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fruitcoops · 3 years

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Can I please ask for some protective Cubs and/or Coops. I adore these boys and I love the fics where they always have each other’s backs. It could be a similar situation to Remus and that Stan guy or something different. No pressure or anything and if you don’t vibe with this prompt don’t stess bestie

Yes, I love protective Lions! For the anon whose meds got mixed up: I'm so sorry that happened, and I hope this provides the comfort you were looking for in the form of Cub lovin' <3 SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for panic attacks, forgetting to eat a healthy meal

It was Sirius who noticed first. Then Remus. Then Finn.

He was still kicking himself over that one, to be honest.

Sirius moved like a solid wall, murmuring in quiet French as he led Logan out of the gym and into the hall with Remus hot on their heels. A pang hit Finn right in the heart—I want to understand, he thought, fervent and afraid as he set the jump rope down. I would build the Tower of Babel again to understand how to help.

His pulse picked up; sweat itched at his forehead even after he stopped exercising. “Something’s wrong,” Leo said under his breath as they hurried into the hall.

Obviously, Finn bit back. He should have known since the second Logan started snapping his fingers in a nervous tic, should have seen the fucking signs—

“Everything alright?” James asked cautiously from the weight bench where he laid. “Did someone get hurt?”

“Just—just hang on a second.”

“Respire.” Sirius sat crosslegged across from Logan, whose eyes were squeezed shut as he leaned his head against the wall about ten feet from the door. “Logan, respire.”

A gentle but firm hand moved Finn out of the way by his shoulder; Remus slipped past them with a cup of water. “Drink this,” he ordered as he took Logan’s twitching hand between his own. “Open your eyes if you can.”

“Gonna throw up,” Logan managed, his voice high and reedy.

“Lo?” Finn’s mouth was dry. Logan hadn’t had a panic attack since their last year at Harvard together—he barely remembered what to do.

Logan’s chest caved at the sound of his voice, and one pale green eye cracked open to stare at him in sheer terror. “Finn. Finn, it’s happening, I don’t know what to do—”

“Move.” Finn’s throat hurt, but his brain kicked into autopilot. I can fix this. “Leo, get some damp paper towels from the break room. Cap, give him space.”

Leo disappeared from his stunned place by his side; after a moment’s hesitation, Sirius held his hands up and backed away. Logan was still gripping Remus’ hand with white knuckles. “How do I help?” Remus asked as soon as Finn knelt next to Logan.

“Grab some more water, and granola bars.” Slowly and deliberately, he reached up and cupped the side of Logan’s face. He had never allowed himself to do it at Harvard, but Logan always came back to himself quicker with a grounding touch. “Logan, can you look at me for a second?”

He shook his head. “Gonna throw up.”

“Alright.” With a shaky exhale, Logan leaned into his palm. “There you go, good job. Are you still dizzy?”

“Little bit.”

Past adrenaline rush, past collapsing, moving through dizziness. Finn ran through his mental checklist like it was just yesterday that Logan had crumbled after a bad game in from of scouts. “Cap was right, you need to breathe. I’ll do it with you, okay?”

He watched Logan’s chest move up and down, erratic at first before slowing to match Finn’s steady pace. Something damp and cool brushed against his free hand and he pressed the paper towel to Logan’s forehead, then kissed Leo’s cheek in gratitude as he sat down. “What happened, love?”

Logan swallowed hard and licked his lips, but his eyes were opening. “Dunno. I was almost at the end of my reps. I was fine.”

“Did you eat?” Sirius asked quietly to his left, waiting with his arms crossed. Despite his stance, he didn’t look angry.

“Bagel for breakfast. Coffee.”

His mouth tilted down. “That’s not enough.”

“Desole.”

“We’re not upset,” Finn assured him, sliding the makeshift washcloth to his temple. “Just worried.”

“It’s really warm in here,” Logan panted. His pupils had dilated so far they almost masked the green entirely. Past dizziness, into dehydration. “Is anyone else warm?”

Finn’s sweat was already cooling on his body as he handed him the water glass. “Drink.”

In twenty seconds, half of it was gone. A decent amount spilled over the front of Logan’s shirt from his shaking hands, but that didn’t seem to bother him. Leo’s whole face was lined with concern. “Better?”

“Oui.”

Finn glanced up at the others and gave them a quick nod. We’ve got him. Sirius squeezed his shoulder as he passed, and Remus passed him a couple energy bars before heading back into the gym. Logan’s breaths were coming easier; they waited in silence until the rest of the water was gone and his face regained some of its color. “You can’t skip breakfast on heavy workout days, Lo,” Finn said, folding his legs under himself. “You know that’s how these get triggered.”

“It’s been long enough that I thought I’d be alright.”

“Does this happen a lot with you?” Leo asked. Insecurity flickered over his face and Finn felt a stab of guilt.

Thankfully, Logan shook his head. “Not for a while. They used to, back in school.”

“Then why’d you skip breakfast if you knew it might happen?”

“I slept weird. Didn’t wake up hungry, and by the time I was, we had to go.”

“We can take another five or ten minutes to make sure you eat instead of having a panic attack.” Just to make that extremely clear, he added in his mind. “For future reference.”

Logan’s nose twitched as he looked toward the gym door. “Sorry for interrupting your practice.”

“Health comes first,” Leo said firmly. “Practice won’t ever be more important than your safety.”

“It’s our job—”

Finn held his hands up in a timeout motion. “Panic attacks aren’t something we fuck around with, remember? The guys will understand. Coach will understand. Besides, we’re your boyfriends. It’s our job to take care of you when you’re feeling shitty.”

Logan looked between them, sighed, and leaned forward to rest his forehead on both their shoulders. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Leo said into the soft skin of his neck with a light kiss.

Finn rubbed small circles onto the back of his hand and buried his face Logan’s slightly-sweaty curls. “Love you, three. Ready to head back in?”

“Only if you’re ready for me to kick your ass in squats.”

Leo snorted. “Bold of you to assume Cap’s letting you near anything heavy for the next 24 hours.”

“That assumes he lets you in the gym at all,” Finn amended.

Logan rolled his eyes. “I’m fine.”

“And I’m sure he’ll believe you, after you’ve been cleared by every doctor in a four-mile radius.”

“I’ll make him let me in.”

“Now that I’d pay to see,” Finn laughed. He internally cheered at the rosy splotches of temper that lived a semi-permanent life on Logan’s cheeks.

Leo nodded. “A true battle of wills.”

Logan’s jaw ticked at the side. “You’re the worst boyfriends ever.”

“Nah, we’re just protecting you from your big bad older brother who is fully capable of banning you from the gym if you don’t play your cards right.” They heaved him to his feet by his hands; if Finn spent a little extra time dusting his back and thighs off, that was nobody’s business but their own.

“Are you done?” Logan asked with clear amusement written all over his face.

“I’m protecting the booty,” Finn said solemnly. Next to him, Leo fought a valiant battle against the grin trying to take over his face. “It’s a very important booty, you know.”

“Like you’d know, Pancake O’Hara.” With a playful smack to his—admittedly lacking, in comparison—rear end, Logan strolled back down the hall to the gym and pulled the door open.

“Yoga mats,” Sirius said without preamble. Leo clamped a hand over his mouth and hid his face in Finn’s shoulder.

“But—”

“Yoga mats. If you even breathe on the weights, I swear to god I’ll sit on you.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Love you, too.” Sirius narrowed his eyes down the hall. “You two have absolutely no excuse to chill out here. Congrats, Harzy, your rotation for the bench press just started. Knutty, Bliz is waiting for you by the ice baths.”

“Oh, god,” Leo groaned.

Even Sirius looked sympathetic as he moved aside to let Logan in. “It’s only fifteen minutes. You’ll sur—Logan, put that down!”

#logan tremblay #finn ohara #leo knut #sirius black #remus lupin #oknutzy #coops #cubs #sweater weather #lumosinlove #my fic #fanfic #panic attack

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morwensteelsheen · 3 years

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3 4 5 and/or 6 for the writing meme? :^)

woohoo, thank you!!! these ones are the most fun imo lmao

also going to do these out of order so i can drop the scene beneath the cut:

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why)

He thought he saw her smile as she gazed up at the starry sky. Around her, the perfectly manicured garden with its artfully planted flower beds and ancient sculptures seemed the very picture of Gondorrim beauty: mathematically balanced, rich in symbolism, an homage to thousands of years of history. She was nothing like the garden. Her hair, unbound despite the common fashions, frizzed in the humidity. One eyebrow was always slightly more arched than the other, even when she was at peace, the other had a scar through it where hair no longer grew. Another scar, dashing across the perimeter of her mouth, made her lips seem lopsided. She was not perfect, but she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

I think this, from AFTA, represents the first time I feel like I really got it right re: Faramir's thoughts on Éowyn. I really struggled to balance the hyper-critical undercurrent we get in TTT with the starry-eyed romanticism we get in ROTK, because I found it hard to believe that he would swing between those two poles instead of occupying the centre ground. I actually kind of got it when I was reading (and yeah, roast me for being pretentious as fuck lmao) Shelley's To The Moon, and I was like, oh my god, this is it. This is The Take. Like there's the point of the poem, which is Shelley being like 'moon sad bc no bf 🥺👉👈', but there's also the strangeness of him describing something as ethereal and beautiful as the moon as 'weary' and mayhaps looking a little less than perfect. Like, it gets that kind of critical pessimism but also the ultimate hotwife simpery too. Anyways yeah I'm not comparing that paragraph to Shelley by any means but that graf is definitely where everything started clicking for me a bit more, so I quite dig it.

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

Amrothos as I write him is my self-insert because 1) uncomfortable 2) not sure what the fuck is going on. Beyond that, I actually identify more with Faramir than with Éowyn, even though I find him by far and away more difficult to write. Classic. For the SW stuff I write it is unfortunately, sigh, Cassian. Though I haven't written for R1 in a long while.

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

I like writing Imrahil the most when he’s not the POV because he walks this line between being a loose cannon and being the most conniving person in the room, which I think is fun to make the other characters negotiate. But I actually like writing Denethor’s POV the best (even though I haven’t published any of that stuff) because he provides a really unique opportunity to make ruthless assessments of the other characters and plot points. Like it's nice to get to duck out of LOTR's standard optimism and into the mindset of a dude who realises how profoundly fucked up so much of it is. And I think it’s really interesting as a writer to look at other characters from the POV of someone who can see their biggest flaws very clearly but still has to find a way to either make them usable or keep them from causing any problems. It’s a fun exercise.

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

lmao this one has been sitting in my phone notes app for ages because i can't decide whether i want to work it into a WIP or just post it as a ficlet. classic. also valuable insight into my slightly deranged brain I think:

The babies were asleep, not in prams in a different room as the healers and midwives had advised, but in each of their parents’ arms — the Prince and Lady of Ithilien had always had a unique relationship to rules and authority.

The lady of the house, her curls hanging limp around her face and her face pale with exhaustion, had never looked more radiant. Beside her, the man who was there neither prince nor steward, but husband and, for the very first time, father, looked at his youngest child with rapt adoration.

It was a difficult birth by all conceivable measures, sixteen hours of labour, with an entire hour between the first and second baby, but it was not the physical act of labour that had been the hardest part of the process.

The women of the war generation had disproportionately borne daughters as their first children. In the White City, the King and Queen of the Reunited Kingdom had welcomed a daughter before the heir to the throne was born, while the King and Queen of the Riddermark had welcomed a bouncing baby girl just months before the Lady of Ithilien had begun her confinement.

She would have loved the child no matter its sex, had loved the two babies that had come and gone before they could know if they would have been sons or daughters. Her love was never in question, but Lady Éowyn was a woman for whom the constraints of her sex had been a sharp punishment, and she could not bear the thought of having to one day explain to her daughter why the laws and customs of their country dictated that she could not inherit the lands and titles that were rightfully hers.

When the first pangs of labour had begun, Éowyn had simply ignored them, continuing on with what duties she could manage (around a distinctly large belly) until even her well-honed skills could no longer hide her pain. Then, it was not until she had fought every healer, midwife, and servant in Emyn Arnen that she would be taken into the room designated her birthing chamber, and even then only after earning the concession that her husband would be allowed to stay in the room.

For sixteen long hours she had fought and struggled to bring her child into the world (then expecting but one), alternating between brutalising screams of pain and unnerving silence. When the stubborn child had finally acquiesced and begun to arrive in earnest, her screams and silence alike stopped, giving way to soft, mournful sobs and choked out prayers.

The boy, born with a shock of golden hair, had cooed before he’d cried, and Éowyn had collapsed in on herself, delirious and overcome with joy and pain and unending devotion to her child, her son, a child who would know no limits to his life, would never be told no.

