Here are some journaling prompts if you’re new to this and some journal prompts for navigating COVID-19 specifically, if you want to go there....

Below, find sweat-inducing fitness equipment, recovery tools, comfy leggings, sustainable cookware, glow-inducing skin care, and mindfulness must-haves that our editors swear by—from brands that don’t go doling out discounts very often. Whether you’re supporting your own well-being or checking loved ones off your holiday list, these sales are the gifts that keep on giving (to your health, that is). Need a stocking stuffer? Shop Vegamour’s accessories (scalp massagers, claw clips, and more), or the brand’s clean lash and brow growth kit....