Andrea Gutierrez, Editor.

You know that phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”? That has to be the worst saying in the English language, alongside “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission” which is a phrase lived out by the entire cast of characters in ‘Gossip Girl’.

Sleep is so important to our well-being, which is why companies and influencers try to commodify it as much as they can. From serotonin gummies to weighted blankets, noise-canceling earbuds to trendy bottled water, our market is saturated with sleep aids for the working woman (or man) to waste their money on.

I know this, because I’ve been having some trouble sleeping myself lately–a combination of working odd hours as an editor as well as the mental toll of dealing with some personal issues in recent weeks. Plus my fretful nature doesn’t lend itself well to sleep in the best of times, anyway.

One thing that has been soothing me are lo-fi playlists on Youtube. They’re generally downtempo instrumental playlist videos with strong hip-hop and jazz influences. “Lo-Fi Girl” on Youtube is a great example of this, and I’ve found some other playlists with niche themes like “Rainy day in Seoul” or “Escaping in a bookstore” which help me feel less agitated and more at peace. I listened to these playlists a lot when I was in college, mainly when I was studying for midterms and finals, so returning back to them to relax in bed instead of writing papers does feel a bit odd, but it has been working like a charm so far.

But a word to the wise: if you’re using music to fall asleep, (A) make sure your phone is charged and (B) please use wireless earbuds, for crying out loud. I once used wired earbuds and got the wires tangled in my hair when I woke up. I don’t recommend it.

Gym bros

I made the mistake of mentioning to my brother that I acquired a Sam’s Club membership over the weekend, where he immediately asked if we could go do some grocery shopping together. For context, my brother is nearly 30, and still thinks that a Pillsbury toaster strudel is an acceptable breakfast meal.

I agreed to go, and once we were there at Sam’s, he surprised me by picking up fresh vegetables not attached to a pizza, as well as some protein powder and Powerade. He explained that he was on a health kick lately after signing up for a gym membership alongside his buddies from nightclubbing. I guess they’ve finally realized that jägerbombs aren’t a food group.

In all seriousness, I am glad he’s doing this– the two of us aren’t getting any younger, and health insurance in this country is one pretty penny. I just hope he actually follows through on this wellness stuff; when he was in high school, a girl tricked him into paying for a joint LAFitness membership because she thought it would be “really fun” for them to workout together (She played varsity soccer and volleyball). He went for a grand total of one time, but ended up footing 100% of the membership bill after the two broke up. Needless to say, my brother burnt more dollars and cents than calories back then.

Editor’s Song of the Week

“Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. (Yes, I watched ‘Saltburn’.) It’s crazy to me that a song nearly as old as I am is now having a resurgence on Billboard’s ‘Hot 100’. What other 2000s stuff should we bring back? I vote for Silly Bandz and Neopets.

Andrea Gutierrez is the editor of the Bryan County News.