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How Brian Femminella and SoundMind App Are Working to Democratize Mental Healthcare

Brian Femminella

The mental health crisis is a serious epidemic sweeping across the country. Research shows that around 20% of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition. Additionally, 26% of American adults have a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year, and 9.5% will suffer from a depressive illness each year (NAMI). Yet, the expenditure on mental health care still falls below 2% of total healthcare expenditures, and access to therapy remains costly for most (WHO). Worse still, mental health remains a taboo topic in some communities, exacerbating an already dire situation and complicating the lives of victims.

Brian Femminella, the founder and CEO of SoundMind App, is on a mission to democratize mental healthcare. The 22-year-old, openly gay army officer understands the devastating effects of untreated mental health issues and is committed to helping more people avoid them. This commitment stems from his experiences not only as a as a member of the LGBTQ+ community but having also lost friends to depression and PTSD. 

Femminella is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he partnered with SoundMind co-founder, Travis Chen, after interning together on Capitol Hill. Like Femminella, Chen lost a friend to suicide while in college. As a first-generation Taiwanese immigrant, Travis has always advocated for increasing the conversation around mental health in Asian communities. With the SoundMind App, he is setting the pace and creating room for dialog around this issue in his own community. Travis was one of the youngest California State PTA Board Members and helps promote the SoundMind App as a solution for school-aged children. SoundMind App is currently the only app appropriate for adults and children.

The SoundMind App was designed with three primary goals: to provide person-centered quality care, address all aspects of mental wellness, and promote community and connection. The development team utilized sound/music therapy and artificial intelligence to build an app that allows users to decrease stress, depression, overwork, anxiety, and PTSD in the comfort of their own homes and “on the go.” The app allows you to improve your mood and productivity through individualized music therapy, expand your community and connect with other wellness champions, and grow your culture through personal data.

Additionally, the app supports marginalized groups like LGBTQIA+, AAPI, etc., and allows those who might feel uncomfortable in a traditional therapy setting to access care. The SoundMind team continues to bridge the gap in mental health resources and recently announced a FREE lifetime membership for all active duty and veteran military service members. SoundMind hopes to become the go-to mental health resource for youth, schools, and Gen-Z organizations and underserved communities.

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Wellness

What Are The Best Sheets For People Who Sweat

Waking up damp is miserable. The sheets are clammy, the pillow is warm, and getting back to sleep feels harder than it should be. Finding the best sheets for people who sweat isn’t just about comfort. The right fabric actually changes how well your body regulates temperature through the night.

Most people try adjusting the thermostat or adding a fan. Those things help. But if your sheets trap heat and hold moisture against your skin, no amount of room cooling fully solves the problem. The fabric touching you all night is doing more work than most people realize.

Why Some People Sweat More During Sleep

Before buying new sheets, it helps to understand what’s actually driving the sweating. The answer isn’t always simple, and it’s rarely just “you sleep hot.”

It’s Not Always About Room Temperature

Your body naturally loses between 0.5 and 1 liter of sweat per night as part of normal thermoregulation. According to research on sleep hyperhidrosis published in NCBI, sweating during sleep is a normal physiological process that occurs primarily during non-REM sleep stages as the body works to reduce core temperature. Most people never notice it because their bedding manages the moisture effectively.

When sweating becomes disruptive, the causes vary widely. Some are environmental. Others are medical or hormonal.

Common Causes of Excessive Night Sweating

A large study on night sweat prevalence published in NCBI found that 41% of primary care patients reported experiencing night sweats within the previous month. That’s not a small number. And the causes span a wide range.

Common reasons people sweat more during sleep:

  • Hormonal shifts during menopause or perimenopause
  • Anxiety, chronic stress, or panic disorders
  • Medications including antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and steroids
  • Alcohol consumption in the hours before bed
  • High bedroom temperature or poor airflow
  • Illness, infection, or underlying medical conditions
  • Normal thermoregulation that sheets aren’t managing well

That last one matters more than most people acknowledge. Even people without medical causes of sweating can wake feeling damp when their sheets hold moisture rather than moving it away from the skin.

Best Sheets For People Who Sweat: What To Look For

Not every sheet marketed as “cooling” actually performs well for sweaty sleepers. A few specific properties separate genuinely useful options from clever packaging.

Moisture-wicking performance is the most important factor. A sheet needs to pull sweat away from the skin surface and allow it to evaporate. Absorption alone isn’t enough. A fabric can be highly absorbent but hold that moisture against your body rather than releasing it. That makes things worse, not better.

