My name is Francesco, I am a funded trader and I have a deep passion for forex, cryptocurrencies, and trading as a whole. I feel lucky, that I am able combine my skills with what I love. I’m very interested in factors driving price movements and enjoy uncovering the reasons behind them. My primary interests include Bitcoin, Altcoins, macroeconomics, and all related to trading.
March is National Sleep Awareness Month.
For most of my life, sleep has been simple. As a kid, my dad would read me a bedtime story — usually “The Giving Tree” — and I’d be asleep before the Boy took all the tree’s branches. (That book is deep, BTW.) And I could sleep anywhere. From questionable ottomans in hotels to the middle seat on a turbulent flight — I was the female McDreamy.
It wasn’t until my early 30s that I realized how bad sleepless nights can be. There’s nothing worse than getting into bed, counting sheep (or glorious Russet potatoes), only to spend the next seven hours tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling thinking about everrrrryyyyyyyyythinggggggg under the sun.
About 1 in 4 women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) experience some symptoms of insomnia such as trouble falling asleep and trouble staying asleep. Beyond the annoyance of it all, insomnia can have serious effects on mental and physical health such as an increased risk of mood disorders and cardiovascular disease — the number one cause of death for women in the U.S.
Women are more likely to have insomnia than men, so it’s no surprise that women are also more likely to take prescription sleeping pills. But new research shows that the nighttime aids may not give you the stellar sleep you think you’re getting.
“Sleeping pills can put you to sleep, but you may not get the quality of sleep that you need because you’re not actually getting healthy, restorative sleep,” said Nicole Sondermann, NBC-HWC, CCSH, RPSGT, clinical sleep health educator and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council (WHAC).
Watch: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep >>
So, what exactly is restorative sleep? Sondermann said it involves going through all the sleep cycles undisturbed, and waking up with the mental clarity to start your day. Think of it this way: If you wake up feeling rested and ready to shop at Trader Joe’s on a Saturday morning — you probably had restorative sleep.
One reason restorative sleep is so important is that it allows your body and your brain to heal. It also gives your brain time to clear away waste, including toxic proteins that could build up and interrupt the flow of information between neurons. But a new groundbreaking study found prescription sleeping pills may interfere with this “cleaning” process.
In the study, mice were given a common prescription sleeping pill. And while the mice did fall asleep faster than the mice that were given a placebo, researchers found the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which helps clean the brain during sleep, decreased by about 30%. Sleeping pills can also suppress the production of norepinephrine waves that clear toxins in the brain during non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is important for learning, memory and cognitive function.
“So, if you’re taking a sleeping pill, you are sedated but you’re not naturally going through the process that your body needs to go through during REM sleep,” Sondermann said. “I like to compare it to a washing machine. You can rinse something out, and all the suds come out and you rinse, rinse, rinse and it comes out clean. Or you can do the quick cycle rinse, but the soap suds are still in there. So it may smell good, it may look OK — but if you run it underwater again and again, more soap suds come out.”
Although the study tested the brains of mice, researchers noted that humans have the same brain circuit, which could mean sleeping pills may be interfering with brain health during sleep for humans too.
Sondermann noted that prescription sleeping pills can be necessary for some people and helpful when prescribed for the right reasons. Still, the best path to restorative sleep is practicing good sleep hygiene.
A helpful sleep routine varies from person to person, but good sleep hygiene can include:
Read: Sleep Hygiene Checklist: Top 8 Healthy Sleep Habits >>
For the 2 a.m. racing thoughts, Sondermann said the boxed breathing technique may help. Here’s how to do it:
“You’re not fixing the problem — but you’re not going to let it control you,” Sondermann said. “The release of CO2 is actually relaxing your body. And on a psychological level, you’re releasing the thing that’s controlling your thoughts.”
Restorative sleep may seem like a pipe dream on sleepless nights, but good sleep hygiene can make a big difference in your health overall.
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Silver (XAG/USD) consolidates in a range around the $34.00 mark during the Asian session on Wednesday and remains close to its highest level since late October touched the previous day. The technical setup, meanwhile, seems tilted in favor of bulls and suggests that the path of least resistance for the white metal remains to the upside.
