👋 Welcome to Smileworthy, where we round up all the good things happening out there that are not receiving the attention they deserve!

This week, we’ve got a tail that broke records to a toddler who uncovered an ancient artifact, a feline celebrity, life-changing surprises, and feel-good rescues you’ll want to share. Plus, we dive into whether your sleep tracker is actually helping - or just making you anxious.

Let’s jump right in👇

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Happy Headlines 📰

It’s not all doom and gloom out there. Here’s some positive news items from publications around the world.

❤️ Heat-seeking technology helps locate missing 2-year-old child wearing only a diaper

👃 Woman who can smell Parkinson's disease helping to develop a swab test for early detection with Michael J. Fox's Foundation

🔋 World surpasses 40% clean electricity

🐢 Nearly 100-year-old tortoise becomes 1st-time mom to 4 baby hatchlings

🧓🏼 81-year-old waitress said she couldn't afford to retire. Then, a stranger raised $300,000 for her

🐶🦜 Man rescues pets trapped in homes during major flooding

🐈 Man is ‘overwhelmed’ as his Bengal cat is returned after a 16-year absence after a phone call

❤️‍🩹 Tiny dissolvable pacemaker - smaller than a grain of rice - could save infants’ lives

🤘 Metallica team with the Red Cross to host blood drives in cities along their 2025 tour

🪨 Toddler picks up rock on nature walk, discovers 3,800-year-old amulet

Quick Lifts ❤️

Feel good stories from Happilynews.com guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

After Years in a Small Rental, Hardworking Mom Surprises Kids With Dream House

Living in a cramped rental, mom Megan pulled off the ultimate surprise for her two kids—revealing a brand new home they never saw coming.

Bride Surprises Groom with Escape Room Puzzle to Unlock Wedding Rings

Guests join the heartwarming altar challenge inspired by the couple’s love of game nights and puzzle rooms.

Soldier Tears Up When Baby Daughter Taps Him Out at Boot Camp Graduation

After 14 emotional weeks apart, Cannon LaBrier couldn't contain his pride when his one-year-old Stella was handed to him to mark the end of his training.

Smileworthy Snapshots 📸 

A unique, sometimes quirky, but always eye-catching photo feature each week.

Forget nine lives - Mr. Pugsley Addams just swooshed his way into the record books, thanks to the longest tail on any living house cat, with a tail measuring 18.5 inches.

Named after the beloved Addams Family character, Pugsley isn’t just all tail - he’s also got a flair for mischief and some serious star quality. His family says he’s expressive, endlessly curious, and perhaps just a tad too aware of how majestic that tail truly is.

Now a local celeb (with two sisters and a cuddly brother named Gomez), Pugsley’s making waves - and maybe setting his sights on even more records. Who knows? With Guinness celebrating its 70th anniversary, this might just be the year of the cat.

Watch the full video as Mr. Pugsley Addams is crowned a record breaker by Guinness Book of Records:

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Live Life Happily 😃

Exclusive Happily+ content. Here we share lifestyle, health, home improvement, food & drink and finance tips from experts in their fields on how to live a happier, healthier life.

Do Sleep Trackers Actually Help You Sleep? Here's What the Science Says

We track our steps, our heart rate, our water intake... but when it comes to getting better sleep, can those wearable devices actually help - or are they just another thing keeping us up at night?

Sleep trackers, whether worn on your wrist, clipped to your pillow, or integrated into your mattress, offer detailed insights into how long you sleep, how often you wake up, and how much time you spend in different sleep stages (light, deep, REM). And yes, studies show they can be helpful - but only if you use them the right way.

🧠 The Good: Awareness = Empowerment

Research published in Nature and Science of Sleep found that sleep trackers can raise awareness of sleep habits and motivate users to improve their routines—like going to bed earlier, sticking to a schedule, or cutting down on caffeine and screen time before bed. For people struggling with insomnia or inconsistent sleep, tracking can reveal patterns and pinpoint behaviors worth changing.

Even better? Some devices sync with apps that offer personalized tips, sleep coaching, or even mindfulness exercises. When used alongside healthy sleep hygiene, these tools can encourage better rest over time.

⚠️ The Not-So-Good: “Orthosomnia” is Real

But here's the catch: obsessing over your sleep score might be doing more harm than good. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center coined the term "orthosomnia" to describe a modern phenomenon where people become so fixated on improving their sleep data, it actually leads to anxiety and worse sleep.

Translation? If you’re constantly checking your stats or worrying that your tracker says you got 72% "sleep efficiency," your brain is too busy stressing to relax. And unfortunately, most consumer sleep trackers still aren’t totally accurate - especially when it comes to identifying sleep stages. So, take those fancy graphs with a grain of salt.

💡 How to Use One Mindfully

1. Use it as a guide, not gospel: Pay attention to trends over time, not just nightly scores. Did your sleep improve when you started reading before bed instead of scrolling? That’s a win.

2. Don’t overanalyze: A rough night doesn't mean your day is doomed. Sleep is naturally variable.

3. Pair it with good habits: Limit screens before bed, get morning sunlight, and stick to a wind-down routine. No tracker can beat the basics.

4. Know when to take a break: If the data is causing stress, it might be time to ditch the device for a bit and focus on how you feel rather than what the numbers say.

The bottom line? Sleep trackers can be a great tool - but they’re not magic. When used mindfully, they can support better sleep. Just don’t lose sleep trying to optimize it.

Before You Go…A Serotonin Booster* 📺

Cuteness overload as baby and mom play a freeze dance game

@the_walters_family

She almost got me on that last one 😆 #17monthsold #babiesoftiktok #momanddaughter #babyfreezedance

*Studies show that watching cute, heartwarming videos can boost your mood. So sit back and start your weekend positively!

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