And then the midwife had announced that there was another child still, and desperate, anguished tears were replaced by the look and sounds of determination, as the Lady of the Shieldarm brought her daughter into the world. Her daughter who would not be deprived of land and titles for her gender, but for being a miraculous hour younger than her brother.

Hours later, after the healers had vacated the room and before eager family members were granted entry, Éowyn cried a final time, warm tears spilling over her dazzling smile as she thanked the stars and the earth and all the Valar that they had been so blessed to have neither an overlooked daughter nor a second son. Their children, she swore, would never know the suffering that had scared their parents’ lives, and that, she knew, was a sign of the happier days she had been promised all those years ago.

#thank you!!!!!!!!#asks

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swfanficbyjz · 6 years

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SW AU - Slave Bonds - Ch. 6

< - Previous Chapter

"You must be exhausted. Let's get some quarters set up for you," he said after realizing they'd been meditating together well into the night.

"By the looks of this place, I think my ship would be more comfortable. Thank you for the offer, but I’d rather sleep there." She stood up, stretching out the kinks in her muscles from sitting in the same position for so long. “There’s an extra bunk if you’d like.”

"That sounds nice. Probably better than these lousy rocks," he muttered as he followed her back to the hanger.

"The Jedi can afford fancy ships like this, but not mattresses?" she joked, pointing him the way to the bottom bunk.

"They believe in living life, simply. The force provides. Yada yada." He threw up his arms and rolled his eyes.

"You'd think they'd take better care of their soldiers if they want them to fight well." She smirked and climbed over him to get to the top bunk after shedding her belt and boots.

"That would be nice," he yawned. She stared at the ceiling for awhile. She was tired, but still buzzing from everything that had happened since she'd decided to trust her instincts and head into the factory. His shallow breaths gave way to deeper ones with an occasional snore and she smiled to herself. His presence was still comforting. After so many strange nights throughout her life, she felt safe again. She'd longed for the day she could see him again, and even though nothing had gone as she'd thought it would, the fact that she had found him was enough now. She wished there was something she could do, to let him know. Words were hardly satisfying.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, curious about this force stuff he'd told her about. He'd said, that with a little training, she could sense with intention. She groped the air around her with her feelings, opening herself to the force like he'd demonstrated.

As though she'd put goggles on, the ship around her came to life. A hidden world, just beneath the surface; a sense of harmony between both the living and the man-made. Natural and unnatural. As she reached out further, she felt people moving around, attending to their duties. She could feel the pressure of the hull as it blurred all sense of time and space.

She explored this new sensation for awhile, feeling her way through the ship and then she brought it back to her immediate vicinity. His heartbeat seemed to thrum the very air around it, strong and sure. It was as real in her senses as if she had her head to his chest. She felt him breathe the same way, as it stirred the air and the force around it. She could feel the unconscious expressions of pain; every hiccup as if it were her own. And then she became aware of something more than the way his body functioned. She closed down her feelings and sat up. Maybe there was something she could do for him.

She knelt near the head of his bunk, "Ahsoka, what are you doing?" he asked jumping back in surprise. She leaned her elbows on the bed and looked at him intensely.

"You seem lonely, master. Is there anything I can do?" she whispered, tipping her head to the side.

"Uh, no. I'm fine, Snips." He blushed and looked down.

"Are you sure? I know a lot of ways to please a man," she breathed, straightening so she could show off a bit.

"I told you, I don't want you doing that anymore," He shook his head disapprovingly. She brushed it off. This was what she knew how to do. It wasn’t her favorite thing, but if it made him feel better, she’d do it. She’d felt plenty of tension in him. What harm would come from a little stress relief and exercise? Besides, she wanted it with him. She’d only tolerated the others because she had to.

"You wouldn't have to pay." She scooted closer and he backed up.

"I don't care about the money, only what it does to you." He bonked his head on the beam of the top bunk and she sat back on her heels as he rubbed it.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" she felt stupid. Of course there was. She might be young, but she was well aware of what she had to offer. And if he didn’t want it, he had a reason waiting for him at home.

"What? No. It's not that." She raised a brow. He’d said that too quickly. In fact, he sounded nervous that she’d mentioned it.

"What then?" she persisted but kept her distance this time.

"Jedi aren't supposed to have attachments. No long-term relationships." The Jedi. It always came back to them. A lousy excuse, in her opinion.

"They can't get married? Or have families? What about friendships?"

"I don't know. The point is, you're never supposed to put one person over the lives of many. They believe attachments distract you from doing what you need to do. You can't be more devoted to someone than you are the order." He crossed his arms in front of himself, leaning back into the wall of the ship. She watched him heave a sigh as though he forgot she was watching. This topic bothered him, and it wasn’t because of what she was proposing. She hadn’t asked for a commitment. She was offering one night. No attachment involved.

"They're not going to like me then. The last ten years of my life have been devoted to finding you. I don't plan on letting you go now.” She climbed all the way onto the bed, crawling towards him. “I promise I'll take good care of you," she whispered, setting her hand on his knee and inching her way to his face. She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair. He looked at her, his eyes a little wider than normal. She gave him a teasing smile and bit her bottom lip. She slid her hand up his thigh. There was heat there, and hunger in his eyes. He hadn’t pushed her away, but he also hadn’t given in yet. She traced her fingers closer and then brought her hand up to his chest, reaching to pull his robes apart.

“I'm married!" he said suddenly, as her hand found the bare skin of his chest. He brought his to cover his mouth and looked at her in fear.

"But I thought you just said?" She’d frozen for a moment.

"Yeah, and I also said they don't let older kids or adults into the order," he scooted away from her and her hand fell to her side.

"They let you get married?"

"They don't know."

"Oh. Well, no one has to know about us either. I know all about being discreet." She recovered herself and started reaching for him again.

"Jedi can sense things."

"They can't sense your secret marriage, so what makes you think they'll sense this?"

"Please, Ahsoka. Stop,” he breathed, looking away. “I like you, but..."

She dropped her hands and climbed off the bed. Crossing her arms in front of her, she couldn’t hide the hurt. Naturally the one person she wanted, didn’t want her. "Well... if you ever change your mind. I'm free for you." She leapt back into the top bunk and rolled so she was facing the wall. Her cheeks burned. She’d completely misread the signs, it didn’t get more stupid than that. She chewed on her lip wondering if he’d change his mind about training her, now that she’d made it clear what she wanted from him. She’d stay if he wanted her to. But she’d never try to touch him again. "She must really be something for you to risk everything for her."

"She is." She squeezed her eyes shut. Yeah, something way better than me.

"Tell me about her," she stared blankly at the wall. Why did she want to know? Why did it even matter? It wouldn’t distract her from the fact that he’d rejected her.

She adored him when they’d been kids. Her four, looking up to him, a nine-year-old. He was good at everything; building things, repairing stuff, podracing, protecting people. Whenever she could get away from Sebulba, she’d shadowed him everywhere. He’d never seemed to mind. In many ways, he’d been like a big brother to her. Even with friends his own age, he’d never pushed her aside. Though many details of that age had faded, the one thing that never had was how protective he’d been of her. She closed her eyes, remembering his anger that day, when he’d seen the fresh stream of bruises that checkered her arms. She remembered the look he’d gotten in his eyes. And she remembered, whenever she was scared, or lonely, or hurting, that he had been her sanctuary.

Over the years, that had translated to a sense of going home. And she supposed, that meant she believed they’d always be together. The idea of finding him had always been followed by a sense of permanence. And as she’d grown in her own sexuality through the choices she’d made, she’d figured when she did, it would just turn into that too. It had made sense in her brain anyways. Life was more complicated.

---

What was that noise? She sat up quickly, forgetting she was in the top bunk this time and barely missed the pipe that jutted from the ceiling. The bottom bunk was empty when she peered over the edge. It was coming from nearby, but she didn't think it was the normal commotion of people coming to work in the hanger.

She followed the sound outside and around the hull of her ship until she found a pair of legs sticking out from under it. He reached blindly out, feeling for a part that was out of reach and she kicked it towards his hand. She cringed feeling guilty when he banged his head in surprise. "Good morning, Snips." He rolled out from under the ship, rubbing his head. This was the second time in a few hours he'd banged his head because of her. She'd have to be more careful. Though she had no idea why he was so on edge about her presence. Then again...

"What are you doing to my ship?" She crossed her arms and hiked a brow.

"Well I noticed that your fuel intake valve was broken so I thought I'd fix it for you, and then I saw that the air compressor was gummed up, so I started cleaning that out. And then..."

"Alright alright. I get it. My ship is in bad shape." She waggled her finger at him. "Don't you know it's not nice to insult someone's ride?"

"I wasn't insulting it," he stood up, and ran a gloved hand across the hull, lovingly? "It's a nice ship. It needs a little tune-up, but otherwise, it's in good shape." She looked between him and the ship, half tempted to ask him if he loved the ship more than her. But then she bit her lip, remembering their exchange the night before and decided it was better not to open that crate of feelings again. "I had them fill up your fuel tank too. And I checked all the fluid levels."

"Are you trying to tell me I should go?"

His hand dropped to his side and he turned to her, eyes widened in surprise. "No, not at all. I just thought..." he looked down at the floor. "Working on things helps me think. And well..."

"I'm sorry about last night," she said quietly. "I thought maybe I could help you... de-stress, I guess. Don't worry, I won't do it again."

"Ahsoka," he breathed, reaching like he was going to touch her and changed his mind. "How many times have you done it?"

"More than I care to admit." She shook her head.

"Did it ever mean anything to you?"

"No. It was just a way to make money. Make someone happy, get paid, move on."

"When two people love each other, sex can be a part of it, yes. But there's more to it than just pleasures of the flesh. There's an intimacy and connection that happens too. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if we were to do it, which we can't because I'm..."

"Married." She finished for him. "Yeah, I know."

"I'd want it to mean something to you. Because it would to me." He gave her a piercing look and she stared at him in confusion for a moment.

She chewed her lip. "In my experience, sex was never about love. I'm not sure I even know what love is. People talk about it all the time. Sing about it, do crazy things for it. But... what does it even mean? To love?"

"I'm not sure I can answer that for you. I think it's something you have to figure out for yourself. But I think it's about caring for people, protecting them, helping them. Not looking out for only yourself." He paced thoughtfully and she watched him.

"You loved me," she said and he stopped and looked up at her. "When I had nothing, when I was all alone, you looked out for me. You protected me. Whenever I was afraid, I ran to you. And then you helped me escape, even when you couldn't help yourself. Everything I did after that was to survive and to come back for you. Because... I loved you too. All these years, I saw it as going home." She felt a tear escape the corner of her eye and she blinked it away. "I thought... when I found you, we'd always be together. But I was too late. It took too long." She turned and ran back inside the ship, slumping down into the pilot seat.

"Love is home," he whispered as though he’d never thought about it that way. He sat down in the copilot seat next to her. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. He didn't speak again for a long time. And neither did she. What could she say?

"General Skywalker." A voice came through a communicator clipped to his wrist.

"Yes, captain?" he answered, pushing a button.

"The council wishes to speak with you, sir."

"I'll be right there." He clicked off the button and sat back against the seat, sighing.

She glanced over at him and saw him reach forward and pick something up off the dashboard. When he held it up, he was holding the charm he'd given her all those years ago.

"I still want to train you, but if you don't want to stay, I understand." He turned it over in his hand, playing with it absentmindedly. "I'm sorry I can't give you what you were hoping for." He placed it in her palm and left the ship.

She stared at it for a long time, working through everything he'd said. Could you love someone even if you're not together romantically? It must be possible, right? Parents love their children. At least... she thought they did. She couldn't remember her own parents, but she remembered the way Shmi had been with him. And he'd loved her too. Did friendships count as love? She could see his clear affection for Captain Rex, and the other people aboard the ship. But if love was about protecting people, and helping them... why didn't the Jedi allow it? Isn't protecting and helping exactly what the Jedi are supposed to do?

And if she were to leave, right now, where would she go? What would she do? Finding him had been the only thing she'd strived for. And she finally had. So now what? Stay and fight in a war she cared little about or go and do what exactly? Make money? For what? All paths in her life had led to him. Leaving wasn't really an option.

Could she handle being around him all the time knowing he was in love with someone else? She was on her way to the command deck before she could change her mind. It didn't matter if she could handle it or not. She wasn't leaving. She'd have to figure out the rest later. He may not love her the way she wanted, but he had loved her. Even now he was still offering to care for her and help her, at the cost of getting in trouble, no less! The least she could do is return that favor, by watching over him. By standing by his side.