This week’s bounce from the $33.40 resistance-turned support, along with positive oscillators on the daily chart, validates the constructive outlook and supports prospects for an extension of a nearly three-week-old uptrend. Some follow-through buying beyond the overnight swing high, around the $34.20-$34.25 region, will reaffirm the positive bias and lift the XAG/USD beyond the $34.50-$34.55 intermediate hurdle, towards the $35.00 neighborhood, or a multi-year high touched in October.
On the flip side, any corrective pullback might continue to find some support near the $33.40 region, below which the XAG/USD could accelerate the fall toward the $33.00 round figure. A convincing break below the latter could pave the way for a fall towards the 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) pivotal support, currently pegged near the $31.50-$31.45 zone. This is followed by the $31.25-$31.20 support, the $31.00 mark, and the late February low, around the $30.80 area.
Failure to defend the said support levels might shift the near-term bias in favor of bearish traders and make the XAG/USD vulnerable to accelerate the downfall towards the $30.45-$30.40 support en route to the $30.00 psychological mark. The white metal could eventually drop to the $29.55-$29.50 support and test sub-$29.00 levels, or the year-to-date low touched in January.
Silver is a precious metal highly traded among investors. It has been historically used as a store of value and a medium of exchange. Although less popular than Gold, traders may turn to Silver to diversify their investment portfolio, for its intrinsic value or as a potential hedge during high-inflation periods. Investors can buy physical Silver, in coins or in bars, or trade it through vehicles such as Exchange Traded Funds, which track its price on international markets.
Silver prices can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can make Silver price escalate due to its safe-haven status, although to a lesser extent than Gold’s. As a yieldless asset, Silver tends to rise with lower interest rates. Its moves also depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAG/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Silver at bay, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to propel prices up. Other factors such as investment demand, mining supply – Silver is much more abundant than Gold – and recycling rates can also affect prices.
Silver is widely used in industry, particularly in sectors such as electronics or solar energy, as it has one of the highest electric conductivity of all metals – more than Copper and Gold. A surge in demand can increase prices, while a decline tends to lower them. Dynamics in the US, Chinese and Indian economies can also contribute to price swings: for the US and particularly China, their big industrial sectors use Silver in various processes; in India, consumers’ demand for the precious metal for jewellery also plays a key role in setting prices.
Silver prices tend to follow Gold’s moves. When Gold prices rise, Silver typically follows suit, as their status as safe-haven assets is similar. The Gold/Silver ratio, which shows the number of ounces of Silver needed to equal the value of one ounce of Gold, may help to determine the relative valuation between both metals. Some investors may consider a high ratio as an indicator that Silver is undervalued, or Gold is overvalued. On the contrary, a low ratio might suggest that Gold is undervalued relative to Silver.
EUR/JPY pauses its three-day winning streak, hovering around 162.60 during early European trading on Wednesday. Technical analysis of the daily chart suggested that the currency cross is trending higher within an ascending channel, indicating a continued bullish bias.
Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains above 50, reinforcing the bullish outlook for the EUR/JPY cross. Furthermore, the currency cross’s position above the nine- and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) underscores strong short- and medium-term price momentum, supporting the potential for further gains.
On the upside, the EUR/JPY cross may encounter its first key resistance at the upper boundary of the ascending channel near 164.50, followed by the four-month high of 164.90, recorded on December 30. A decisive break above this critical zone could strengthen the bullish bias, paving the way for a potential test of the eight-month high at 166.69.
The EUR/JPY cross may find initial support at the nine-day EMA of 161.57. A break below this level could weaken short-term price momentum, leading the currency cross toward the 50-day EMA at 160.13, followed by the lower boundary of the ascending channel at 159.30.
A further decline below this critical support zone could erode medium-term momentum, increasing downward pressure on the currency cross. This could push the EUR/JPY cross toward its monthly low of 155.59, recorded on March 4, and potentially to 154.41, the lowest level last seen in December 2023.
