Tim Phillips Show, 8/14/26

If you're a late-night snacker who absolutely needs some munchies before catching some Z's, choosing the right foods before bed could actually help you sleep better. According to health experts, some foods contain nutrients like potassium, tryptophan, and other compounds that support melatonin and are linked to relaxation and the body's natural sleep cycle. So, here are seven foods to consider eating for your late-night snack:

Bananas
Tart cherry juice
Salmon and tuna
Leafy greens like spinach and kale
Sweet potatoes
Kiwi
Low-fat dairy products such as milk and yogurt, which can promote relaxation

The bed at your hotel could be even more luxurious than your one at home, but your brain may still treat it like you’re sleeping in the wilderness. This phenomenon, where people sleep less and wake more when in an unfamiliar place, is so common that sleep researchers even have a name for it: the first night effect.

The effect, which researchers believe may be a kind of built-in safety response, usually fades after that first night, but some people are more vulnerable to it than others. Children, teens, older folks, and people who are naturally more anxious tend to feel it more, while people in their 20s are usually affected less. Travel fatigue, unfamiliar lights and sounds, stress, and even worrying in advance about not sleeping can make it worse.

Fortunately, there are a few things that can be done to combat the first night effect:

Keep the room cool, dark, and quiet.
Stick as closely as possible to your normal bedtime routine.
Turn off screens well before bed.
Spend a little time relaxing in the new bed before trying to sleep.
Bring something familiar, like your usual pillow or blanket.
If anxiety kicks in, picture a place where you normally feel safe and relaxed.
Before an important meeting or event, consider arriving a day early so your brain has time to adjust.
The good news is that the first-night effect is usually more annoying than serious. If tomorrow really matters, though, giving your brain a practice night may be the smartest travel hack.

Source: The Independent

Friday Flashback - ITSY BITSY TEENIE WEENIE POLKA DOT BIKINI  -  BRIAN HYLAND    1960

Feel like summer is slipping away from you too quickly? You’re not alone, as a new poll shows nearly one in four (23%) people don’t feel like they’ve made the most of their summer. While we technically have more than a month left of the season, it’s going fast.

According to the survey of 2-thousand adults across the country, 61% haven’t even taken a vacation so far this summer and 59% feel like they haven’t had enough vacation time.

As the summer starts to wind down, 13% say they still have a lot of items left on their to-do list, while others admit finances changed their summer plans (13%) and a few are still hoping to fit another trip in before the season ends (11%).

For two-thirds (67%), social media fuels their travel desire for last-minute searches, and 38% say they regularly get the travel itch from social media.

That has pushed some into spontaneous trips, including 43% who’ve booked a trip within two weeks of departure.

Others are constantly searching for deals, with 8% looking for last-minute travel specials every day and 24% checking at least once a week.

Price is the biggest thing influencing last-minute vacation planning. Over a third (36%) say they’d consider booking a last-minute getaway if the deal felt too good to pass up.

Another 24% say it makes summer feel more exciting, while it helps 22% feel spontaneous.

A good deal on a last-minute trip motivates people to book one more than family invitations (24%), good weather (20%) and a long weekend (19%).⠀

For those spontaneous vacations, the beach is the most popular destination, followed by national parks (31%), major cities (30%) and tropical locations.
Source: Talker

Tim's News You Can't Use 

Want a stronger marriage? Researchers say it could be as simple as taking a walk together. A new study from Brigham Young University found that couples who exercise together tend to communicate better, resolve conflicts more effectively, and experience less marital stress than couples who don't share physical activity. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,700 married couples and found that while any exercise is beneficial, working out as a team had the strongest relationship benefits. The biggest improvement was in communication, which experts say may happen because shared activities create more opportunities to talk, connect, and support each other. So whether it's a walk after dinner, a hike, or a trip to the gym, exercising together could be good for both your health and your relationship.
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AOF says “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” recently became the fastest film to reach $700 million at the U.S. box office. It did this in 13 days. This puts it 31% ahead of ‘’No Way Home’’ at the same point.
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Parade magazine says Reese's is bringing back their Halloween Pumpkin Bowl. It contains 110 snack-size candies. 37% of people say Reese's is their favorite candy brand 
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Metro UK says KFC is launching a wine bar and chicken wine in England. Their pop-up bar will open on August 28th. They will be pairing fried chicken with French wine. La Vieille Ferme is bringing back its Chicken Wine for the event.
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Beauty experts say soda-inspired perfumes are taking off, with scents that combine fizzy cola notes with hints of citrus, caramel, and spice. The appeal? Nostalgia. People associate cola with road trips, movie nights, and summer memories. It's the latest in a growing wave of food-inspired fragrances, following trends like tomato, banana, milk, and even salt-scented perfumes. So yes, smelling like a fresh can of Coke is officially a thing. 
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Legendary driver Andy Green — the only person to ever break the sound barrier in a car — has added another world record to his resume. He just blasted across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah at 406 miles per hour in a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Green piloted a 32-foot land-speed car, powered by two heavy-machinery engines pumping out 1600 horsepower — burning only hydrogen — shattered the previous hydrogen world record of 185.5 miles per hour. Engineers hope the high-speed run shows that hydrogen power can handle the heavy-duty performance demands that electric batteries are still struggling with.
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A high school football player in Maumelle, Arkansas, escaped harm and potential disaster after practicing for an entire hour with a two-foot venomous cottonmouth snake in his helmet. Luckily, the cottonmouth didn't strike and was flushed out in the middle of practice. And the player was able to get back on the practice field — with a new snake-free helmet, of course.
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Don’t forget to check your car for cats before a long drive. A stray cat is safe after surviving an incredible 800 mile trip from New Jersey to Athens, Georgia, underneath a University of Georgia student's car. UGA junior Jadyn Sawyer discovered the cat after noticing a paw reaching out from beneath her parked vehicle nearly eleven hours after she left New Jersey. Campus police and animal rescuers struggled to free the cat, eventually getting help from a Tires Plus crew who carefully dismantled parts of the car. The cat, now named Jersey, is doing well and will soon be available for adoption.
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NEA Report says a Jonesboro, Arkansas woman was recently charged with a felony for stealing Slim Jims. Tanya Reynolds spilled a large fountain drink to distract store employees while she took several beef jerkys. The store called 911 after seeing surveillance footage of the theft. Tanya was charged with a felony because this was her second shoplifting offense 
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WLKY says two Portland, Oregon goats recently boarded a city bus before hopping back off.  The goats stepped onto the bus during a stop.  The bus remained stopped as a woman inside stood up to shoo them away.  The goats wandered off toward a shopping center.