His smile when she entered the room was enough. Rex tipped his head to acknowledge her presence. "I can do it, masters," he said, glancing back up at the holopeople. "My padawan and I are on our way."

"Wait... what?" One of them said.

He clicked off the transmission and looked over at her. "First mission together. You ready, Snips?"

"Right beside you, Skyguy." She crossed her arms, standing taller and trying to look more confident than she felt.

"Uh sir? Did you just hang up on the Jedi council?" Rex asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I did." Anakin moved towards where she stood. "If they call back, tell them I'm busy."

"If you say so, sir." Rex replied hesitantly.

Next Chapter ->

#star wars #star wars au #slave bonds #ahsoka tano #anakin skywalker #snips #skyguy #love #the force #the jedi #captain rex #fanfiction #fanfic

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veniceperformanceart · 7 years

Text

Ein Gespräch – A Conversation

By Aisha Ryannon Pagnes

Conversations between ART WEEK writer Aisha Ryannon Pagnes and artists and co-curators of the III Venice International Performance Art Week 2016.

Photograph © Claudia Popovici.

In order of appearance:

(LSC): Leisa Shelton-Campbell

(JK): Julius Kaiser

(ADR): Alexander Del Re

(ARP): Aisha Ryannon Pagnes

(K): Kyrahm

(NF): Nicola Fornoni

(DQ): Douglas Quin

(SW): Susanne Weins

(SV): Sašo Vollmaier

(HC): Helen Cole

(LC): Lorne Covington

(JM): James McAllister

(PRS): Preach R Sun

(JE): Jeannette Ehlers

(NB): Nathalie Anguezomo Mba Bikoro

The gift, or the awful burden of the artist is that they see details in the world and they see their implications and that is what they bring into the space; we all walked passed that old woman, we all walked past that box on the ground by that old woman, we all walked passed. But they can’t because of the dynamic of that person and how they relate to the very fact that people were walking past and they have to do something with it. But we were all there. I don’t think they can present anything different, they are just presenting rather than ignoring. (LSC)

The difference between manifesting and showing is getting to the heart. (JK)

And by mediating between ideas and people you are in a position where you can open a question, but I doubt we can provide an answer; I am not convinced that I have any solution to the problem. (ADR)

How do you think this can be misinterpreted? (ARP)

These topics are so fragile that anything is enough to cause misunderstanding. (K)

When something is taken out of context and put into an anonymous realm

it is everyone’s to play with and assume a context for. (LSC)

It is not that complex, in fact, it is very simple… (NF)

Disconnect the brain and connect the heart.

And it is that idea of being alive, and maybe it is as simple as that. (DQ)

There was a very strong need to express movement. It is there that I felt the most alive.

This feeling of where life is… (SW)

But the reality is that when I close the door I close myself. So this is what I need to learn, how to live this quality outside... (SV)

What is this quality?

It’s curiosity… This is what I am looking for, not just for others but also in my Self.

Believing in human creativity… all this aggression, all these suppressed feelings exist because we are creative creatures… so he welcomed aggression, to ask what’s behind this, what’s unread and to transfer this aggression into the voice, into movement, dance; to focus on each person’s expression as a creative source… and express this… this fragility… and suddenly all these colours… but you have to go through all those true personal states, you really have to go into your guts and feel this pain to find a true voice, something which is meaningful… (SW)

I was always connected to the voice through my family… more so with my father.

There were nine children in the family and I think singing was also a way to survive.

They would sing together to get emotionally stronger,

so this tradition I remember because they kept it, till now.

For me performance is almost like surviving. It is going to a deep process of… almost of death… and surviving this… many fears… (SV)

Sašo Vollmaier and Susanne Weins. Photograph © Lorenza Cini.

It is the cornerstone of art, because art for art’s sake is so tautologically irrelevant, it is very easy to produce, it is a comfort zone for many artists. I need some challenge and the challenge involves the other, it involves failure, in many ways, because in performance you are not supposed to have everything under control and do exactly as you thought you would, I don’t believe in that kind of practice. (ADR)

Knots were forming and I wasn’t able to disentangle them. I wasn’t able to make a homogeneous wig: it was full of knots. It was all a process of becoming and I wanted to let myself be transported by a continuous and unpredictable flow.

I found myself within the situation and I wasn’t trying to govern it,

I let my Self be moved, I surrendered.

When I am performing I am in a therapeutic level. I do try to transform something from its negative to its positive through actions towards the public.(NF) Even though we are not using performance art as therapy, we are not supposed to, we are not qualified to, it has some therapeutic aspects to it at some levels and I am aware that I am using it in my own personal life. You are using your body not only as a tool, but as a terrain, as a battlefield and addressing phobias is a good way to be aware of the body, because you become aware of its fragility. (ADR)

It dealt with an aspect of loss. (HC)

It is part of life… Tied to the gestural action, to the preciousness your feel of yourself, or a body, or a relationship, or an experience lived personally. Art needs to make you identify with what it wants to say, with the mind, with the spirit and heart. (NF)

How much more marvellous and essential, of synthesis, direct, a punch to the stomach, no filters. (JK)

It is just an ongoing investigation (ADR) of addressing things that our minds have problems with: it touches you at a visceral level, and that is a way of getting people to think about it. (DQ)

It is an open exercise in dealing with difficulties, especially when you are dealing with something that can be really difficult to perceive, it’s a good exercise for understanding other people’s perception, too.

Many times we forget about what the audience perceives or what they want to perceive, and sometimes it is interesting to work with things that are difficult to perceive for the audience, too, because there is always someone in the audience that can do that and others that can’t. Many of the things I address come from my daily experience, and how the understanding of one another can be faulty in many ways or incomplete, and I feel the need of addressing these issues, maybe just to provide some other perspective. And sometimes that change of perspective can be very useful for an audience, to see something that they haven’t seen before. Art is a communication tool really. It is a form that can create ways of communicating with each other, in unexpected ways, complex ways, lots of ways. If there is no communication I think performance art would be empty. Performance art creates a temporary situation in which people can be real but disconnected from reality, and that breaks some of the barriers people have. (ADR)

It’s about place. You are bringing everybody together in that place and giving to them a way to interact with one another in a way they never have before. Really creating a new kind of space. (LC)

It’s a different language. (JK)

So then you realise that it is a common language, which maybe has something to do with a collective common imaginary. (K)

I think it is the only language that enables you to express your Self with authenticity and without added filters. I had a necessity of extreme truth in terms of my own personal life, and through art I found the way to express my Self without suffering. The moment I live the creative experience I feel like I am living in the right dimension.

Everything recomposes in equilibrium, harmoniously. (K)

It can lead to failure, but failure isn’t failure if you think of it in terms of growth. (ADR)

James McAllister. Photograph © Edward Smith.

I wanted to work with people, to be in touch with people…

I studied human beings, and this was so interesting. Our task was to study, to see what the problems are… we had to learn how to see, to look at people, to learn what they could have.

I see the strength of people. I see the strength of the body… loosing blood while keeping concentration… how strong the body is... So then I wondered:

“What is the most fragile?”

And then I thought: “Yes... relations... society, how to cope for example with strains, with this energy…

This is the most fragile… relations... what we try to do really is to strengthen relationships.” (SW) And to rediscover ourselves socially, not in places of worship, socialising or business transactions, but a shared art making creates a safe space to discover each other potential— an inward turning of outward creative energies. (DQ)

It gives space to more direct relationships, as opposed to the daily mundanity, which is based a lot on the flattening of conversations, flattening of time, which always runs short anyway, so then here your are giving your Self, your time, you go back to a way of relating that is normal, before or beyond contemporaneity.

It gives space to be able to accept that which I went through with the energy that the public gives back. This freedom from negativity I find it to be an experiential exchange of love. (NF)

I wanted to use something that is personal and social at the same time, almost anyone has some sort of phobia.( ADR)

But the necessity doesn’t lie in needing to talk about one’s Self, but to express the message, which in us is entrusted. Revealing one’s Self, revealing one’s own fragility somehow gives you strength because not hiding your own discomfort which in any case you are constantly afraid of it being revealed, gives you awareness... And awareness is everything. (K)

When we release something, we lose this sense of judgment. (SV)

Seeing their emotion, the trembling of their voices… their breath even, under the gaze of the public. (K)

You are tackling immaterial fragile relationships… And because you need to engage the audience somewhat directly, fragility has to be seen… but what happens if you don’t see anything, if you just perceive something. For some people that perception can be interesting but for some people it does nothing, that too can happen. (ADR)

I don’t know how far it goes once it leaves the room… (LC)

OK so what’s for dinner? (DQ)

Douglas Quin and Lorne Covington. Photograph © Alexander Harbaugh.

I know that things that touched me deeply in my life I still remember and have coloured my perspective, so hopefully what happens when they leave the room, who knows, you touch them in some sort of way. (LC)

It is my strong belief that something very special can happen between people, where you have to be very present both as an audience and as an artist, and there is something about our world that kind of prevents you from doing that; a lot of the time we build up resistance to that and I think performance is one of those strategies we can employ to break down the border, to

Feel. Again. Together. (HC)

In Ecce (H)omo (by Kyrahm) there is a woman in the second room.

She is listening to her partner’s tapes:

Love messages.

She was with her for 23 year.

You are there with her, your back to the wall, facing this woman’s profound love.

So I am showing you this sentiment, and this can be far more effective than a debate on the meaning of love (and the violation of human rights when societal structures neglect this on the basis of categorisations.) (ARP) Therefore, at a certain point art and activism meet and it is this, being able to use effective ways and enable the public to reach the same conclusions, vehicled by a different language, that of the heart that enabled this connection, between everyone. (K)

It is based on the simple biology of osmosis, you have a concentration of saline solution and a membrane and a concentration of lower saline solution, and what happens is the salt passes through the membrane, it is what happens in our cells, the salt passes through the membrane until the concentration of salinity are equal, that is what I think is I’m trying to look at.

I aspire to creating some sort mechanism where the flow of information in between the artist and the witness is kind of equal, where there is as much coming one way as there is the other, so what I tried to make was a series of apertures through which things would flow in both directions, in a more or less restricted way. (JM)

An encounter between people. (K)

You have this range of intensity of what you can exchange, so the value of that transaction really depends on how much you are willing to put into it. (ARP)

The creation of a link between my Self and the other,

how am I reflected in the other and how they are reflected in me. (ADR)

Sometimes, situations confront you with yourself, in whichever way and then you realise that you have a lot to work on… and the connecting link here is this recognised belief that everything is so fragile, and that we are not perfect, and that we need to connect, and we need to share, and we need to understand one another. (ARP)

Confrontation requires a great effort. (K)

some people were eager to discuss this

some people didn’t want to address it at all

and some people even rejected it. (ADR)

No matter what you feel, the very fact that you won’t understand it, that you want to reject it...

It is already too late because I planted a seed in you. (PRS)

Leisa Shelton-Campbell and Marilyn Arsem. Photograph © Claudia Popovici.

Art is a peaceful rebellion. (NF)

A form of resistance.

There are various forms of resistance. (JK)

There is no attention to the individual, which could be a universe of its own, categorical to nothing. I could even choose to be a completely transparent being, indefinable, that daily morphs its own gender, its own identity, this too can exist...

Yet convictions of what society expects from you, that perform a function, can at some point become very strong shackles of social control and to live the experience of deconstructing and re-inventing who you are (K) has to do with self-determination: I define myself based on what I feel, not based on what is imposed on me.

And the political act is that to show one’s Self for who you are, and the language of performance art is that of the body, which in any case is true to itself. A person is born with a body, like we all do and this body is ‘described’ based on notions of gender. Human society has prerequisites, it has rules; that everything should return to a gender binary. (JK) There is no acknowledgment of the various infinite shades of identity. (K) Society still expects a boy or a girl. (JK)

A society still highly patriarchal, catholically conditioned and controlled, and it shows through these issues. (K)

It has to do with the amount of differences that each individual is being exposed to – culturally, mentally, religiously spiritually; suddenly everything enters your sphere of how the other lives and it can be threatening because we are so basic, we are so simple and we need comfort, we need stability and the moment it is disrupted you instil this sense of fear; it takes a lot of self-deconstruction to be able to realise what is the faulty key in the system, in relationships, in society, but in order to do that you have to present a model or to inspire a means of communication that is uncharted, and to see it objectively

and that is really difficult because you are also part of it. (ADR)

Artivism if you may. (K)

Activism has a lot to do with reclaiming.

A neglected right that I reclaim, so most often there is a contraposition where these situations create conflicts and internal ones, too, because what I see in the world, my partner sees differently, and so you create a conflict based on differences.