The table below shows the percentage change of Euro (EUR) against listed major currencies today. Euro was the weakest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.50% | 0.25% | -0.01% | 0.19% | 0.48% | 0.54% | 0.06% | |
| EUR | -0.50% | -0.25% | -0.49% | -0.31% | 0.00% | 0.04% | -0.43% | |
| GBP | -0.25% | 0.25% | -0.25% | -0.06% | 0.25% | 0.29% | -0.20% | |
| JPY | 0.01% | 0.49% | 0.25% | 0.17% | 0.50% | 0.51% | 0.06% | |
| CAD | -0.19% | 0.31% | 0.06% | -0.17% | 0.32% | 0.37% | -0.14% | |
| AUD | -0.48% | -0.00% | -0.25% | -0.50% | -0.32% | 0.04% | -0.40% | |
| NZD | -0.54% | -0.04% | -0.29% | -0.51% | -0.37% | -0.04% | -0.48% | |
| CHF | -0.06% | 0.43% | 0.20% | -0.06% | 0.14% | 0.40% | 0.48% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/USD (quote).
BRANDED CONTENT
The right broker can enhance your trading experience by offering key features suited to your strategy. Discover a curated list of brokers designed to meet various trading preferences.
© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
Most of the coins are bouncing off today, according to CoinStats.CoinStats”>
Ethereum 
ETHUSD is one of the biggest gainers today, rocketing by more than 7%.TradingView”>
On the hourly chart, the price of ETH has made a false breakout of the resistance of $2,033. However, if the daily bar closes around that mark or above and with no long wick, the upward is likely to continue to the $2,100 area tomorrow.TradingView”>
On the bigger time frame, the rate of the main altcoin has broken the resistance of $1,963.
In this case, one should focus on the current bar’s closure in terms of its peak. If it happens above the vital $2,000 zone, growth may continue to $2,100.TradingView”>
From the midterm point of view, none of the sides is dominating as the rate is far from the key levels. In this regard, sideways trading in the area of $2,000-$2,200 is the most likely scenario.
Ethereum is trading at $2,029 at press time.
Coffee price had to postpone the bullish rally by crawling below 406.00 level recently, to form mixed sideways trades by settling near 385.00 now, noting that the main stability above the bullish channel’s support line at 366.00 and stochastic attempt to provide the positive momentum allow us to keep the bullish overview, to target 406.00 as a first station, while surpassing it might extend trades towards the next main target at 426.00.
The expected trading range for today is between 375.00 and 406.00
Trend forecast: Bullish
March 19, 2025 – Written by David Woodsmith
STORY LINK Pound to Dollar Week Ahead Forecast: GBP/USD Dips as Markets Await Fed
The Pound Sterling (GBP) lost ground against the U.S. Dollar (USD) during Wednesday’s European trading session as investors exercised caution ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy announcement.
At the time of writing, the Pound US Dollar exchange rate (GBP/USD) was trading at around $1.2973, down approximately 0.2% from Wednesday’s opening levels.
The US Dollar (USD) strengthened on Wednesday as investors positioned themselves ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest rate decision.
While the Fed is widely expected to keep rates unchanged this month, the primary market focus will be on the bank’s forward guidance.
This has the potential to drive volatility in USD exchange rates, given the uncertainty surrounding the Fed’s policy trajectory.
If Fed Chair Jerome Powell signals growing concerns about a potential US recession, it’s likely to signal a more dovish approach to policy going forward, leading the US Dollar to retreat to multi-month lows.
Conversely, if Powell emphasises the inflationary risks linked to President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policies, speculation could grow that the Fed will maintain a hawkish position to counteract rising prices, potentially boosting USD demand.
The Pound (GBP) was largely directionless on Wednesday as traders refrained from making significant moves ahead of the Bank of England’s (BoE) upcoming interest rate decision.
Similar to the Fed, the BoE is expected to leave rates unchanged this month.
Previously, markets anticipated the next rate reduction would come in May. However, recent data has suggested that inflationary pressures in the UK remain persistent.
If the BoE signals a reduced likelihood of a near-term rate cut, the Pound could strengthen.
Looking to the second half of the week, the Bank of England’s rate decision is expected to be a key driver of movement in the Pound to US Dollar exchange rate.
Before that, however, the UK’s latest employment data is set to be released on Thursday morning.
Economists predict that while unemployment remained stable in January, wage growth likely slowed.
If wage growth has softened, it could weigh on the Pound as it may add to expectations that the BoE will need to loosen policy sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, US initial jobless claims figures will also be in focus. If the latest data points to a weakening US labour market, the US Dollar could face some downward pressure.
International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John’s new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way,
ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.
