How much sleep do we really need? Of course it’s very personal, but “seven to eight hours should be enough” is what we keep hearing from most sources. But is it possible to shorten this time, without hurting your health?

Indeed, sufficient sleep time is important for your body to function well during the day. Sleep helps your body to recover from illness, minimizes the effect of stress, increases ability to concentrate, and improves memory and coordination. You don’t want to put these abilities at risk, do you?

The good news is that it is possible to shorten sleep time by up to 1 hour without the risk of sleep deprivation if you understand and follow these two simple rules. Click here to continue »

One area that I plan to cover more frequently in the future is books. Specifically, books that are relevant to self improvement. I have my own favorites of course, but before I start spouting opinions I want find out what books others have found worth reading.

• What books have influenced your thought the most?
• What books have changed your life?
• What books do you strongly recommend to others?

I’m really interested in the results. This should be great for building a killer reading list.

Getting straight A’s won’t guarantee success, but it sure doesn’t hurt. A high GPA will help you make more money, pursue further education, or change career paths. If you’re going to spend many thousands of dollars on a college education, you might as well make the most of it. Right?

Being smart will help you get good grades, but it isn’t required. Neither is studying nonstop. The key to academic success is being disciplined and efficient in your study habits. These 7 strategies will help you raise your GPA while minimizing stress and overall study time. Click here to continue »

Multiple readers have written in requesting more articles on boosting brain power and concentration. This subject has been covered on PickTheBrain before but it doesn’t seem to get old. After all, who doesn’t want to be a little sharper?

In an effort to put all the brains in a row, I’ve compiled the web’s best articles on brain power. They come from a wide range of sources including some old favorites and several new sites. Click here to continue »