Breathability is the second key factor. Air needs to circulate through the weave to carry heat and moisture away from the sleep surface. Dense, tightly woven fabrics with little airflow hold warmth regardless of fiber type.

Drying speed matters too. A sheet that wicks well but dries slowly stays damp for longer periods overnight. Fast-drying fabrics reset the sleep surface more quickly after sweat episodes.

Best Fabric Types For Sweaty Sleepers

The fiber your sheets are made from determines how they perform on all three of those measures. Here’s how the main options stack up.

Percale Cotton

Long-staple percale cotton is consistently one of the best choices for sweaty sleepers. Its one-over-one-under weave creates a crisp, breathable structure that allows airflow through the fabric. It absorbs moisture well and, at lower thread counts, dries faster than denser cotton weaves.

Egyptian and Pima cotton varieties perform better than standard cotton because longer fibers create a tighter, smoother weave that holds its structure through repeated washing. This matters for sweaty sleepers who wash sheets more frequently.

Bamboo

Bamboo fabric wicks moisture efficiently and dries faster than standard cotton. Research published in NCBI on moisture vapor permeability of eco-friendly fabrics found that bamboo fibers exhibit the highest water vapor transmission rates among natural fiber options, outperforming standard cotton in moisture movement. That makes bamboo a strong option for people who sweat heavily during sleep.

The texture is naturally soft and bamboo sheets often feel cooler than cotton at the same thread count. The downside is that bamboo requires careful washing to maintain its properties over time.

Linen

Linen is highly breathable and gets more comfortable with every wash. It wicks moisture well and dries exceptionally fast because of its loose weave structure. The airflow through linen fabric is difficult to match with any other natural material.

The texture takes some adjustment. Linen feels different from cotton, especially in the first few months of use. But for hot, sweaty sleepers who prioritize performance over softness, it’s one of the best options available.

Materials To Avoid

Some fabrics consistently make sweating worse overnight. Knowing what to skip is as useful as knowing what to buy.

Fabrics sweaty sleepers should avoid:

  • Polyester and most synthetic blends, which trap heat against the skin
  • Microfiber sheets despite being soft, hold moisture and reduce airflow
  • High-thread-count sateen weaves that feel luxurious but breathe poorly
  • Flannel and fleece materials that add warmth rather than manage heat
  • Any sheet with synthetic fill or coating that reduces natural fiber breathability

Does Thread Count Matter For People Who Sweat

Thread count comes up in almost every sheet conversation. For sweaty sleepers, it’s less important than most marketing suggests.

Lower thread counts in the 200-400 range tend to breathe better than dense 600-plus count weaves. The tighter the weave, the less air can move through the fabric. That’s comfortable in cooler seasons but counterproductive for managing sweat and heat overnight.

Focus on fiber type and weave structure over thread count. A 300-thread-count percale cotton sheet will outperform a 600-thread-count sateen for a sweaty sleeper almost every time. The weave pattern drives airflow more directly than thread density.

Quality bedding built from long-staple natural fibers with breathable weave construction delivers better moisture performance than high thread count alternatives with poor airflow.

Best Sheets For People Who Sweat: Top Recommendation

For sweaty sleepers who want a sheet that actively manages moisture rather than just absorbing it, antimicrobial options add an important layer of performance. Sweat deposits create conditions where bacteria multiply quickly in fabric fibers. That’s what causes the sour smell that develops in sheets even after washing.

Miracle sheets incorporate silver-based antimicrobial technology that limits bacterial growth in the fabric between washes. This addresses the biological side of the sweating problem, not just the moisture management side. Fewer bacteria means fewer odors, less staining, and sheets that stay fresher for longer between wash cycles.

How Often Should Sweaty Sleepers Wash Their Sheets

Most general advice recommends washing sheets every one to two weeks. For people who sweat heavily during sleep, that timeline shrinks significantly.

Sweaty sleepers should wash sheets every three to four days at maximum. Sweat deposits, body oils, and bacteria accumulate faster when moisture levels are higher. Leaving those deposits in place accelerates yellowing, odor development, and fiber breakdown over time.

The same logic applies to bathroom linens. Fresh towels after a morning shower matter more when you’ve spent the night sweating. A damp towel used after a sweaty night quickly develops odor from the same bacterial buildup that affects sheets.