The dynamic of the message is something else, and the main difference here is that in art there is no counterattack. There is feeling, there is enabling a condition to be felt, and that may just as well bring people closer, despite their clashing ideologies. Activism is frequently tied to the contrast in ideologies; in art ideologies don’t reign, there is the human experience, there is life, there is death, there is sickness, there is joy, there is love, there is suffering.

But this suffering, I try to share... there is sharing, yes, so it is a different approach that tends to shorten gaps, or perhaps even widen them, at an emotive level, because effectively I can distance myself from a strong emotion, but it is a peaceful reaction. (JK)

So rather than just talking about statistics or climate change as a political problem or an issue, I think it is important to appeal to people’s senses and emotions rather than just their intellect, so people can hear and not just be overwhelmed by data of how quickly the ice is melting or what have you…

So, what does it sound like?... (DQ)

Is that a voice? Is that the wind? (LC)

How do we relate?

We relate to one another through sight, through sound, through touch…

Alexander Del Re. Photograph © Edward Smith.

So I think the sensory engagement is a very important part of the message rather than just a data dump where people can feel overwhelmed and a bit helpless.

It becomes art as a social interaction.

The ultimate goal for us, is self-awareness but also awareness of what’s out there. (DQ)

So with all this raising of awareness, the need to communicate these ideas (because art in a way is just another tool for communication) everyone is craving answers, everyone is craving solutions, so what should an audience go home with? (ADR)

That human voices are part of a fabric of many voices. (DQ)

As an artist you can provide possibilities, ideas, or questions that can be tackled differently, and I you can rethink possibilities but I don’t think there is a solution that I can provide. (ADR)

Part of the contract of the piece is how you relate to each other and not just to the work. People then become aware of their own behaviour, and aware of other people, and that is the key for us. That you become more self-aware but also more aware of other people.

That it’s not just me, I, we, it’s us.

That dynamic is really beautiful, and people get it when they start paying attention. (DQ)

That difference of active engagement. So this is about layers of responsibility, of people’s desire to engage to take time, to go in and say “oh yep, got it” or to chose to go in and have a relationship and bid your time and to make the transaction, which some people really did, and when you see it all there, you get this really clear representation of humans.

Here we all are, here it all is. The levels with which we transact our relationships.

And that is very telling. (LSC)

An ongoing investigation of human relations. (ADR)

Bianca Bonaldi and Nicola Fornoni. Photograph © Catarina Ragg.

And now when I see people talking about progress, in my personal experience we have not progressed at all. So for me the issue of race in America is something that I experience first hand, so when I hear people philosophise or talk about these issues from this hypothetical or statistical point of view, and not understanding the experience and how it plays out, it sometimes infuriates me.

If we can postulate that human beings are free by nature, but that freedom requires a moral and intellectual responsibility, and if we live in a society where so many of us are struggling and starving while so few have so much, then what I do know is that this society is not free. So if someone says that we are scared of freedom, it means we are scared to fighting against something, because if we reach humanity that means that people won’t be in prisons, people won’t be starving, we’d be taking care of each other. I don’t know what freedom is, but I think that is what it would look like, maybe it is utopian. I think we are in a pre-revolutionary phase now, and unfortunately that’s where a lot of people don’t like me because I describe myself as an anarchist and an active nihilist. I believe that you have to burn down in order to rebuild. First and foremost, we have to organise.

I think the poor have to organise, the black have to organise around the globe, and I think everyone else will organise around, and that is why I use blackness as a political means to activate revolution. But I don’t think we would want to do that because we are constricted or tied down or bound by need, so we need things to look like this, we need our cars, we need our nice clothes, we need our bars, we need to sit in big comfort, so that is why I think the brilliance of capitalism and globalisation is that it has us conditioned, and that is how we remain slaves, so it might seem impossible, and it is impossible if we think it is impossible. We are scared of being failures, it is this conditioning, fear of being ostracised. “What do you mean you don’t have this or that?” So I think it is that condition where in essence we are perpetuating our own slavery. (PRS)

Even failure is a good thing to experience, but of course it is difficult to embrace failure, you are not supposed to, that is the problem. (ADR)

What is not freedom –

That we live like this is not freedom. We have to crush the blocks, all of them, and I think they reflect issues of sexuality, race, religion, culture, we have to question everything; all these things that we don’t want to question, all these institutions, they have to be challenged, so how far do we want to go? I am hopeful about younger generations, but at the same time

I don’t think they will be as radical; it is difficult for white children to free themselves from privilege. It’s always our responsibility to be vigilant and to stand up against the powers. And I think that to co-opt and to be a part of the system, takes over at a certain point because it is called responsibility, it is called adulthood, there are many ways to try to get the youth to change their minds. So I think it is always a thing that when people are young they are radical, they are standing for the date, they believe in freedom, they believe in these things and it is not fair to blame them, it happens with every generation. It is hard to break free.

It is hard for anybody to standalone.

And hear people talk about you and call you crazy.

I think generally humans want to love each other, or they try, but I think there is a flaw in humanity. (PRS)

And art is a tool, a social weapon. (NF)

Preach R Sun and ORLAN. Photograph © Alexander Harbaugh.

I have encountered racism many times. Maybe more subtly, but still I experience racism every day, since the structure of our society is racist. It might not be personal to me, but still the whole structure of the society influences me as well. The stronger you are in your own history, the stronger you will seem. They listen to you because they see that there is a connection, they might not understand that but they see that something is there. I don’t expect people to do it overnight, it takes time, I’m still trying to decolonize myself, I’m not there at all and it is an ongoing thing because it is so rooted in our structures, deep into ourselves, it takes a long time, I wonder if it will be in my lifetime… and that is what I’m trying to do,

I hope that it can have an impact, that it can help people see alternatives and to move on in different directions. I am also educating myself all the time; so it is a long journey, not tiring at all, but there is a lot of work to do, for myself but also for the community as well, for the nation. (JE)

What does it mean to decolonise? (ARP)

It’s a matter of choices, its a matter of possibilities, it is a long-term work, you can’t really do it like this, I don’t know what the future will look like but I just hope that my work and what we are all doing here, is capable of changing the mindset of people, so we can have a future with more equality. It doesn’t have to be this way, the society is a structure, it is a European structure, the way it looks now. There are so many other pre-Columbian societies that looked different, not that I want us to go back to being in the jungle, but the mindset and the perception of the world could be very different, and still we could evolve and move forward in new ways. So that is what I’m trying to do, that my work will at least inspire people to think outside the box. And now we are having so much gender talk, and we are trying to give voice to so many different perceptions of what it is to be a human being.

Life is so full of nuances,

and why don’t we allow them to be there, why don’t we allow all these voices to be heard, but that is the structure that we live in, and that is the colonial structure, that it has to be one way, but the colonial structure that is in power of the world is just a structure, it could be different, it could be another structure. (JE)

It has to do with our education and the history taught across the spectrum globally is or has been authoritarian in some way. The artist’s voice is a way to deconstruct that, to say that there are histories out there and they should be prominent too. It doesn’t mean that if it is written in a history book that it is OK, because it has been published, because, the first thing that people say is “I didn’t hear that, where did you find that information, I didn’t read that.” So then that makes my story not a part of history. The thing is, you have to go on with this conversation. People throw it at you like a spit in the face, “OK I have you now and I am going to make you converse with me, I am going to make you learn how to talk…” Because a lot of people are afraid of their own memory. I see this in Germany, in Berlin, there hasn’t been this exercise of memory, they had to deal with so much since WWII, and so only specific things have been put there... Because it is too much, so there hasn’t been this exercise of memory. It should not be about victimisation, it should be about empowering all communities and being aware of it.

So the first thing that happens is that there is rejection…

Three months later the same person calls me and says,

I’ve been thinking about it…

I see it this way now.

That is history right there, I don’t need to publish it in a book. That is my reality, your reality, our reality, and that is real. I don’t need Sarkozy to tell me that Africa hasn’t entered history yet. You know? Come on… So it is very necessary.

So first I’m telling you the story you know, I’m only speaking in words, but the performance, that says everything because it transcends all of it. I don’t even need to speak, and you understand it and it’s you. It’s not about me huh. It’s about you, you are decolonizing your own body your own mind, your own history and this takes a lifetime… It is not just nine months, it is your whole life. (NB)

Nathalie Anguezomo Mba Bikoro and Jeannette Ehlers. Photograph © Claudia Popovici.

I’ve been thinking about this question for many years, especially when I am addressing these very sensitive and important issues, which are really relevant in some contexts. So I started to rethink some of the projects that I had based on that, also given the feedback that arose from the interactions which was so relevant that it changed the whole project. So I decided to use it as a tool, because I didn’t want to impose some idea, criteria or vision onto another human being without incorporating the feedback of other people’s point of view. (ADR) My responsibility is to keep doing what I do, and keep revealing and manifesting this cultural narrative and to educate myself so that I can be here and be here the way that I want to be, but I think it is everybody’s responsibility to educate themselves, to know where we are coming from, and to open up and get out of this colonial narrative and structure. Especially for white people it is really necessary to let go of this narrative and listen to those other voices, because there is so much to learn. Because most of the time this whole history is seen as a burden of the black people and not of whites, but it is actually a burden of the whites, too. It is so necessary for whites to let go of this structure. (JE)

I believe that responsibility never ends. Because you are an artist, you are a person, a citizen, you are fundamentally a human being, and so it is an ethical matter, and ethic doesn’t have an off switch, it is something that I carry with me constantly. It is a constant questioning of whether you are behaving in an ethical way, and of course we are humans, so we make mistakes, we even do things which we are ashamed of, otherwise the world would be a different world. And I think that paying attention, if we are able to do so, if you are able to live with the same intensity you live a performance or a theatrical act, even the most mundane aspects of human life when it comes to relationships and respect, you will have a richer life, a beauty not of aesthetics but a beauty of fulfilment that can give meaning to your life. (JK)

The responsibility of the individual is to rebel, no matter what.

What happens in a slave society, is that people don’t understand the power of the individual voice and the responsibility of this individual voice. Under these oppressed positions the way it is designed is that we are dependent upon the very system that is suppressing us, and this is why I compare racial slavery to capitalism. What they replaced with slavery (via capitalism) is something far more nefarious and far more oppressive, which is need. So we feel like we need this situation, because we have this idea of capitalism, we fetishise the Dollar, or the Euro or whatever, so our relationship to money is that we need money to live and that’s not the case. Money is a piece of paper, so our lives are invested in pieces of paper that we feel conditioned to strive for, when in fact if everyone said “Fuck this, this piece of paper doesn’t mean anything” then the system would fall, it would stop; but we fetishise, and we are taught that. So I think that the individual’s job is to see through and to sacrifice themselves, and I think that we don’t understand is that no matter how many of us want to just live our lives and be safe and secure, in order to get free you have to sacrifice, you have to be willing to die for it, because no one is going to give it to you, because the thing that we don’t understand in this capitalistic situation is that it is spreading throughout the world and it is predatory. It is designed to just crush the poor. That’s not democracy, that’s not freedom by any stretch of the imagination. So we are free no more than free-range chickens; you place animals on the farm and you just let them roam, but you are waiting to fatten them up for the slaughter house, like cows. You just put grass there and they won’t leave, you don’t even need to put fences up – and that is where we are, circumscribed by need. This is what we have to break out of, this idea that we need this way of life. Because what we don’t seem to understand is that, in fact, it’s this reality that is actually poisoning us all.

So what you are starting to see now is that there are these pockets or groups of indigenous people in different areas and I feel they all have power, and share equal responsibility (as human beings) in this struggle. For example, Native Americans are fighting to protect the land. We all have a responsibility to stand and fight with them. The strength and struggle of black people (black people have always been known around the globe as the sufferers of racial and systematic oppression) is to stand and fight to abolish the oppressive system of white supremacy – I’m specifically speaking to the construct of race and the economic institution of capitalism, and I feel that if the rest of the world identified with the black struggle then we could all come together, but so often people think that the black struggle is anti-whiteness, as opposed to looking at it like: if poor people oppressed everywhere saw what was happening to black people is inevitably happening to all of us, then you could connect. So I use blackness as a means to liberate.

