Health & body

Start here

• Why You See Dream-Like Images Before Sleep — and How to Increase the Chance of Dreaming What You WantSometimes, when you close your eyes before sleep, images start playing in your mind even though you do not feel fully asleep yet.
• A researcher’s mind, a cat’s body: what does a bedtime “meow” actually do?Tomorrow is planned.
• Why Do I Fall Asleep at 8 PM and Wake Up at Midnight? 9 Causes and a 3-Day TestYou keep falling asleep around 8 PM. Then you wake up at midnight or 1 AM. You glance at your phone. You check social media. You watch a video.

This week’s archive picks

Each week we rotate in a few older articles from this theme, taking turns through all of them.

• Will The Sims 4 Charge for Every Hairstyle After EA's Buyout?Summary: A recent Sims discussion raised the prospect of paying for individual hairstyles or wallpaper swatches after EA's sale.
• Does Yani Neko Quit Smoking? A Realistic Plan Beyond WillpowerDoes Yani Neko quit smoking? This article is not a recap of the manga, and it does not describe any treatment that actually takes place in the story.
• Why Do I Cry So Easily, Even When I'm Good at My Job?So "I tear up when I get told off," "I cry at every sad movie," and "I cry when I see someone else struggling" don't have to share the same cause.

Topics in “Health & body”

