Study reveals how much sleep adults need to get each night

Mar 24 2022

Striking the perfect balance between too much and too little sleep is quite the gamble – with some shirking the necessary rest due to overwork and others never wanting to throw off their bedsheets.

Now, a recent scientific study has come out with a brand new finding as to how much an adult needs to sleep in order to function and keep the brain going optimally.

The official guidance from the NHS suggests that we need around six to nine hours of sleep each night, despite many thinking that they can function on less than that. However, the new research claimed that some adults could be sleeping too much.

The research claims that people who sleep less than 4.5 hours or more than 6.5 hours were found to be more at risk of cognitive decline. However, the quality of sleep might be more important.

So anywhere between the 4.5 and 6.5 hour mark is an optimal amount, provided it is quality sleep. Senior psychology lecturer Greg Elder told The Conversation that science isn’t quite sure why lack of sleep increases risk of cognitive decline.

Other factors are surely at play, scientists acknowledge. These could vary from poor health, physical activity and socioeconomic status. But it does come as a bit of a relief for those only manage to fit in few hours of quality sleep.

#MaltaDaily

Abandoned house to become an LGBTIQ+ community home

Mar 24 2022

LGBTIQ+ rights NGO MGRM took to social media to announce that the progress on a housing project for the community is well under-way.

Titled ‘Dar Qawsalla’, the home has just had the permit approval process completed and the NGO announced that it will be working on the restoration and construction process of the house.

The building was a dilapidated house in San Gwann given to MGRM following a competition organised by the Social Accommodation in order to restore and provide housing for LGBTIQ+ people encountering difficulties throughout their lives.

‘If everything goes to plan, we will be able to host our first guests later in 2023’ the group excitedly announced.

The project still requires heavy investment however, and the NGO urged anyone interested in helping to donate and cover costs on a fundraiser set up by the group.

MGRM is an organisation which ‘strives to achieve full equality for LGBTIQ people in Maltese society’ and a ‘society that enables people to live openly and fully without fear of discrimination.’

#MaltaDaily

Labour set to win by 39,000 votes predicts final poll before election

Mar 24 2022

The final poll of the 2022 general election is forecasting a 39,000 vote win difference for Labour, despite there being a record drop in voter turnout.

The poll was carried out by statistician Vincent Marmara for L-Orizzont, forecasting a 55.9% vote for Robert Abela’s Labour Party, contrasted to Bernard Grech’s 42.8%. He surveyed 1,800 respondents between March 18 and 23, with a 95% confidence interval and 2.3% margin of error.

This aligns quite closely to other surveys commissioned by other news platforms, with Times of Malta forecasting last week that Labour is set to emerge victorious at 55.1% and the PN at 43.5%.

Should these calculations prove correct, it would signify a third consecutive record victory for PL as it improves its vote count by 0.9% and a decline of 0.9% for the PN from the 2017 election.

The poll by Marmara is also indicating an 88% turnout, a record low in local general elections as they had never seen a dip below the 90% mark. 3.8% of voters who supported Labour in 2017 will not be voting, with PN losing 2.7%.

Around 4.9% of respondents who voted PN in 2017 revealed they intend to vote Labour, whereas 1.4% of PL voters intend to switch to the Opposition. 13.9% of 2017 Nationalist voters are unsure of who to vote for, versus 8.1% of PL voters.

When it comes to third parties and independent candidates, the voting results are set to remain unchanged from 2017 – a mere 1.3%.

#MaltaDaily

“If you want to live in a dictatorship, vote for Robert Abela”, Bernard Grech states

Mar 23 2022

During this evening’s televised debate between Malta’s two major party leaders, Bernard Grech closed off his part of the discussion by telling watchers “if [they] want to have a dictatorship and more oppression in this country, vote for Robert Abela.”

Grech began his closing statements by thanking the people for watching patiently, stating that Abela did not only evade journalists’ questions in the past months, but also avoided questions made by Grech himself during the debate. He told spectators of the televised debate that the choice they have in front of them is between someone who is afraid of truth and someone who answers every question, someone who creates fear and someone who believes in a better country with conviction.

The PN leader stated that he wishes for a better future, better quality of life and better opportunities for citizens to spend with loved ones – highlighting how there are many people who spend hours on end working and do not have enough time to spend with their loved ones. Grech mentioned that a Labour government committed 150 scandals in the past nine years and over, and that is why the PN will be working tirelessly to enact their own vision for Malta.

He asked “what does it cost when you have people in business who tell you that the can’t speak or come to a PN activity because Robert Abela will break me”, also highlighting a particular case where an individual fears speaking because their daughter works with the government and they fear a potential transfer, stating “…if you want to have a dictatorship in Malta, vote for Robert Abela.”

“…if you want to have a dictatorship in Malta, vote for Robert Abela.”

Robert Abela followed, stating that the decision is between the past and the future, reiterating the Labour party’s famed ‘track record’ as they go towards the election with one thousand proposals which they wish to convert into one thousand achievements. The Prime Minister echoed the statement that the more Labour are trusted, the more humble they will be.

“We are a movement which never stops changing. Society is always evolving and as such, we must react with reflective reforms.” He then quickly went over a number of PL investments such as the €700 million investment in 7 years, increase in pensions, decrease in taxes, guarantees for children and students and more.

Abela stated that for this to be possible, voters must vote for themselves, their children and the future of their country.

What do you make of tonight’s debate?

#MaltaDaily