Yes, first and foremost my goal is to try and liberate my own people, to wake up my people, but at the same time if black people in general are the key to everyone’s liberation, people see it, because we were the ones that were on the first row of oppression, so we saw it. So if you see that and you align with that then we start building, once you build though – and that is the thing that we don’t understand is that inevitably the enemy is going to reveal itself to you, and they are not going to give it up without a fight – but if we build together we outnumber them. But we are too scared of seeing that; if we build together the rich, the powerful, the status quo, they cannot withstand such an onslaught. But we will have to be willing to die, so I think the only way that this is going to end unfortunately is in revolution. You are talking about nations that hold power through war, so they are not going to give it up, but I think that as long as people stay afraid and say, well we have to honour the civil society, then we are always going to be enslaved. And the richer slaves too, and that’s what they don’t understand, because this is not the nature of our humanity. Our nature as human beings is freedom. We are the manifestation of freedom, so if we are not living free we are all slaves. But the rich don’t care about being slaves, they don’t care about the environment, they don’t care about women’s rights, they don’t care about equal rights for everybody. They care about their rights, and so they will do anything to hold on to that. So the responsibility of the individual is to rebel, so in my work I’m always calling up “Wake up slaves, why don’t you rebel!”

That’s what I think the responsibility of the artist is, to use that power to change the perspectives of people – even if it is difficult and also “to reflect the society.” As an artist, you can’t just go around entertaining. You have this gift, you have this power, you have this voice, so it is your responsibility to stand. And I think that artists right now in the world are the last that can stand, that can say something and change things, but I don’t think it is going to happen as long as art is cloistered away in galleries… (for consumerism), so it’s a reflection of the very society that we are living in, because the artist is so enslaved by the idea of capitalisms. The saddest thing I’ve ever seen is when I look at art in galleries cause it reminds me of animals in zoos, cause the power is taken out of it. It is like the bear over the hearth, the hunter kills the beast and the head is its trophy, so I think art kind of lives in that situation where the artists are thirsty and feel like “Oh I have to work, I have to eat and my value, my validation relies in the capitalist who buys.” So we are traded, we are commodified and our works are as objects. So I don’t think that is radical, the responsibility of the artist is to take it to the street, is to find new ways to disrupt this, to find new ways of revolutionise the society around them, and yes that can be taken the wrong way, it's like saying “What good is it to reason with slaves about freedom,” and when you talk about the phenomenology of reason – we have the gift but we are not reasoning, we are not living free, and we are okay being slaves; that's not freedom.

And some people think that doing something in the streets isn't going to change anything; there are many layers to revolutionary struggle and we have to connect the dots. The artist has a role in social change and activism but unfortunately many artists think of themselves as “I'm an artist and not an activist.”

And that’s a problem, that we aren't dealing with politics. I don't even care about being accepted in the performance art community, that's just accidental. I don't even like the term art, so I feel that the artist's responsibility is to wake up and to radicalise society, and you have to radicalise and revolutionise the minds first so the society around us has to be awake. If you’re not awake and if you're not pushing them to be awake, then they are not going to do anything. So I think the artist can do that, but then we have to be able to connect everybody. We have the responsibility of the farmer, the teacher, of the educator, everyone has a role but we have to see that and connect in order to build something of “whatever your passion is it should be the tool for your liberation.” (PRS)

And journeying through life based on a desire you had during childhood is a process of liberation. (K)

And it is easy for the white person to say it is universal.

So if I’m black, and I’m talking about these issues, but you are stuck on my blackness, my black perspective, does that not make it universal, or does it mean that you just don’t have the ability to allow yourself to go through the blackness to see your Self, this affects me too…

I can only free me and that is responsibility of the individual, I cannot free you. But what I can do is set an example and spark something in you where you say: “You know what, I’m going to free myself, too.” Then we can work together, but I can’t free everybody, I can’t do that, because many people will be like: “Yeah, I want to get free, too” but it’s easier for people to stay in a group, but people standing in a group sometimes do it for different reasons, because its fashionable, its cool… And they essentially become co-opted because what a lot of these people are looking for, is acceptance and validation through what they claim they are trying to fight against. So the responsibility is to go on a journey and to find what is liberation, what is freedom, so they have to find it for themselves, and they have to try to fight to get there. And ultimately I feel that people are not going to go that far.

Radical is dealing with the root, eradicating the root. (PRS)

Photograph © Alexander Harbaugh.

I think one of the good tests you can have as an artist is the perception of the audience, because the audience can sense what is real, what is truth and not in a very instinctive way, and I think the audience is the best way to measure that because as humans we can sense this directly. (ADR)

It is easy to absorb a small amount and walk on and look at the next thing, particularly at an exhibition, but I think, generally, an audience member actually wants more than that. They want a really substantial…. really they want is a transformative experience that they very rarely get, so they don’t expect it. (JM)

It’s like with any artistic experience, you have to be open; if you come with pre-judgment then you will leave with nothing. But if you come in with an open heart then you can have a great experience, regardless of who you are.

It’s about being present and paying attention. It is so undervalued, and that is all you can ask really:

A moment of presence.

We’ve been very interested in the idea of being present and of having agency; being aware that you are changing things. On a simple level it is just being aware of your place in the world. And from the artistic context here, just being aware that you are changing things, as we are always changing things. (DQ)

You are moving in the world and the world is responding to you. (LC)

And if you close your eyes and listen, it is a completely different experience. (ARP)

In this very moment of human history you need something else, you need to create questions rather than saying: “This is the solution, don’t worry, don’t confront.” I don’t want the piss the audience off but I want to create something with the audience that can be disturbing or complex or whatever, but the audience has to resolve some situation, or else it means nothing. It is very easy to see some traditional performances where the body is doing some actions, and the actions are created well, beautifully, and that is it. Then you’ve had a beautiful experience, not to say that it is not needed, you need that too, it is part of life, but it is not the only thing you need. (ADR) That is the sort of transformation of art in our times, it serves as a social conversation for a way of being in the world. (DQ)

The privilege of being an artist is of having this vocation and being able to reach people with this. (NF)

So how do you use your privilege, how do you check your privilege, how do you really challenge yourself?

Really put your privilege where your mouth is.

If you care, really do the work,

by being very open and honest with yourself,

really take the time to look at what is around you (PRS)

to encourage… the most beautiful part here:

how people are adapting, the way people are looking, with curiosity, with respect, with so much humanity. This is the most beautiful aspect of the whole VENICE INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART WEEK.

It is a little social island of where relationships can strengthen… (SW)

And so what it is enabling are these layers of people becoming better people. (LSC)

There is a lot of cooperation between all involved, no matter their social role within the project and that is a model that is so inspiring… If you can just take a fragment of the message and transpose that into daily life, I think the purpose has been fulfilled. It’s not about the works that are being shown, but about the understanding that is elicited in the viewers… (ARP) There are trapped doors into alternative worlds, in the end it’s about these incredible bodies, rubbing up against each other, and what meanings we make together, and I think artistic work of all kinds creates the opportunities for that, which means that I’m on the lookout for these special encounters because I believe they do come between us all the time… (HC)

Kyrahm and Julius Kaiser. Photograph © Alexander Harbaugh.

Breath, life, the meaning of breath, losing the breath, fragile body,

Breath is really the one thing that makes us the most

Fragile and it is the first to the last thing we’ll ever do as humans.

And when that last breath comes (JM)

It is an exhalation (LSC)

My job is

To plant seeds (PRS)

Sašo Vollmaier and Susanne Weins. Photograph © Lorenza Cini.

#interview #aisha ryannon pagnes #preach r sun #susanne weins #kyrahm #leisa shelton #james mcallister #julius kaiser #alexander del re #nicola fornoni #douglas quin #saso vollmaier #helen cole #lorne covington #jeannette ehlers #nathalie bikoro

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jesseneufeld · 4 years

Text

Why Am I Waking Up at 3am?

Whenever I write about sleep, I hear from a chorus of people who struggle to sleep through the night. Anecdotally, it seems a far more common complaint than difficulty falling asleep in the first place.

These complaints are one of three types:

People who have trouble falling asleep

People who sleep fitfully, waking multiple times throughout the night

Those who reliably wake once, around the same time most nights

Understandably, this is a hugely vexing problem. Poor quality sleep is a serious health concern. Not to mention, sleeping badly feels simply awful. When the alarm goes off after a night of tossing and turning, the next day is sure to be a slog. String several days like that together, and it’s hard to function at all.

I’m going to go out on a limb, though, and assert that waking up in the middle of the night isn’t always the problem we make it out to be. For some people, nighttime wakings are actually something to embrace. As always, context is everything.

Instantly download your Guide to Gut Health

What Causes You to Wake Up In the Middle of the Night?

One of the most frustrating things about nighttime waking is that there are so many possible causes. Sometimes the solution is as simple as practicing good sleep hygiene. Other times, medical help is in order. Still other times, the solution is something different entirely.

Transitioning to Lighter Sleep Stages

Sleep isn’t a uniform state of unconsciousness you slip into when it becomes dark and, theoretically, ride until morning. It’s a dynamic process that goes in waves—or more precisely, cycles—throughout the night.

There are four (or five, depending on how you slice it) stages of sleep:

Stage 1: light sleep, occurs right after falling asleep

Stage 2: deeper sleep

Slow-wave sleep (SWS): deepest sleep, a.k.a. Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep

REM: lighter sleep where our more interesting dreams occur (although we can also dream in non-REM phases14)

A single sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, during which you move from light sleep, through stage 2, into deep SWS, and back up to REM. Then down you go again, then back up, ideally at least four of five times per night.

Your sleep is also roughly broken into two phases over the course of a whole night. In the first half, you spend relatively more time in SWS. The second half is characterized by a higher proportion of REM sleep.

What does this have to do with nighttime waking?

One possible explanation is that as you transition into lighter sleep — either within a single sleep cycle, or as you move from the first to the second phase—aches, pains, and small annoyances are more likely to wake you up. These can include medical issues like chronic pain, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or GERD. Soreness from the day’s hard workout, noise or light from your environment, hunger, thirst, or being too hot or cold might rouse you from your slumber.

If you’re waking up multiple times at night, chances are that you’re experiencing physical discomfort that you’re not able to sleep through. Sometimes it’s obvious, but not always.

Was It Something You Ate Or Drank?

While individual studies have linked sleep quality to diet and macronutrient intake (high versus low carb, for example), they are mostly small and the results inconclusive.15 Still, you might be able to look at your diet and identify a likely culprit. For example, if your sleep problems started after going carnivore or adding intermittent fasting, that’s an obvious place to start.

A food log can help you spot patterns, such as whether eating certain foods at dinner tends to correlate with poorer sleep. Alcohol and caffeine are big sleep disruptors as well, though you surely know that.

If you’re frequently waking up to pee, you might be overhydrating, especially in the evening. More seriously, it can be a symptom of diabetes or bladder, prostate, kidney, adrenal, or heart problems. Getting up once or twice to pee probably isn’t cause for alarm. It’s worth seeing a doctor if you’re getting several times or urinating much more at night than during the day.

Melt your stress away with Adaptogenic Calm

What to Do About Nighttime Waking

First things first, pick the low-hanging fruit

I’m talking good sleep hygiene practices. Things like:

Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room.

Minimize exposure to artificial lights after the sun sets. Use blue-light blocking glasses, and turn on night mode on your devices.

Watch your alcohol and caffeine consumption, especially later in the day.

Go to bed around the same time each night.

If applicable, experiment with your diet and food timing

Depending on your current diet, some experiments you might try include:

If you’re ultra-low-carb, try increasing your carb intake for a few weeks.

Try loading more of your carbs into your evening meal.

Make sure your protein intake isn’t too low.16

Try eating your last meal earlier if you’re waking up with indigestion, or later if you’re waking up hungry.

Try a teaspoon of raw honey before bed

One hypothesis is that you’re waking up in the middle of the night because your brain gets hungry for glucose eight hours after your last meal. The honey provides some carbs to get you through.

There’s no concrete evidence for honey as a sleep aid, but plenty of people swear by this remedy. I’m not sure it’s likely to be more effective than eating a serving of complex carbs at dinner. That said, even for low-carbers, I don’t think there’s any harm in trying.

I’ll note, though, that fasting studies don’t show a link to sleep disturbances.17 That calls the “starving brain” hypothesis into question, but I suspect there’s an important nuance here. Individuals who can comfortably do longer fasts are almost certainly also fat-adapted and, at least during the fast, producing ketones to fuel their brains. Metabolically, they’re in a very different place from a carb-dependent person who struggles to make it through the night.

Consider napping

If you’re unable to get enough high-quality sleep at night, you might prefer to adjust your sleep schedule entirely. Instead, aim for a shorter nighttime sleep period, say five or six hours, paired with an afternoon nap. This is another variant of biphasic sleeping.

Years ago, I wrote a post on how to conduct just this type of experiment. Check it out and see if it might work for you. It’s unconventional in this day and age, but I know people who thrive on this schedule.

Finally, don’t hesitate to seek medical help

Sleep issues are a symptom of many diverse health issues, including hyperthyroidism, anxiety, depression, and, as previously mentioned, diabetes, heart disease, and others. Your doctor may want to test you for sleep apnea.