• Sleep and dreams
• Beauty and appearance

All “Health & body” articles, newest first

Newest first

• Tired Body, Wide-Awake Brain: Can Willpower Increase Sleep Pressure?You're exhausted, but your brain is holding a midnight meeting. Can you force yourself to become sleepier?
• Is the Baby With a Mustache Video Real? The “Born Retired” Meme ExplainedA newborn with a thick mustache became an October 2026 joke. Trace the original circulation, real reactions, and the evidence behind the AI question.
• A Robot Mower on Wheel Day and a Bottle That Got Promoted to Mattress CapTwo odd DIY fixes featured in an October 22, 2026 roundup: a weighted robot mower and a bottle standing in for an air-mattress cap.
• Who Is Conan O'Brien's 'Ex-Wife' Debbie on SubwayTakes? The Two-Kids Joke ExplainedDebbie Shields is not Conan O'Brien's ex-wife. She is a Brooklyn bar owner who sat beside him during a SubwayTakes recording and instantly accepted his…
• Mustache Baby Was Born Retired: Reddit Gave Him a Mortgage Before a Birth CertificateA newborn-with-a-mustache video spread on October 23, 2026.
• Mustache Baby Was “Born Retired”: The Internet Assigned Him Two MortgagesA viral October 2026 clip prompted real jokes about skipping kindergarten, retirement and two mortgages.
• Free Salon Models vs Discount Liposuction: When a Bargain Isn't a BargainHow training-model appointments work, what eyelash extensions do, and why cheap fat-loss procedures require a different cost calculation.
• Leaving Work on Time but Still Having No Free TimeYou clock out on time. The job is interesting, and you're not particularly exhausted.
• Why Do Yogurt and Probiotics Work for Some People but Not Others? BIO, Yakult 1000, Coffee, and the Science of Making “Good Bacteria” Stay“Same yogurt. I get a dramatic bowel response. Someone else gets nothing. Why?” That question is much more interesting than the generic idea of “gut health.”
• Why Does My Skin Suddenly Look So Glowy? What Retinol and Vitamin C Are Actually DoingYou look in the mirror and suddenly your skin seems ridiculously smooth. “Wait. Why does my face look polished?”
• Hickey or Mosquito Bite? What 3 Red Marks on Your Neck MeanThree painless red ovals in a row on your neck are often a hickey, which is a small suction bruise.
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no YaibaI Tried to Walk Every Day, and Somehow My Butt Skin Gave Up First: The Science of “Butt Callus Tanjiro” and ChafingWhen people start a daily walking habit, they usually expect their calves, knees or feet to complain first.
• I Stepped on a Hedgehog Box, Got Sent to the Past, and Ended Up Never Being Born — A Nightmare Whose Brain-Screenwriter Burned Through Ten Years in SecondsThe nightmare did not begin with the end of the world.
• Why You See Dream-Like Images Before Sleep — and How to Increase the Chance of Dreaming What You WantSometimes, when you close your eyes before sleep, images start playing in your mind even though you do not feel fully asleep yet.
• Why Do I Fall Asleep at 8 PM and Wake Up at Midnight? 9 Causes and a 3-Day TestYou keep falling asleep around 8 PM. Then you wake up at midnight or 1 AM. You glance at your phone. You check social media. You watch a video.
• Why Do I Cry So Easily, Even When I'm Good at My Job?So "I tear up when I get told off," "I cry at every sad movie," and "I cry when I see someone else struggling" don't have to share the same cause.
• Slept Until 1 PM: Is That Too Much Sleep? Worry Before a Big Change, Long Dreams, Air ConditioningSomeone fell asleep around 3 or 4 a.m. and woke up around 1 p.m. That is about 9 to 10 hours of sleep. A package delivery woke them up once.
• Vitamin C Serum, Then Itchy Red Bumps in Three Days? Retinol, Chin Breakouts, and Peeling Beside the NoseVitamin C in the morning, retinol at night.
• Why Do Antidepressants Cause Weight Gain, Even When You "Ate Nothing"?Some people do gain weight on antidepressants, but the pill doesn't make fat out of nothing.
• How Is Hibernation Different from Sleep? Separating an Energy-Saving Body from a Sleeping Brain“Do hibernating animals sleep for months on end?”
• Can Mice and Flies Seem “Depressed”? What Sweet Water and Flies That Stop Climbing Can Tell UsA mouse that no longer shows much preference for sweet water.
• Would You Be Invincible If You Never Felt Down? What the “Mental Brakes” Metaphor Can and Can’t ExplainImagine someone who never feels down, pays no attention to fatigue, and moves on after every failure.
• Do Hibernating Animals Sleep the Whole Time? How Metabolism, Body Temperature, and Sleep Help Them Through WinterAn animal retreats to its den for winter and reappears in spring.