Practical washing habits for sweaty sleepers:

  • Wash sheets every 3-4 days rather than weekly
  • Use cool or warm water to preserve fiber integrity over time
  • Skip fabric softener as it coats fibers and reduces moisture-wicking performance
  • Dry on medium heat and remove promptly to prevent musty odor
  • Rotate two sheet sets to reduce wear on each set
  • Wash pillowcases more frequently than flat and fitted sheets

Pillowcases collect the most concentrated sweat and sebum deposits because of constant face contact. Washing them every one to two days makes a noticeable difference in overnight freshness even without changing the full sheet set.

Visit Miracle Made for sheets designed specifically for hot and sweaty sleepers, combining breathable construction with antimicrobial technology that standard sheets don’t offer.

Written in partnership with Tom White

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Book

The Twin Flame Paradox: Why Our Deepest Soul Connections Are Often the Most Destructive

If you spend any amount of time on modern social media platforms—particularly in the spiritually curious corners of TikTok and Instagram—you have likely encountered the concept of the “twin flame.” In 60-second clips set to ethereal music, influencers paint a picture of the ultimate romantic ideal: a soul split in two across time and space, destined to reunite in a blaze of cosmic glory.

It sounds like the perfect love story. It sounds like a romance novel waiting to be written. But as anyone who has actually experienced the crushing, unexplainable weight of a profound karmic tie will tell you, meeting your twin flame is rarely a rom-com.

More often than not, it is a crucible.

This beautiful, terrifying reality is the beating heart of Dear Nathalie, a brilliant new work of sacred realism by author Tanya Kazanjian. Told through letters, journals, and fragmented memories, the novella strips away the pastel-colored aesthetics of modern internet spirituality to reveal the raw, often agonizing truth of what happens when two souls collide. It asks a question that most of us are too afraid to answer: What if the person who understands your soul the most is the very person who destroys the life you’ve so carefully built?

The Myth of the Perfect Match

We are culturally conditioned to believe that true love brings peace. We are taught that when you meet “the one,” the jagged edges of your life will suddenly smooth out. The right partner will help you buy a house, raise children, share a bank account, and settle into a comforting, predictable routine.

In Dear Nathalie, this societal ideal is perfectly represented by Gregory and his long-time partner, Suzanne. They share a home, they share children, and they share a life that is, by all outward appearances, secure. It is the kind of relationship built on what Gregory calls “a ceaseless recalibration, a quiet refusal to let the vessel sink.”

But safety and spiritual fulfillment are not always the same thing.

Enter Nathalie. When Gregory meets her, there are no fireworks, no cinematic declarations of love. There is simply “recognition shock.” It is the sudden, breath-stealing realization that he has known this woman before. Nathalie, a poet and an empath carrying the heavy wounds of trauma and a brilliant, restless mind, experiences it even more viscerally. She doesn’t just see a new colleague; she feels her own self-concept unraveling in his presence.

This is the great paradox of the twin flame. Instead of bringing peace, the connection brings an earthquake. It does not fit neatly into the three-dimensional world of mortgages, corporate jobs, and dinner parties. It defies logic. It demands a level of vulnerability that the human ego is rarely prepared to handle.

Ego Decomposition: The Price of Meeting Your Mirror

In the spiritual literature surrounding twin flames, there is a concept known as “ego decomposition.” It is the process by which the false layers of your identity—the masks you wear to survive in society—are burned away by the intensity of your connection with your mirror soul.

Kazanjian captures this terrifying psychological state with stunning accuracy. Nathalie writes to Gregory, “My sense of self has been crumbling in ways I never imagined possible. Everything that once felt stable in me—the tidy categories of who I thought I was, how I moved through the world, what I could expect of myself—has been shattered into fragments.”

For readers who have navigated the murky waters between profound spiritual awakening and acute psychological distress, Nathalie’s journey is deeply resonant. She goes to a psychiatrist seeking answers for her overwhelming emotions and sensory overloads. She is told she has PTSD, mild depression, and a vivid imagination.

But modern medicine often lacks the vocabulary for matters of the soul. How do you prescribe a pill for the sensation of carrying emotions from a past life? How do you medicate the feeling of being bound to someone via quantum entanglement?

The book brilliantly blurs the line between mental health and mysticism. It forces the reader to sit in the uncomfortable, awe-inspiring space of “sacred realism”—a place where mundane things like office meetings and abandoned churches coexist with auras, astrological fate, and angels falling in the snow.