The Case of Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are a common cause of nighttime waking for women of a certain age. If you endure nighttime flashes, you’re probably familiar with the standard advice:

Sleep in a cool room

Use moisture-wicking pajamas and sheets

Try acupuncture or other mind-body therapies

Add supplements like folic acid, or herbs like black cohosh or chasteberry

Investigate hormone-replacement therapy

Unfortunately, as I’ve learned from my wife Carrie’s and many friends’ experiences, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. I do think acupuncture is a potentially helpful, underutilized tool. Mostly, though, it’s just a combo of trial-and-error plus time that seems to get most women through this phase.

Getting Back to Sleep

In the meantime, while you get to the root of the issue, here are some tips for getting back to sleep:

Take care of pressing needs. Get up and pee, get a drink of water, or adjust the thermostat. There’s no point in trying to power through the discomfort that woke you up in the first place. Just fix it.

Keep artificial lights and screens off. Use small nightlights to light your path to the bathroom if necessary, and wear your orange-tinted glasses.

Do a calm activity such as reading by candlelight, deep breathing exercises, or sketching or writing in your journal.

Most of all, don’t stress! Fretting is likely to keep you awake for much longer than simply accepting the fact that you are awake and lying peacefully in bed.

Are You Fighting Something You Should Be Embracing?

I’ve long believed that humans naturally tend to be biphasic sleepers. The idea that we should be passed out for a solid eight hours per night is a social construct not firmly rooted in our sleep biology.

Historian Roger Ekirch argues, rather convincingly I think, that before the advent of artificial light, humans across geographical locations and social strata slept in two chunks during the night. The first, usually just called “first sleep,” or sometimes “dead sleep,” comprised the first four or so hours. “Second sleep” went until dawn. In between, people would enjoy an hour, or perhaps two or three hours, of mid-night activities such as praying and meditating, reading and writing, having sex, and even visiting neighbors. This was seen as completely normal, even welcome.18

Anthropological evidence confirms that some modern-day hunter-gatherers around the world likewise engage in biphasic sleeping.19 Also, in one small experiment, seven adults lived in a controlled environment with 14 hours of darkness per night. Over the course of four weeks, their sleep and hormone secretions slowly and naturally became biphasic.20

Scholars argue that biphasic sleep confers an evolutionary advantage.21 If some individuals fall asleep earlier and some later, and most people are awake for an hour or two in the middle of the night, someone in the group is always up. That person can tend the fire and watch for danger. In fact, the waking hour was sometimes called the “sentinel” hour. According to Ekirch, it was often referred to as simply the “watch.”

Are You a Biphasic Sleeper, or Do You Have a Sleep Problem?

Waking up multiple times per night, such that you rarely feel truly rested, is a problem. However, we shouldn’t rush to pathologize a single nighttime waking. That might just be your natural sleep pattern. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’d be better off aiming for biphasic sleep either. Even if you wake reliably at the same time each night, sometimes a full bladder is just a full bladder.

The litmus test is how you feel. With a biphasic schedule, the intervening waking period should be pleasant. Your mind should feel calm and alert, if perhaps a bit dreamy. Anecdotally, many famous writers, artists, and sculptors have adhered to a biphasic schedule, believing that creativity and flow are enhanced during the mid-night hours.

Of course, you can’t tap into how you feel if waking is causing you a ton of angst. Remind yourself that waking can be normal, not dysfunctional. I know this can be easier said than done, especially if you’re sleep deprived. The thing about biphasic sleeping is that you’re still supposed to get the eight hours of nightly sleep you need, give or take. That means you have to spend nine or ten hours in bed. How many people do that nowadays?

See if you can commit to at least a couple weeks of sufficient time in bed. Push away your previous (mis)conceptions about what a “good” night of sleep is “supposed” to look like. Try to welcome rather than fight the mid-night waking. Be open to what comes next.

(function($) { $("#dfBgGBW").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=dfBgGBW" ); })( jQuery );

References

https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2010/05/low-calorie-dieting-increases-cortisol.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/05/business/grocery-prices-rising/index.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4947579/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4578804/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405421/#:~:text=This%20study%20suggests%20that%20human,patients%20with%20obesity%20(48).

http://www.springerlink.com/content/w307w62037125v33/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413112001891

https://journals.lww.com/ejanaesthesiology/Fulltext/2009/12000/Hepatocellular_integrity_after_parenteral.17.aspx

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22308119/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21288612/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24316260/

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3316

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/uops-mwt030311.php

https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4545

https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/5/938/4616727

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3700250/

https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/5/938/4616727

https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/106/2/343/64370

https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/39/3/715/2454050

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10607034

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2017.0967

The post Why Am I Waking Up at 3am? appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Why Am I Waking Up at 3am? published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

0 notes

lauramalchowblog · 4 years

Text

Why Am I Waking Up at 3am?

These complaints are one of three types:

People who have trouble falling asleep

People who sleep fitfully, waking multiple times throughout the night

Those who reliably wake once, around the same time most nights

Instantly download your Guide to Gut Health

What Causes You to Wake Up In the Middle of the Night?

Transitioning to Lighter Sleep Stages

There are four (or five, depending on how you slice it) stages of sleep:

Stage 1: light sleep, occurs right after falling asleep

Stage 2: deeper sleep

Slow-wave sleep (SWS): deepest sleep, a.k.a. Stage 3 and Stage 4 sleep

REM: lighter sleep where our more interesting dreams occur (although we can also dream in non-REM phases1)

What does this have to do with nighttime waking?

If you’re waking up multiple times at night, chances are that you’re experiencing physical discomfort that you’re not able to sleep through. Sometimes it’s obvious, but not always.

Was It Something You Ate Or Drank?

While individual studies have linked sleep quality to diet and macronutrient intake (high versus low carb, for example), they are mostly small and the results inconclusive.2 Still, you might be able to look at your diet and identify a likely culprit. For example, if your sleep problems started after going carnivore or adding intermittent fasting, that’s an obvious place to start.

Melt your stress away with Adaptogenic Calm

What to Do About Nighttime Waking

First things first, pick the low-hanging fruit

I’m talking good sleep hygiene practices. Things like:

Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room.

Minimize exposure to artificial lights after the sun sets. Use blue-light blocking glasses, and turn on night mode on your devices.

Watch your alcohol and caffeine consumption, especially later in the day.

Go to bed around the same time each night.

If applicable, experiment with your diet and food timing

Depending on your current diet, some experiments you might try include:

If you’re ultra-low-carb, try increasing your carb intake for a few weeks.

Try loading more of your carbs into your evening meal.

Make sure your protein intake isn’t too low.3

Try eating your last meal earlier if you’re waking up with indigestion, or later if you’re waking up hungry.

Try a teaspoon of raw honey before bed

One hypothesis is that you’re waking up in the middle of the night because your brain gets hungry for glucose eight hours after your last meal. The honey provides some carbs to get you through.

I’ll note, though, that fasting studies don’t show a link to sleep disturbances.4 That calls the “starving brain” hypothesis into question, but I suspect there’s an important nuance here. Individuals who can comfortably do longer fasts are almost certainly also fat-adapted and, at least during the fast, producing ketones to fuel their brains. Metabolically, they’re in a very different place from a carb-dependent person who struggles to make it through the night.

Consider napping

Finally, don’t hesitate to seek medical help

The Case of Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are a common cause of nighttime waking for women of a certain age. If you endure nighttime flashes, you’re probably familiar with the standard advice:

Sleep in a cool room

Use moisture-wicking pajamas and sheets

Try acupuncture or other mind-body therapies

Add supplements like folic acid, or herbs like black cohosh or chasteberry

Investigate hormone-replacement therapy

Getting Back to Sleep

In the meantime, while you get to the root of the issue, here are some tips for getting back to sleep:

Keep artificial lights and screens off. Use small nightlights to light your path to the bathroom if necessary, and wear your orange-tinted glasses.

Do a calm activity such as reading by candlelight, deep breathing exercises, or sketching or writing in your journal.

Most of all, don’t stress! Fretting is likely to keep you awake for much longer than simply accepting the fact that you are awake and lying peacefully in bed.

Are You Fighting Something You Should Be Embracing?

Anthropological evidence confirms that some modern-day hunter-gatherers around the world likewise engage in biphasic sleeping.6 Also, in one small experiment, seven adults lived in a controlled environment with 14 hours of darkness per night. Over the course of four weeks, their sleep and hormone secretions slowly and naturally became biphasic.7

Scholars argue that biphasic sleep confers an evolutionary advantage.8 If some individuals fall asleep earlier and some later, and most people are awake for an hour or two in the middle of the night, someone in the group is always up. That person can tend the fire and watch for danger. In fact, the waking hour was sometimes called the “sentinel” hour. According to Ekirch, it was often referred to as simply the “watch.”

Are You a Biphasic Sleeper, or Do You Have a Sleep Problem?

(function($) { $("#dfUzFnW").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=dfUzFnW" ); })( jQuery );

References

https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4545

https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/5/938/4616727

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3700250/

https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/5/938/4616727

https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/106/2/343/64370

https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/39/3/715/2454050

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10607034

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2017.0967

The post Why Am I Waking Up at 3am? appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Why Am I Waking Up at 3am? published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

0 notes

dentalinfotoday · 5 years

Link

How much sleep do you need? Is your answer based purely your definition of a good night’s sleep, or have you been guessing, hoping the answer is right for you?

Poor sleep health impacts your quality of life and can make you susceptible to a range of chronic diseases. That’s why getting it right is so important.

Let’s take a deep dive into the significant benefits of sleep quality, the disasters of not getting enough, and how to address poor sleep habits.

Disclosure:

Ask the Dentist is supported by readers. If you use one of the links below and buy something, Ask the Dentist makes a little bit of money at no additional cost to you. I rigorously research, test, and use thousands of products every year, but recommend only a small fraction of these. I only promote products that I truly feel will be valuable to you in improving your oral health.

The Importance of Sleep

How important is sleep? How can I know if I’m getting enough sleep?

Possibly more than any other waking activity, your body’s overall health is tied to the sleep quality you enjoy each day. I like to refer to this as sleep ability.

In this fast-paced world, one condition from which we cannot escape is stress.

We constantly hear this word as it relates to both good and bad things in our lives: how we can minimize it, how we can use it to our benefit, how it’s the root cause of multitudes of diseases and disorders…

In a review written on the Physiology of Sleep, researchers find significant connections between stress and sleep problems. Your immune system’s response to stress, both acute and chronic, can lead to severe changes in your mood and emotional health as well as your physical health.

As they put it: “Recovery from acute stress usually involves a reparative sleep rebound characterized in REM sleep and SWS [slow-wave sleep]. Exposure to chronic stress leads to fragmented sleep.”

One example in the review is how cortisol levels fluctuate during different ranges of sleep cycles. Cortisol is typically known as the “stress hormone.”

Chronic sleep loss may accelerate consequences of too much glucocorticoid, a strong steroid hormone with powerful anti-inflammatory effects. These include issues like cognitive deficits and decreased carbohydrate tolerance.

And stress isn’t the only thing that hurts sleep quality. Other factors that can be killing your sleep quality include:

Undiagnosed sleep apnea or UARS (upper airway resistance syndrome)

Mouth breathing during sleep

Use of certain medications or illicit drugs

Too much screen time in the evening

Caffeine consumption

Buildup of household and commercial chemicals in the air

Sleeping hot

Smoking

I wrote a book a few years ago called The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox. In it, I talk about the misconception of there being a magical amount of hours to sleep, when most people aren’t getting significant enough sleep quality for that time limit to matter.

If I can leave you with anything of note today, I want it to be this: If you are getting up after 8 hours of sleep and don’t feel rested, day after day, something needs to change.

The good news is that understanding how to improve your sleep can give you a new spring in your step each morning.

What affects your sleep?

All living systems maintain a steady state of chemical and physical conditions internally. This is known in biology as “homeostasis.” Simply put, there is a proper balance in all living things.

In humans, there are a number of factors that, when kept within certain limits, allow us to live life to the very fullest.

Variables like the fluid balance in our body, body temperature, blood sugar level, and sodium and potassium levels are vital to experiencing optimum health.

Proper homeostasis requires a consistently healthy diet, level of physical activity, response to stress, and yes, sleep.

The balance between sleeping and waking is regulated by homeostasis.

The timing of our sleep is controlled by:

Circadian rhythm

Sleep-wake homeostasis (sleep-wake cycle)

Individual will (to a lesser extent than the other two)

Let’s look at more about those first two items.

1. Circadian Rhythm (Body or Internal Clock)

Even if the body is placed in a situation with constant darkness or constant light, our internal clock will continue to function. This means we experience somewhat consistent times of wakefulness and tiredness.

