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Here's your Saturday 7 roundup!

💲 Guess how much it costs:

I'm proud to be making SnoreBuds in the USA, using only medical-grade materials, and doing the things to ensure the highest quality and meet the highest standards. 

But guess how much it costs to just assemble the device? 

Well, with the first "time study," it appears it will cost nearly $10 to assemble a single device.

This isn't the cost of materials or part production—just assembly.

Labor costs are why most medical devices aren't made in the US. And it's why Amazon is flooded with cheap, knockoff, ineffective products not built to true medical-device standards.

But SnoreBuds' assembly involves precise valve placement, dial printing, and QA testing. This is what it takes, and what real made in the USA, medical-grade quality actually costs—and why almost no one does it.

There's a common saying that you can choose 2 of 3: quality, speed, and price. With SnoreBuds I've chosen the highest quality and fast delivery, while doing everything to keep them affordable for everyone. But the price will likely be going up $10-20 from the Preorder Special. 

If you haven't preordered yet, you can still get SnoreBuds at the preorder special price, with an additional $30 off, and a bonus $49 gift. 

Also, if you have HSA/FSA savings, which often reset at the end of the year, you can use it on SnoreBuds. 

On the checkout page, under Payment, select "Gale — Pay with FSA or HSA" and use your savings before they reset, and get ready for renewed sleep in the New Year!

🛌 What position do you sleep:

This is how different sleep positions can impact your health.

Side - Most people sleep on their side. But it's not the best position because it exerts uneven forces across the body. However, if you are a side sleeper, you need a thicker pillow to support your neck (the distance between your ear and shoulder), a thickness which is bad if you sleep in any other position. Also, a pillow between the knees can help support the spine.

Stomach - This is the worst position and fortunately, also the least common. To avoid suffocating you have to turn your head to a side, which can strain the neck, especially if you have a thick pillow.

Back - Only 8% of people sleep on their back, but it's the ideal position to relieve unnecessary strains. It's a neutral position where the spine is aligned. Back sleepers should use a thinner pillow than a side-sleeper, which is why trying to be both isn't ideal.

While sleeping on your back is the best position, it's the worst for people who snore or have sleep disordered breathing as it lends to airway narrowing. Good news: SnoreBuds prevents this via EPAP technology, enabling you to sleep on your back and maintain a healthy airway. 

💪 Do you have to choose one or the other:

A fellow Saturday 7 reader, Dan, shared this article with me about the tradeoffs between muscle strength and aerobic capacity.

A long time ago I learned that running cross country was not helping me with my goals to build more muscle.

But the good news is that most people have room to increase both their muscle size and oxidative capacity without major tradeoffs—the tradeoffs really only amplify at the extremes. 

💡 How to get a little wiser:

In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato tells a story about prisoners chained inside a dark cave. All they can see are shadows flickering from a fire behind them. To them, the shadows are reality.

However, one day a prisoner breaks free and steps outside. The sunlight blinds him. But as his eyes adjust, he finally sees the true world. 

When he returns to tell the others, they reject him. They prefer the shadows they understand to the truth they don’t.

This story highlights the illusions we mistake for truth (social norms, propaganda, algorithms). The cave represents comfort and certainty; the sunlight truth, and the prisoner that broke free an awakening and the challenge of bringing new light to those not ready to see.

We live in an age of digital shadows, curated feeds, and hyperbolic headlines, "realities" filtered through invisible hands. The challenge is seeing the mirage, having the courage to seek truth, and accepting that most people will choose to stay behind.

H/T: Get A Little Wiser Newsletter, short insightful explanations about history, science, philosophy, psychology and more.

🧠 What quote I've been thinking about:

"Be the guy. If you want to live an extraordinary life, you have to be the guy. Be the guy to make everything happen. Plan the nights out, book the trips. Get the first round of drinks. Send shots to the girls table. Crack jokes. Put everyone in a good mood. Lead by example. Lift all tides. Life is what you make it & it goes best for the people who play the leading role in making it special."

– Cole Jaczko, on going first

📈 Why this line will continue up:

Inflation isn't an accident.

There is no version of the future where fiat preserves purchasing power. There is only the rate at which it melts and the story used to explain it...Currencies die so societies do not have to. Hard assets live so individuals do not have to die with the currency...Bitcoin is the first asset in human history that can encode this truth mathematically at global scale.

👋 How to leave:

Here is a 4-word trick for saying a great goodbye.

The gist: Combine a 2-word exit statement like, "Heading out!" with a 2-word statement of gratitude like, "Great party!" 

Gotta go, great time! :)

Kevin

P.S.

Where humans fall on the animal kingdom’s monogamy scale.

Depending where you fall on this chart, you may want to pick up a few SnoreBuds to keep at multiple locations :)

Dr. Kevin Stock
Meat Health

SnoreBuds
 

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