• Do Mice and Flies Get Depressed? Looking Closer at Animals That “Don’t Move”A mouse that chooses sugar water less often, and a fly that stops trying to cross a gap.
• A researcher’s mind, a cat’s body: what does a bedtime “meow” actually do?Tomorrow is planned.
• Does Yani Neko Quit Smoking? A Realistic Plan Beyond WillpowerDoes Yani Neko quit smoking? This article is not a recap of the manga, and it does not describe any treatment that actually takes place in the story.
• Does 1 in 8 Billion Have a Best or Worst Ending? Death Causes, Longevity and Routes Explained1 in 8 Billion does not publish a menu of mutually exclusive endings called “Millionaire,” “Scientist” or “Happy Family.” A simulated life contains overlapping…
• Face Itchy and Red After Changing Cleanser?If your face becomes red and itchy after changing your cleanser, the new product should be one of the first things to suspect.
• Someone Said Your Face Looks Puffy, But You Cannot Tell?“Your face looks puffy today.”“Are your eyes swollen?”“Your face looks a little different.”
• Walking Every Day but Not Losing Weight? Why It Happens After You Quit the Gym (and How to Get Back on Track)"I'm still walking every day, but I'm not losing weight. I'm actually gaining." That isn't a contradiction.
• Will The Sims 4 Charge for Every Hairstyle After EA's Buyout?Summary: A recent Sims discussion raised the prospect of paying for individual hairstyles or wallpaper swatches after EA's sale.
• COSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum: How Many Drops, When to Use It, and Whether It Goes Before or After Toner and MoisturizerCOSRX The Vitamin C 13 Serum looks simple until you actually hold the bottle.
• Born in Late December? When Were You Conceived? How to Work It Out From Your BirthdayIt is an awkward question, but the math behind it is simple and kind of neat: Let's use a simple model.
• Did Sleepy Jerry Really Take Over the Internet, or Did Someone Just Say So?Someone declared the takeover. Not everyone got the memo. Sleepy Jerry is the tired cartoon mouse scrolling his phone in bed.
• Why Do Smells Become Unbearable During Pregnancy? Could Poop Ever Smell Amazing?Someone at work keeps covering their mouth with a handkerchief. Could they be feeling sick? Could your scented hair oil be bothering them?
• Why Do Mental Health Clinics Require Masks, and Can They Refuse You for Not Buying One?Even now, you may walk into a mental health clinic or hospital in Japan and hear this at the front desk:
• Is a 9% 500 mL can really one drink? It's about 2.6 beersA 500 mL can of 9% chuhai (a Japanese canned spirit-and-soda drink) looks like one can, but it holds 36 g of pure alcohol.
• What Happens to Your Dreams and Appetite After a Very Long SleepSleeping extremely long just once doesn't automatically mean something is wrong.
• I Drank Yakult 1000 and Still Slept 10 Hours. Maybe That's Sleep Debt Being Collectedsleep-debt-yakult1000-long-sleep.md
• Blood Pressure 155 to 122: Why You Feel Fine Once You Reach the DoctorMy blood pressure was high.
• Do Not Damage Your Face While Trying to Improve ItRetinoids can cause dryness, redness, itching, and stinging.[
• Chilly at 28°C, then kept awake by mosquitoes: how to adjust the airflow and ease the itchYou work up a sweat walking on a hot day, then step into the shade and feel a chill on your arms.
• Retinol Serum Itching Only on My Nose: What to Do and How to Apply It SafelyI put on a serum, and for some reason only my nose itched.
• Tired legs after a long walk: what to do today and when to get helpIf your legs feel mildly heavy after a long walk, start by taking the load off, drinking some water, eating your usual meal, and making time for sleep.
• Why Do Japanese People Live So Long? The Foods (and Habits) That Cut Stroke, Heart Disease and CancerJapan's long life expectancy (81.35 years for men and 87.33 for women in 2025) doesn't come from one miracle food: less salt and blood pressure treatment cut…
• Can Yakult 1000 Actually Make Irritation Go Away?Some people say they sleep better after drinking Yakult 1000 (a probiotic milk drink sold in Japan, also called Y1000).
• Why You Can Have a Dad Belly at 27: Sales Jobs, Drinking, Stress and Visceral FatThis article isn't a diagnosis of any particular person.
• Still tired after drinking water, eating and a long nap? Early cold, sleep inertia, stiff neck or dating app burnoutYou drank water. You ate. You even had yogurt. Then you napped. And it was not a quick 30-minute nap. It was five hours. Basically a second night.
• Why Do I Still Feel Tired and Heavy When I Drink 2 Liters of Water a Day?For a week or two, your body has felt heavy. Your legs feel tired. You can still go for a walk, and you can still think and work as usual.