Our temperature fluctuates throughout a 24-hour period, and melatonin levels increase and decrease.

A restorative sleep episode is highly influenced by this rhythm. It’s the reason we’re typically sleepier at night.

Changes in light significantly affect our internal clock. Blue light, like that coming from our smartphones, tablets and computers, produces the strongest effect. That’s why limiting or ceasing electronic media use a few hours before bed is so important.

2. Sleep-Wake Homeostasis

The longer we’re awake, the more we want to sleep. Homeostasis, as discussed earlier, makes this occur. Humans seem to reach maximum sleepiness after 30 hours of waking. A proper sleep-wake cycle is vital to your health.

Sleeplessness is stressful and is known to cause cognitive impairment, meaning problems with thinking and learning processes.

Perhaps the better question to ask is, “What doesn’t affect your sleep?”

Here is a short list of factors that we may or may not consider when thinking about how well we sleep, and how we can address sleep problems.

What you ate today and yesterday

How your day progressed in general

The amount and type of exercise you got

The amount of caffeine or alcohol consumed

The mattress you sleep on

The pillow you use

Possible sleep disturbances through the night

These are all factors that we can control. However, other things occur in our lives that can’t as easily be controlled.

Dangers of Sleep Deprivation

Just one night of interrupted sleep wreaks havoc on our energy levels, mood, and hormone regulation. Chronically interrupted sleep affects our mental health, accelerates the aging process, and makes us more susceptible to all kinds of diseases.

In 2005, a research study on how sleep deprivation impacts the brain cited this list of “broad cognitive performance effects of sleep deprivation”:

Involuntary microsleeps occur (uncontrollable periods of 10-30 seconds of sleep)

Attention, short-term recall and mental performance suffer, resulting in errors in judgment and processing

Response time slows (for instance, the types and severity of damages/injuries incurred in accidents due to sleep deprivation comparable to those of at or above legal alcohol limits were detected)

Learning new tasks was more difficult

Performance requiring divergent thinking deteriorates

Subjects were more likely to keep working on solutions they’d already proven don’t work while trying to solve simple tasks

Tasks may be begun well, but performance deteriorates as task duration increases

There is growing neglect of activities judged to be nonessential (loss of situational awareness)

Another sleep study in 2008 found that sleep deprivation had out-of-balance levels of 2 hormones: leptin and ghrelin. These hormones affect appetite, “possibly explaining the increased BMI observed with short sleep duration.”

In short: Being sleep-deprived for as little as one night can have massive impact on how we think, learn, and even digest food.

10 Tips for Better Sleep

It’s possible for you to hack your sleep routine by creating a healthy sleep environment.

Unfortunately, many jump to the option of sleeping pills, assuming nothing else will work. As a society, we are conditioned to reach for a pill bottle without trying natural, chemical-free, easy changes to our daily routines.

I would recommend you take prescription sleep aids ONLY after all other options have been exhausted (no sleep puns intended), with little or no success.

Before speaking to your doctor, keep a sleep diary for at least 2 weeks.

List how long you slept each night, whether sleep felt sound or fitful, and even note the weather on nights the sky was not clear. This will provide a starting place for your physician to evaluate the best path for you.

Here is a list of simple suggestions to decrease sleep disturbances and upgrade your current sleep environment — no medication required.

1. Make your bedroom a truly restful place.

The practice of using the bedroom for everything from homework to stressful phone calls to TV watching can cause your brain to associate that area with wakefulness. Instead, seek to create an oasis that you use for rest and other stress-free pleasure.

Avoid doing tasks in your bedroom, particularly in your bed, that require you to stay awake and alert.

Do your best to eliminate all lights, especially electronic lights. A very dark room with no light pouring in or emanating from equipment, clocks, charges, etc. can promote restful, peaceful sleep.

Finally, invest in a mattress and pillow that allow you to get a great night’s sleep. For some, this means an adjustable bed for sleeping at an angle. For others, it may just look like finally getting around to replacing the 30-year-old mattress making you sore every night.

2. Keep the temperature between 66-68 degrees.

A cool room allows you to sleep more soundly. As an extra step, I like to keep my mattress cool with the chiliPAD Cube 3.0 and let blankets do the insulation.

3. Eliminate screens 1-2 hours before bed.

For thousands of years, our bodies were programmed to sleep because of triggers like darkness and a general “slowing down” as bedtime approached.

But for a little over half a century, we’ve interrupted these biological signals with television and, now, mobile devices. These screens not only put out a lot of blue light (even with “night shift” settings on) but can also mimic the faster pace your brain has evolved to associate with wakefulness.

For a good night’s sleep, read a book, have a cup of hot (caffeine-free) tea, or listen to a podcast…

Whatever you do, put away the screen. I recommend two hours before bed as a good starting point, but at least 60 minutes before you lay down is a good idea.

I enjoy using my Kindle Paperwhite at night to read, which does use a gentle light but isn’t the same as staring at a screen. It’s also worthwhile to invest in blue blocking glasses like Carbonshade if you know you’re going to be staring at a screen most of the day.

4. Invest in a quality air filter.

Did you know the EPA says that indoor air pollution can be 2-5 times higher (up to 100 times higher) than outdoors?

These air pollutants come from everything from cookware to personal care products and even mold.

Regardless of how great the ventilation in your house is, chances are, you’re breathing in toxins overnight.

The higher your toxic load, the harder your body has to work to stay “clean.” This is especially significant during sleep, when your body’s cleaning its cells from top to bottom.

The Molekule and AirDoctor Pro are my two favorite filters. I even bring one with me when I travel! I don’t even want to think about the toxins living in a hotel.

5. Avoid power naps.

Avoid napping during the daytime. Some are fans of power napping in the afternoon, but if it hinders your nighttime sleeping, they should go.

6. Consider what dietary patterns interrupt your sleep.

Avoid heavy meals just before you go to sleep, as digesting food (particularly any type of carbohydrates) will boost your blood sugar and may result in more energy when you don’t need it.

Stop drinking caffeinated drinks 6-8 hours before bedtime, as caffeine in the afternoon and evening disrupts your circadian rhythm.

7. Stop smoking.

Better sleep is just one of the huge number of reasons to quit smoking.

Smokers:

Are more likely to develop sleep-disordered breathing

Experience more sleep disturbances, daytime sleepiness, and related problems to sleep deprivation like accidents and depression

Fall asleep slower than healthy counterparts

Stay in light sleep more and have trouble getting into deeper levels of sleep

Fortunately, quitting smoking can eliminate all of these risks.

8. Use mouth tape.

Once you’re ready to go to sleep, one of the worst things that can disrupt your perfected sleep routine is nighttime mouth breathing.

Mouth breathing can lead to a more easily collapsed airway (like that seen in sleep apnea), snoring, and dry mouth, among other things.

Using mouth tape is a great way to stop that from happening. My favorites are Somnifix (the “Cadillac” of mouth tape) as well as the more budget-friendly Nexcare Tape.

9. Practice breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.

Breathing exercises turn your attention to the natural pattern of your breathing, in and out. As you inhale, think of tense areas of your body; when you exhale, imagine releasing the tension from the area(s) you thought of.

Guided imagery is another way of turning focus from the stresses of the present. Think of a peaceful place, such as the beach or a favorite vacation spot. Allow your mind to dwell there. Take in the atmosphere as you breathe calmly and slowly.

10. Keep a consistent sleep schedule.

Going to bed around the same time each night and waking about the same time the next day will benefit you in many ways.

It keeps your body clock (circadian rhythm) ticking consistently and results in more restful sleep.

The 8-Hour Paradox: How long should you sleep?

Be honest here, did you respond by saying, “Yep, I need my 8 hours every night!”?

I think you’ll be surprised by what constitutes a good night’s sleep. Actually, your sleep quality far outweighs the exact quantity of sleep you get each night.

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, when your body has greatly decreased ability to react to stimuli (as opposed to being awake).

When you sleep, the majority of your body’s systems restore strength: muscular, nervous, immune, and skeletal systems all receive a much needed boost.

Polyphasic vs. Monophasic Sleep

Like their roots indicate, polyphasic sleep occurs multiple times in a 24-hour cycle, while monophasic sleep happens in a single interval of time every 24 hours.

Polyphasic sleep used to be much more common in previous centuries, as farmers found the most effective patterns might involve two shorter sleep sessions rather than one long session.

When it’s been studied in humans, polyphasic sleep doesn’t seem to result in a reduction of work quality or even energy. What’s more, people on polyphasic sleep cycles sleep less total hours each day and seem not to suffer negative consequences.

There are other sleep patterns, known as chronotypes. These occur based on a number of factors, such as gender of the individual, genetics, and formed habits. These sleep patterns can change over the course of your life.

While there are “accepted” amounts of sleep times per day, there are actually many ways to experience good quality sleep — and not all of them add up to 8 hours.

There are other extreme chronotypes that can occur, considered circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Recommended Sleep Times

In 2015, the National Sleep Foundation updated, through the work of a multidisciplinary expert panel, the recommendations of the amount of sleep needed at different life stages.

Newborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)

Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)

Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)

Preschool-age (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)

School-age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)

Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)

Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)

Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours

Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

While it should be noted that sleep habits will certainly vary during different stages of your life, high quality sleep is the most important factor in our overall body health.

For instance, say your preschooler is sleeping soundly and consistently 9 hours a night and is alert and active throughout his/her waking hours. In that case, there is no need to force them to sleep an extra hour or two.

For healthy school-age children, s/he is likely getting the amount of sleep necessary for healthy development.

Stages of Sleep

There are four stages of sleep in a normal night. These sleep stages include stage 1 (light sleep), stage 2 (sound sleep), stage 3 (deep sleep), and REM (rapid eye movement/dreaming).

Stage 1 — The lightest stage of non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This is the time when you can be easily awakened by even soft sounds or disruptions. During muscle relaxation, brain activity slows. Drifting in and out of sleep and muscle spasms, or jerks, can occur during this time, when you may feel like you’re falling.

Stage 2 — This is a more well-defined stage of non-REM sleep. You’re more soundly asleep, and cannot be as easily awakened. Eye rolling stops, and your brain continues to slow. Body temperature drops in this stage and heart rate begins to slow.

Stage 3 — Known as deep, non-REM sleep. This time of deep sleep is definitely the most reparative for the body. Sudden arousal is rare at this point. Occurrences of talking in your sleep, sleepwalking and night terrors occur during this deepest stage. This stage is sometimes divided into 3 & 4, but isn’t truly differentiated enough to classify separately.

REM stage — The part of our sleep known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is often called the dreaming stage. Eyes move quickly from side to side, and our brain waves pick up in activity from stages 2 and 3. Though we can be awakened a little easier during this stage of sleep, we will feel the most tired or groggy as a result.

Dreaming: Why and How

Much is known about the role of sleep in regulating our metabolism, blood pressure, brain function, and other aspects of health. But it’s been harder for researchers to explain the role of dreams.

It’s been said that although our bodies need rest and sleep, we never stop thinking; our brain remains active. Although the proof is not definitive, our dreams appear to be autobiographical, based on recent occurrences in our lives.

Here are some interesting beliefs and theories about dreams from the article referenced above, “The Role of Dreams”.

Dreams could be a way we confront emotional drama in our lives, making connections to our feelings that we would consciously put together.

When we dream, the amygdala (part of the brain linked to survival instinct and fight-or-flight response) is the most active. There is a theory suggesting this time of heightened activity in the amygdala is the brain’s way of getting us ready to deal with a threat.

Our minds aren’t restricted when we sleep, like they can be while we’re awake. Dreams can facilitate our most creative thinking.

Research has found that sleep helps store memories. There is still much to discover about this, but “dreams may help the brain more efficiently store important information while blocking out stimuli that could interfere with memory and learning.”

A 1983 article in Nature magazine states, “…the function of dream sleep (more properly REM sleep) is to remove certain undesirable modes of interaction in networks of cells in the cerebral cortex.”

Authors Francis Crick and Graeme Mitchison delve into the functions of dreams and how they serve the brain. Here are some quotes from the article that may explain why dreaming matters so much.

“Although we dream for one or two hours every night, we do not remember most of our dreams.”

“Modern theories have usually proposed that sleep and dreams save energy or have various restorative functions, either to replenish the brain biochemically in some way, or to reclassify or reorder the information stored in it.”

“…major difference between REM and non-REM sleep lies in the dreams associated with them. For most people the few dreams found in non-REM sleep tend to have a rather thought-like character. During REM sleep, on the other hand, dreams occur more frequently and usually have a perceptual vividness and the illogical episodic character with which we are all familiar.”

