Source: 4 Reasons to Hit the Hay Earlier Tonight

Functioning on six or fewer hours of sleep might be the norm for you, but consistently not getting enough z's can affect your mood and your health. Here are four reasons to make an earlier bedtime a priority.

• To avoid weight gain: You wake up groggy from lack of sleep and reach for some kind of edible pick-me-up. Chances are it's sugary or high in fat, which means it's high in calories. Fatigue encourages mindless snacking and more calories consumed, which can lead to an expanding waistline. That coupled with skipped workouts from lack of energy means even more weight gain. A foggy head can also impair your judgment, making you more likely to give in to cravings. If you're trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep can make all the difference.
• To prevent heart issues: Lack of sleep raises your blood pressure, putting unnecessary strain on your ticker, which puts you at risk for a heart attack or stroke.
• To strengthen your

runningIt can be a hard thing to find someone who you feel comfortable exercising with. Right? I mean, this is someone you have to feel okay sweating next to, someone who doesn't mind if you make weird noises. You should feel no judgment from this person. If you're trying something new and you don't quite get it right, this person should be in your corner. Not only that, but this is someone you should be comfortable chatting with, and, ideally, someone whom you actually enjoy spending time with. Working out with her should be something you look forward to - it may even be the social/emotional aspect of the workout that gets you there.

But the perfect workout buddy should be more than just a friend. If you're going to stay motivated and interested, if you're going to improve and become more fit, your workout buddy should be . . . well, a lot of things.

1. Your equal

You two should be able to run at about the same pace, or be able to weightlift about as much as each other, or be

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By Sandy M. Fernández

To get your kids to eat more fruits and veggies, get them invested early in life -- the plant's life, that is. "I've never seen a child refuse to eat something she grew herself," says Amanda Grant, author of the brand-new Grow It, Cook It With Kids. She suggests that little ones:

Till the soil

Give them a little rake and a job clearing the rocks out of a small part of your garden. Toddlers love a task, especially if it involves sitting and rooting around in dirt.

Water the strawberries

These plants are kid faves because, says Grant, "they don't need much attention and you can clearly see the little strawberry growing day by day." A flowering plant from a garden center, sprinkled daily (but no more!) by your child, should have fruit in a few weeks.

Plus: 5 Simple Ways Kids Can Help the Environment

Bury the potatoes

Who hasn't grown a plant out of a spud's sprouting eye? (Even if, um, unintentionally.) Bury the burgeoning eyes in a few

What you need to know about car careDid you know that April is Car Care Awareness Month? Jody DeVere, CEO of AskPatty.com, joins Easy Does It host Ereka Vetrini to shine some light on what's really going on under your hood.

Related: Routine car maintenance tasks to stay up to speed on

DeVere says that the biggest mistake people make is "really not understanding what your car needs." To combat this, she says, "Crack open that dusty manual that's usually in the glove box of your car and understand the basic needs of your car and the intervals that those should be done. And then do it to the letter of the law. That's going to prevent a lot of costly, long-term, expensive problems."

Related: Cut car repair costs!

According to DeVere, you should become familiar with your car's service interval schedule to avoid being upsold products or services that you don't really need. In addition, she says, "Take a look around your car, and if you hear any funny noises, be able to report them with confidence. You want to approach the