• Two Beers and the World Starts Spinning, Eight Drinks and You Feel Fine: Why Alcohol Hits Differently on Different DaysThe same person can feel dramatically different after alcohol on different days.
• Stiff neck and shoulders even though you walk every day? Why back exercises like rows help when walking doesn'tWalking is great exercise.
• Why You Can Be Strong but Still Can't Run: Strength, Endurance and Cardio Are SeparateWhen we say "you're fit", we mean quite different things. Lifting a heavy piece of furniture. Carrying a 10 kg bag. Walking from morning to night on a trip.
• Takoyaki Party, 90 Minutes of Career Advice, Then “I’m Sleepy, Go Home”It was another casual takoyaki get-together, roughly the second time.
• Why no styes despite staring at a phone all day? The eye-strain mythMicroscope at work. Phone during breaks. Manga or other close-up reading at home.
• Shaving out of my life: how many laser sessions for a beard?You get medical laser hair removal. Growth slows down. Density drops. Then a few days later, the beard shows up again with perfect attendance.
• What Do Ceramides Actually Do? Ceramides vs. Moisturizer, Vaseline and Niacinamide, Explained by JobWalk down the skincare aisle and the words pile up fast. Lotion. Cream. Serum. Vaseline. Ceramides. Niacinamide.
• Professional esthetician vs scientific skincare: a fact-checkA facial can produce a surprising amount of advice: pollen may irritate the skin, direct fan air may dry the face, moisturize quickly after washing, use…
• Free facial beauty advice, checked against the researchBeauty professionals often give quite sensible practical advice wrapped in explanations that are simpler and more certain than the science.
• Anti-aging skincare routine for sensitive skin: what actually works for firmness (moisturizer, Vaseline, niacinamide, retinol)Walk down the skincare aisle and everything is staring at you: toner, lotion, serum, cream, face oil, balm, Vaseline, retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide.
• Retinol can anger your skin first: irritation isn't a level-upA common skincare conversation goes something like this:
• Adding more product made my greasy bangs worse: what to separateBangs can look fine in the morning and turn into thick, shiny strands by afternoon.
• Does a PDRN caffeine serum reduce facial puffiness? 2% caffeineThe question usually starts simple: “Will this reduce puffiness?”
• Why do people leaving police detention often look well groomed?A person has spent several days in a police detention facility. Then the door opens for release.
• Why don't you see many really big old men? What Japan's health data saysLook around any town and you'll spot plenty of guys in their 40s and 50s with a proper beer belly.
• Free Facials as a Salon Training Model (¥0): Is It Actually Worth It?If you browse beauty booking sites, you'll sometimes see listings like "new staff practice model," "training model" or "facial trial ¥0."
• Online ED treatment costs: unit price vs total spendOpen the booking flow for ED treatment. A very friendly-looking medical guide appears on screen.
• How to Style a Middle Part: Volume on Top, Not on the SidesA middle part looks best when the volume sits in the right places: lift the top with your blow dryer, keep the upper sides flat, leave a little hair at the…
• Why Do Some Young Men Suddenly Look Like Tired Old Nobles? Thinning Hair, Beard, FatigueYou see a man you still think of as "young." His hairline has moved back a little. His beard is thick. He is a bit rounder than before. And he looks tired.
• Caring for a disabled daughter for 29 years: the respite care gap and what prenatal tests can't tell youMost people's first reaction to this case is simple: it is heartbreaking.
• A 30-minute sleep stream became adult observation: Daisuke HoriPut the stream on a 50-inch television and the premise immediately looks strange.
• Can a yearly checkup catch every cancer? Cancer in your 30s, recurrence, and not finding it "too late"Japan's 2023 data show 105.4 cancer cases per 100,000 people in their 30s, about 15,000 diagnoses a year.[
• Delicious (End of Review): Iekei Ramen on Two Hours of Sleep Turned Into People-Watching NotesThe shoyu MAX from this visit. The photo was explicitly approved for use in this article body.
• The Station Toilet Is Behind the Gates: What Happens If You Tap In and Try to Exit the Same Station? — Ticket Gates vs. Your ColonYou have just left a station when your body sends an emergency alert:
• Does wearing a hat all day cause baldness? What research says“Wear a hat every day and you will eventually go bald” is one of those claims that refuses to die.
• Why Wear a Crop Top? It's Not Always About Showing SkinTry the same high-waisted jeans with two shirts: one long enough to cover the waistband, the other stopping just above it.
