Photos from the ongoing ICC Assembly of States Parties

Twelfth session of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court ICC-ASP, Simply the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (“the Assembly”) is taking place at the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague, The Netherlands. This Assembly has been taking place as from 20th to 28th November 2013. These are some of the photos from the session.

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Photos from the ongoing ICC Assembly of States Parties

8:51 PM News, Photo media

How to Fall Asleep Faster Every Night

#1 When to See a Doctor

If you've heeded all these tips and are still having chronic problems falling asleep or staying asleep, you should probably see a sleep doctor or sleep therapist. Some symptoms for which you should DEFINITELY see a specialist include:

-Chronic sleepiness and fatigue regardless of how much you sleep
-Problems breathing at night, including loud snoring or paused breath
-Constant waking headaches
-Sleep paralysis
-Narcolepsy (falling asleep unexpectedly)

#2 Keep Your Cool

A lot of people like to keep their bedroom warm and comfortable, but if you want to fall asleep quick and stay asleep, your bedroom should actually be quite cool. Around 60-65 degrees Farenheit is the optimal temperature; cold air makes you sleepy and makes it less likely that you'll wake up with night sweats.

#3 Hit the Lights

For thousands of years humans went to bed when the sun went down and woke up with the sunrise. It's no surprise that our bodies are accustomed to sleeping in the dark and we are sensitive to changes in light. Therefore when bedtime is nigh, you should avoid as much artificial light as possible. Turn the lights in your room way down low for about an hour before you go to sleep, and avoid looking at electronic screens, staring at an artificial light right before bed can really throw you off (yes this includes your phone!)

#4 Meditate

Many people who suffer from insomnia report that they can't 'turn off' their mind and have racing thoughts when they are trying to go to sleep. If you have this problem, meditation can be a huge help. You'll want to try what is called 'vipassana' meditation, and it's essentially an exercise is stopping your thoughts and clearing your mind.

#5 Eat to Sleep

Your eating habits could be part of the reason you're not sleeping well at night. If you go to bed on a full stomach, you are going to have a harder time falling asleep and you are more likely to have interrupted sleep. You should eat dinner early; at least three hours before going to bed.

Conversely going to bed starving can affect your sleep as well, it's okay to have a small snack about an hour before bedtime; avoid high-carb foods. A few slices of cold cut turkey or a warm glass of milk will fight hunger and help you sleep better.

#6 Have a Bedtime Ritual

Another great way to condition your body to fall asleep quickly is to have a short but regular bedtime ritual that you perform every night before bed. It could be reading for fifteen minutes, a short breathing exercise, brushing your hair, making a to-do list for the next day, or stretching. If you create a ritual like this and stick to it, after a while this activity will let your body know that it's bed time and you will fall asleep easier.

#7 Don't Hang Out in Bed

If you are the type of person who likes to hang out in bed and do things like read, watch TV, do crosswords, or eat (gross!) you could be sabotaging the quality of your sleep by hanging out in bed. You should only be doing one thing in your bed, and that's sleep. This will condition your body to understand that once your head hits the pillow, it's go-time (go to sleep, that is).

#8 Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

If you go to bed and wake up at different times every night, your body is going to be all kinds of confused. It's tempting to stay up late and sleep in on the weekends, but doing so will make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you go to bed and wake up at around the same time every day, your body will get used to this routine and it will be much easier to fall right to sleep.

#9 Exercise

This one should be a no-brainer, there are so many reasons to get regular exercise. In addition to the other benefits like living longer, feeling and looking better, and improved self-esteem, having a daily or semi-daily exercise routine has been shown to help you fall asleep faster. Just make sure not to exercise within two hours of bedtime: late night workouts can energize you and keep you awake.

#10 Stop Tossin' and Turnin'

Most of us strive to get our 7-8 hours of nightly sleep to keep healthy and energized. But are you getting the most out of your 8 hours? If you spend the first hour or two tossing and turning, you are likely to spend the night frustrated and wake up tired. If you don't fall asleep right away you are missing out on the benefits of a full night's sleep, but there are ways to break this cycle and ensure that when you go to sleep, you actually go to sleep.

Adapted from likes

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How to Fall Asleep Faster Every Night

4:18 PM Advice, Lifestyle, Photo media

Why Being Single Is Ok

#1 It's Just Not For You

Finally, you may just wake up one day and realize that no matter how much you've been told differently, relationships are not for everyone, and certainly not for you. Maybe our role as human beings is evolving. With the world's over population, is it really so bad if not everyone procreates? Maybe single life is simply a new form of commitment. Perhaps in this brave new world, one can commit to happiness, self-love, and independence, without the fear of judgement.

#2 What About Some "me" Time?

From bubble baths, to pigging out on pizza while watching Golden Girls in bed, we all have our sacred rituals we can only enjoy alone. Consider this, when you finally settle down with Mr./Mrs. Right, your alone time will slowly decrease, culminating in the eventual replacement by family time. Enjoy it while it lasts.

#3 Save Money First

Being in love is expensive. Not only are you obliged to do "stuff", but it's harder to do the things you normally do to save a few bucks. Do you really want to have your bf over for a ramen date? How many times can you woo him with your famous generic sauce pasta? Surely you wont just expect him to pick up the bill, at least you shouldn't. Use these formative years as an opportunity to save up for whatever you do later on in life.

#4 Love Hurts

Lets be honest, for every happy couple in love, there are two people elsewhere miserably heartbroken. But that's how love works, it's high risk, high reward. We're not saying it's not worth the reward, simply that you should be prepared for the risk as well. It's not all rainbows and kisses.

#5 Keep Your Routine

If you're accustomed to doing things a certain way, you'll probably want to continue that trend. From what side of the bed you sleep on, to the time you have dinner at, these are all things that are seemingly unimportant, but still relevant to how you live your life. Unless you're ready to make some big compromises, a relationship is not for you.

#6 Move Around As You Please

One of the less hyped benefits of single life is the ability to move around whenever you like. Whether you're looking to relocate apartments, or states, this is all 100% up to you. If your job takes you somewhere else, you can pick up and go without hesitation. This is something you'll appreciate later on in life.

#7 Playing The Field

Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps you're not ready to pick just one? This is a completely fair, and all to often never asked question. But if you're not ready to settle down, take this time to date around and figure out what it is you are looking for.

#8 Career First

Whether you're in college or just out of grad school, it's paramount that you keep focus on your goals and ambitions. If you're not where you want to be yet, or at the very least on that path, you're not your best you. Obviously, success is relative, but you'll know what's right for you.

#9 It's All About You

Sometimes the best thing for your future relationship is that present day you focuses on itself. Sure, you may be out of college, but are you actually in the "real world" yet? Are you happy with your life, or are you hoping a relationship will fix that for you? If so, you're not ready. Be fair to your next bf and only put yourself out there when you know you're ready.

#10 You Would Rather Hang With Friends

You love your group of friends and see them as much as possible. If you don't feel the need to change the way you interact socially with other people, a significant other might complicate things. Consider this, the time you spend with your friends will now be split among your new partner, and his/her friends. You might only see your buds a 1/3 of the time you did before. Are you ready for that?

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Why Being Single Is Ok

2:27 PM Love and Relationship, Photo media