TAGS: Pound Dollar Forecasts
Nutrishop Unveils the Next Evolution in Cognitive Support
HENDERSON, Nev., March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — You’ve got a big day ahead—maybe a tough workout, an important presentation, a pile of schoolwork, or a packed schedule—but your mind just isn’t in it, and coffee isn’t cutting it. Distractions make it hard to focus. So, what’s the solution?
Experience the ultimate cognitive boost with Brainspace™—formulated to support focus, mental clarity, and memory. Whether you need a clean, caffeine-free lift or a turbocharged 200mg caffeine kick, Brainspace powers your mind your way. Featuring Cognizin®, Alpha GPC, Lion’s Mane, and more, this formula fuels mental performance like never before. Available now exclusively at NutrishopUSA.com and Nutrishop store locations nationwide.
Meet Brainspace™ by Xcelerated Performance Products® (XP2), a nootropic powder designed to support focus, mental clarity, and memory. Launched exclusively at NUTRISHOP®, a national retailer specializing in wellness and nutritional supplements, Brainspace comes in two refreshing flavors, Raspberry Twist and Mackinaw Peach, and in two versions: caffeine-free and a 200mg-caffeinated MAX option for that extra boost. Find them now at your local Nutrishop store or online at NutrishopUSA.com.
“In today’s fast-paced world, staying mentally sharp is just as important as staying physically strong,” says Nutrishop’s Founder and CEO Bryon McLendon. “Brainspace was designed for those who want a convenient way to support focus and clarity no matter what life throws their way.”
Inside Brainspace: The Lineup
Brainspace and Brainspace MAX feature a standout mix of nootropic ingredients: Cognizin® (Citicoline), a bioavailable choline form; Alpha GPC (600mg), a choline-containing compound; Organic Lion’s Mane (500mg), a mushroom extract; L-Tyrosine (1200mg), a precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine; CognatiQ™ (100mg), a coffee fruit concentrate from Coffea Arabica; DMAE (200mg), a cognitive-focused compound; L-Theanine (100mg), an amino acid; and Methylcobalamin, the bioactive form of B12.
Two Styles, Your Call
Who‘s It For?
Brainspace was made for anyone who juggles busy days and big goals—students, professionals, athletes, modern-day multitaskers, gamers, pilots, and beyond. If staying sharp is a priority, Brainspace may just be the support you need. As always, please consult with your physician before starting any supplement regimen.
Mix It Up, Drink It Down
No pills here—just a zero-sugar powder you can mix solo or with other favorites in 8-12 oz of water. Best on an empty stomach. Just watch the caffeine levels if mixing with different supplements that may also contain stimulants.
Find It Now
Brainspace is exclusive to Nutrishop store locations and NutrishopUSA.com. “We’re all about helping our customers feel and perform their best,” McLendon says. “Brainspace is a sharp addition to that mission.”
About Nutrishop
Founded in 2003, Nutrishop has become a trusted name in health and wellness, helping individuals reach their fitness and nutrition goals. With franchisee-owned stores nationwide, Nutrishop offers exclusive dietary supplements, body composition assessments, one-on-one support, and nutritional guidance—all backed by a low-price guarantee. Committed to exceptional customer service and community support, Nutrishop empowers customers to live healthier, happier lives. For more information, visit NutrishopUSA.com and follow @NutrishopUSA on Instagram. Interested in franchise opportunities? Visit NutrishopFranchise.com to learn more.
SOURCE Nutrishop
Sellers are weaker than buyers today, according to CoinMarketCap. CoinMarketCap”>
The rate of Bitcoin 
BTCUSD has risen by 3.72% over the last day.TradingView”>
On the hourly chart, the price of BTC has made a false breakout of the recently formed resistance of $84,325. However, if buyers’ pressure continues, one can expect a blast to the $85,000 area.TradingView”>
On the bigger time frame, none of the sides has seized the initiative yet. This is also confirmed by the low volume.
Bulls may start thinking about a midterm rise only if they restore the rate above the nearest resistance of $85,270. TradingView”>
From the midterm point of view, one should focus on the weekly bar’s closure in terms of the previous candle’s closure. If it happens around $85,000 or above, there is a chance to see an ongoing upward move to the $88,000-$90,000 area.
Bitcoin is trading at $84,089 at press time.