• Is it rude to bring notes to a doctor's appointment? How to write a one-page visit summarySome doctors post online that they "brace themselves" when a patient hands over a long summary.
• Beyond haircut models: how practice models and mystery shopping can slash everyday costs—and where the catch hidesA haircut model is only the entrance. Once the same idea is extended to skill practice, portfolio building, school training, mystery shopping, product testing…
• Why can hands shake when thyroid tests are normal?A health check included thyroid testing. Thyroid-stimulating hormone, free T3 and free T4 all came back within that laboratory’s reference ranges.
• How to Get a Middle Part With Just a Blow Dryer (and Keep Your Bangs Out of Your Eyes)It looks great when you leave the salon. At home, your bangs go straight into your eyes.
• Why can long gray hair make a young person look older? +6 yearsImagine a young man whose face alone looks youthful and actor-like, but whose long hair is dyed white.
• Does Lack of Sleep Kill Creativity? What Caffeine Can FixShort answer: a sleep-deprived brain can still throw out a quick, funny association, but steady focus and multi-step thinking slip first, and caffeine brings…
• Why Can a Young Man With Long Gray Hair Look Like an Old Woman? Researchers Actually Tested the Hair CuesAt a casual restaurant, a young-looking man with long hair dyed white briefly registered, from a distance, as an older woman.
• Same person, millimeters of beard, different impression: 100 msFacial hair has disproportionate visual authority.
• Running on No Sleep: A Health Checkup in Japan, a Free Monster Energy, Then City HallBy mid-morning my brain was already fried.
• Confirmed in advance, reset on health-check day: patient as backupIt was the morning of a pre-employment health check, and the patient was already short on sleep.
• Awake Before a Health Checkup: Can One Bad Night Shift Your Test Results?The sequence is almost too perfect.
• ISO outside, nonsense inside: incongruity, manzai and AI humorTelling an AI to “make it funny” often produces laughter cues instead of humor: slang, exclamation marks, and the textual equivalent of someone laughing at…
• Did the Blood Pressure Drop Only Because of the Drug? — Using EMA5 to Read the “Medication + Sleep + Stress” BundleIf home blood pressure falls after an antihypertensive is started, that does not prove “the drug did all of it.”
• Why Is My Heart Rate Higher When It's Hot? Calories, Cardio, AC, and the 18-Second WalkMoving muscles make heat. When it's cool, that heat escapes fairly easily. When it's hot, it doesn't.
• Run a Marathon Even If You Hate Training: The “Gratitude Walk” MethodThe point is not more willpower. It is a system that needs less willpower.
• You Can Build Fitness Without Running: Walking, Cardio, Blood Pressure, and RetinolBeing able to walk for a long time while getting exhausted quickly when jogging is not contradictory.
• Does a 5 A.M. Walk Count After a Bad Night of Sleep?It's 5 a.m. You slept badly, but the streets are cool and quiet.
• How many minutes of exercise matter? The biggest win is 0 to 150Before holding a conference on optimal intensity: increase the weekly total first. The “just do it already” meme is annoyingly evidence-friendly.
• Why do some people look ridiculously young? Jawlines, UV, retinolSome people are in their forties and still get read as thirty-something.
• It’s 5 a.m.: the body says “sleep,” the brain says “still open”It is 5 a.m.
• What Does Everyone Actually Do on Their Days Off? — The Truth Behind “Nothing”: Phones, TV, Sleep, and Capybara ModeJapan’s 2025 Cabinet Office survey found that the most common ways people spend free time were sleep/rest (53.7%), TV/DVD/CD viewing (46.8%), hobbies and…
• Why do bangs look like seaweed even when they aren’t greasy?Your bangs gather into flat strips instead of falling in separate strands. You pull them apart with your fingers; they stick together again.
• Was an 18-Hour Sleep Day Recovery Sleep? How to Understand Long Sleep and Changes in DreamsI slept from midnight to 1 p.m., for 13 hours.
• How Dangerous Was Childbirth in the Heian Period? — Expectations to “Carry on the Family” and the Physical Risks to Mother and ChildHeian-period romance can look elegant when viewed through waka poetry and visiting marriage customs.
• Grunting at the Gym: Does It Help, and When Is It Too Loud?You're midway through your workout when a loud grunt comes from the next rack. For a second, it feels as though an unexpected boss fight has started.
• Having No Friends Is Not Always a Personality Problem: It May Be a Route, Fatigue, or Lifestyle ProblemWhen you have no friends, it is easy to wonder whether something is wrong with your personality.