Sleep Tracking Options & Limitations

As a sleep medicine dentist, I’ve invested a lot of time testing the latest sleep apps and tech designed to help people discover how well they’re sleeping.

Unlike even 10 years ago, when this technology was too pricey for most consumers, there are now good choices for just about any budget.

While you’ll find a comprehensive breakdown of the available products in that article, here are the basics you should know:

To get a baseline, I recommend starting with SnoreLab, which is available in both free and paid versions on the App Store and Google Play Store. Snoring isn’t the only factor in poor quality sleep, but many people who don’t sleep also snore a lot.

When it comes to wearable or other similar sleep tech, there are several options that do a decent (although not perfect) job. My favorites are the Oura Ring and Apple Watch, and I’m constantly on the lookout for better and more informative options.

No home sleep app or tech can currently replace the need for a sleep study performed by a specialist. These can take place at home or at a sleep clinic, but if you find you’re waking up tired, even after trying to improve your sleep, it’s probably time to see a sleep doctor. Your dentist or general practitioner can refer you to a reputable provider in your area.

8 Common Sleep Disorders

1. Sleep Bruxism

Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a sleep-related movement disorder that involves clenching the jaw muscles to grind upper and lower teeth together.

Besides the effects on your teeth and gums, grinding is disruptive to sound sleep. Unlike the more habitual act of grinding your teeth during waking hours, nighttime bruxism could be linked to another serious sleep disorder: sleep apnea.

2. Snoring

When you sleep, air crosses over the tissues in your throat, which are relaxed. Due to several factors, that air can ‘rattle’ over those relaxed tissues and produce a soft or loud noise.

One way sleep can be disrupted by snoring is if the noise of your sleep partner wakes you up. However, a possibly more serious disorder of snoring is sleep apnea.

3. Sleep Apnea

Although not an uncommon topic, sleep apnea is still a greatly ignored topic among many.

This occurs when your upper airway is partly or totally blocked, cutting off your regular breathing for a short period, and causes you to awaken and ‘catch your breath’.

Left untreated, sleep apnea can result in daytime sleepiness, and severe cases have been linked to increased risk of stroke or heart attack. It’s also been associated with high blood pressure.

I’ll discuss sleep apnea later in this article.

4. Restless Legs Syndrome

A more common issue for middle-aged and older adults, restless legs syndrome can affect just about any age. It’s sometimes known as periodic limb movement disorder.

Symptoms of discomfort in the feet and legs occur most often in the evening and through the night, which disturbs sleep and prevents deep sleep. Many people will continuously move their legs or thrash them around, even while they are sleeping.

5. Narcolepsy

Thought to affect approximately 1 in 2,000 people, narcolepsy is characterized by:

Excessive sleepiness

Hallucinations

Sleep paralysis

Episodes of cataplexy (partial or total loss of muscle control, sometimes triggered by a strong emotion)

Currently, there is no known cure. However, patients have been able to lead normal lives through the use of meds and some behavioral treatments that will lessen or improve symptoms.

6. Insomnia

Temporary, short-term insomnia can happen because of factors such as jet lag, or even when too much caffeine is consumed before bedtime. Extra stressful events can also bring on bouts with insomnia, though most of the time these occurrences don’t last long.

If, however, stress is left unchecked, the effects can turn into depression or extreme anxiety. When an individual experiences these more serious conditions, sleep will elude them, usually because nighttime can be associated with darkness or loneliness.

Insomnia is typically classified as “primary” or “secondary.” Primary insomnia isn’t caused by other factors and occurs on its own, while secondary insomnia may be due to medication use or other medical conditions.

7. REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

First officially recognized in 1986, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a condition in which people enact their dreams in REM sleep, rather than staying immobile in bed.

These episodes can manifest in ways that injure the person with the disorder or their sleeping partner. Some people with this condition will actually attack those in their bedroom or home while dreaming, for instance, they’re protecting them from an intruder.

It’s most common in males and often comes after years, sometimes decades, of a “prodrome” (early sign or symptom) of frequent movement and jerking movement during sleep.

Like insomnia, this condition can occur on its own or occur as a sign of a neurological condition. So far, the most effective treatment identified is the medication Clonazepam, a benzodiazepine typically used for panic disorders and seizures.

Unfortunately, this drug comes with the strongest warning available from the FDA regarding potential addiction and side effects, known as a black box warning.

8. Circadian Rhythm Disorders

In the various circadian rhythm disorders, the internal body clock discussed above is interrupted or broken in some way.

The most well-known of these disorders include:

Narcolepsy

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD): Seen most commonly in teens and young adults, people with DSPD get stuck in a routine of the most “awake” part of the day being between 2-5 AM. Daytime work and sleep schedules often decline as a result.

Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD): The inverse of DSPD, advanced phase sleep happens often in the elderly when bedtimes become earlier and wakefulness happens earlier. For instance, a person will go to bed before 9 PM and wake up between 2-5 AM on a regular basis. This also tends to result in complaints of insomnia and daytime sleepiness.

Jet Lag: This happens when the biological clock is at odds with the time of day, often after travel. Flying east, rather than west, is typically easier for circadian rhythm adjustments, as it’s typically simpler to wait to sleep than it is to fall asleep earlier.

Sleep Apnea: A 21st Century Epidemic?

As a sleep medicine dentist, understanding, diagnosing and treating patients with sleep apnea is especially important to me.

Much more than simply being disturbed by your sleep partner’s snoring is the need to discover the cause of the snoring.

An estimated 18-22 million Americans deal with sleep apnea, with some studies stating as high as 80 percent of moderate to severe cases go undiagnosed.

There are a lot of misconceptions about sleep apnea, like that it isn’t common in women or that it only occurs in overweight or obese people. However, far more people may be enduring it in silence.

Many studies strongly indicate that undiagnosed sleep apnea is independently associated with increased likelihood of:

Hypertension

Cardiovascular disease

Stroke

Sleep bruxism

Daytime sleepiness

Motor vehicle accidents

Diminished quality of life

A 1994 study of 147 adult men and women suffering found that mean blood pressure was higher in patients with sleep apnea. The variability of the blood pressure during sleep was significantly greater in participants with sleep apnea or history of snoring compared to those without.

Another sleep study performed in 2000 found a link between patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and significantly increased risk of heart disease, especially stroke risk.

In a radio interview with Marianne Russo, I discuss the connection between ADHD and sleep apnea in children and teens. Here are some important facts about ADHD and Sleep Apnea in a younger population:

40-60% of children that have sleep apnea have some form of ADHD

Sleep apnea and sleep disorders are a major cause of behavioral issues in children and teens

It’s possible that many cases of ADHD are actually misdiagnosed sleep apnea cases

Sleep apnea is far more prevalent in children than we originally thought, perhaps as common in children and teens as in adults

Teeth grinding at any age is an indication of a struggle to keep the airway open at night

I’ve long thought this massive increase in sleep apnea at all ages might be associated with some 21st century changes, such as:

Comfortable beds that make back sleeping preferable

Lack of vitamin K2 in the diet, leading to an underdeveloped jaw and smaller airway that’s more susceptible to collapsing

Prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle

Other Sleep Issues

Though these aren’t classified as “disorders,” these other sleep problems can lead to poor sleep quality.

Issues with Sleeping while Pregnant

Most pregnant women have problems with extra tiredness during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. This can be due to morning sickness keeping them from rest or frequent bathroom trips as the baby grows and pushes on the bladder.

It is important for expectant moms to try their best to get rest throughout the duration of the pregnancy. And after the baby is born, when life steps up to a whole new pace, high sleep quality is even more important.

Especially with the possibility of postpartum depression, which also interrupts sleep, I encourage mothers to keep their bodies as well rested as is possible.

Sleepwalking

Also known as somnambulism, this behavior most commonly happens in children. They appear dazed; they may walk around or wander, and sometime will talk, without having any memory of it when they awake.

Sleepwalking typically occurs within the first couple of hours of sleep, and is relatively short in length.

Although sleepwalking can happen as a result of an illness or fever, it can also be triggered by lack of sleep, poor quality of sleep (due to sleep apnea, bruxism, etc.). The disorder has also been known to be hereditary.

Night Terrors (aka Sleep Terrors)

As undesired as the name implies, this sleep disorder is characterized by sudden flailing, screaming, or jerking while asleep. Most episodes are as short seconds to a few minutes, but may last longer.

Like sleepwalking, night terrors are more common in children. They child may be hard to wake up from the event, and then be groggy or distressed when they finally come out of it.

There is no cause for alarm if the occurrences are occasional. However, if night terrors become more frequent, seem to cause abnormal sleepiness during the day, or continue beyond teen years or into adulthood, you should consult your doctor.

Bedwetting

Both children and adults may suffer from frequent bedwetting. Childhood bedwetting usually begins as a result of potty training, but can continue if too much urine is being produced.

Causes of adult bedwetting are numerous but generally have to do with urine production, bladder problems, and unconscious arousal during sleep.

Sleep Paralysis

Though it’s not well-understood, sleep paralysis happens when a person “wakes up” but is unable to move their body.

Sleep paralysis is often accompanied by brief hallucinations, the most frequent of which tend to be about aliens or “repressed” sexual abuse memories.

But don’t worry — the little green guys are (probably) just in your head.

Sleep-Related Eating Disorders

A fairly rare occurrence, eating disorders during sleep often result in overeating and weight gain. Patients may not realize they’re eating during the night until they discover repeated evidence during waking hours.

FAQs

How can I fall asleep right away? Is that a good benchmark to aim for?

A: Simple tips include:

No caffeine consumption 6-8 hours before bed

Utilize relaxation and/or breathing exercises

Stay away from electronic media for a couple of hours before bed

Enjoy a warm bath

It’s not a bad benchmark to work towards, but good sleep doesn’t happen just because you’re a person who can quickly drop off. In fact, short “sleep latency” (the time it takes to fall asleep) can signify exactly the opposite.

In general, you should fall asleep about 10-15 minutes after laying down. Much shorter or longer than that, and there may be a cause for concern.

Can a lack of sleep be deadly?

A: Yes, lack of or poor sleep can cause life-threatening problems. It affects not only physical but also mental health.

Sleep deprivation and poor sleep habits rob your body of the recharging and restoring it desperately needs. It will wear you down both physically and emotionally to serious levels if the deprivation continues long enough.

Sleep apnea can be a symptom of more serious issues with blood pressure and other heart problems. It’s not typically fatal on its own but can lead to fatal consequences, left untreated.

What parts of the brain are involved in the sleep cycle process?

A: While the way the brain controls sleep and wakefulness is not fully known, there are some things we do know.

The shut down of arousal signals in the brain is controlled by a specific area of the hypothalamus.

Neurons in the hypothalamus pinpoint the areas that make us feel awake, and inhibit the activity occurring there.

How do genetics impact sleep?

A: In a 2012 study, the authors state:

“It is now clear that sleep is genetically controlled. Although environmental factors can impact the duration and intensity of sleep, genetic regulation is borne out by the heritability of sleep trais, the identification of specific genetic polymorphisms that affect these traits, and the existence of familial sleep disorders.”

Do white noise machines help with sleep?

A: Yes! Using a noise generator is a great way to improve the stability and quality of your sleep. It can also make you less aware of noise that could otherwise wake you up.

Key Takeaways: Sleep

Sleep is paramount to well-being. Our bodies desperately need it. However, how much sleep we need changes over the course of our lives.

In general, it is more beneficial to focus on how to improve quality of sleep rather than length of sleep.

Tracking your sleep can be a great way to find a baseline for the quality of your sleep. Take advantage of modern tech by finding a sleep app or tracker that suits you. These can also point to warning signs of bigger health issues you need to address.

Don’t ignore the signs of bad sleep. Whether by a sleep tracker, or just the fact that you never feel rested when you wake, there are some serious health problems that can be detected during sleep. If you have a sleep partner, ask them to listen and observe you, on occasion, during sleep.

Do you snore more than just a light, intermittent amount?

Do you grind your teeth?

Do you experience periods of time without breathing, then take in a gasping breath?

Do you have stretches of time that you are fitful, thrashing legs or jerking?

Do you feel worn out when you wake up the next day?

These can indicate a number of physical problems, some mild and others very serious.

The good news is that once you identify a disorder, it can be treated. Whether the answer is being fitted for a night guard to temporarily address bruxism (teeth grinding) or a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, the outcome will be better, more sound, sleep.

Your dentist may also fit you with an oral appliance to help with airway position for sleep apnea.

Read Next: Sleep Apnea: The Real Reason You Grind Your Teeth?

21 References

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Sleep: How Much Do You Need? Sleep Deprivation, Remedies & More