The Ghost in the Marriage

Perhaps the most tragic element of the twin flame dynamic is the collateral damage it leaves in its wake. Because these connections are so intense, they often make ordinary, earthly relationships feel incredibly hollow by comparison.

Through the diaries of Suzanne, Gregory’s partner, we get a front-row seat to the devastation caused by an unconsummated, spiritual love affair. Suzanne is not fighting another woman for her husband’s physical affection; she is fighting a ghost for his soul.

When Gregory finally proposes to Suzanne after sixteen years, using an heirloom ring given to him by Nathalie, the gesture backfires catastrophically. The ring becomes a poisoned apple. It is a symbol of the profound spiritual intimacy Gregory shares with Nathalie—an intimacy he has never managed to build with the mother of his children.

Suzanne’s journal entries are a masterclass in the quiet agony of the modern marriage. She realizes that she and Gregory have been “painting over cracks,” preferring comfort to confrontation. But when faced with the undeniable depth of Gregory and Nathalie’s bond, Suzanne realizes she wants that depth for herself. She realizes that living “safely” is no longer enough.

In this way, the twin flame acts as a catalyst not just for the two souls involved, but for everyone in their orbit. The connection demands authenticity. It forces every lie, every compromise, and every half-hearted vow up to the surface to be examined.

Are We Meant to Stay Together?

If there is one profound takeaway from Dear Nathalie, it is the realization that soulmates are not always meant to stay together in the traditional sense.

Sometimes, a soulmate comes into your life simply to wake you up. They arrive to show you the parts of yourself you have hidden away, to heal old karmic wounds, and to remind you that the universe is far larger, stranger, and more beautiful than you ever dared to believe.

Nathalie and Gregory do not get a fairytale ending. Their story is marked by grief, separation, and ultimate tragedy. Yet, through Kazanjian’s gorgeous prose and deeply philosophical lens, we see that the bond survives. It survives death. It survives reincarnation. It survives the stubborn passage of time.

“Twin flames, you once said,” Gregory reflects after Nathalie’s passing. “Two souls cut from the same fire, destined to seek each other across lifetimes, burning too brightly to ever truly fade.”

For anyone who has ever loved someone in a way that defied explanation, Dear Nathalie offers a profound sense of validation. It is a reminder that while the twin flame trap might break your life apart, it does so only to set your spirit free. It is a haunting, poetic exploration of love in its most primal, uncompromising form—and a warning that once you look into the eyes of your mirror soul, you can never look away.

Media Details:

Amazon: DEAR NATHALIE
Author: Tanya Kazanjian
Website: www.tanyakazanjian.com  

Written in partnership with Tom White

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Album

Belee Kaur Releases “OLE OLE” as FIFA-Themed Music Begins Heating Up Ahead of 2026

As FIFA excitement continues building ahead of the 2026 World Cup, independent Atlanta-based artist Belee Kaur has released a new single titled “OLE OLE,” a high-energy dance-pop record centered around crowd chants, festival-style production, and international rhythms.

The release arrives at a time when FIFA-themed content is increasingly dominating platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, with creators already leaning into anthem-style music ahead of the global tournament cycle.

Built around its repetitive “Olé Olé” hook, the song focuses more on atmosphere and energy than lyrical complexity — something commonly seen in stadium records and international sports anthems. The production blends electronic dance-pop elements with large crowd-style moments designed for replay value and audience participation.

Over the last few years, Belee Kaur has steadily expanded her independent music presence through dance-pop releases and visually driven content online. “OLE OLE” marks one of her most globally focused releases so far, leaning heavily into FIFA-inspired themes and celebratory production.

The timing of the release is particularly interesting as the United States prepares to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with football-related entertainment, creator content, and music already beginning to trend across digital platforms. Being based in Atlanta — one of the major host cities connected to the upcoming World Cup activities — Belee Kaur is said to have especially high hopes for the record and its ability to connect with international audiences during the tournament build-up.

Sources close to the artist say Belee Kaur is currently working on her second album and is especially excited about the direction of the project, viewing it as another major

milestone in her career. The upcoming material is expected to continue exploring energetic crossover pop sounds along with internationally influenced production styles.

With its chant-heavy structure and upbeat production, “OLE OLE” feels intentionally built for fan edits, sports montages, celebration clips, and creator-driven content — a space where music discovery increasingly happens today.

Listen & Follow Belee Kaur

Spotify – OLE OLE

YouTube – Official Video

Instagram – @beleekaur

Written in partnership with Tom White

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