Another lovely poem so “on the mark” of Buddy’s picture and Heather herself. She is like that buoy to me- guiding me to the light and bringing her gift of authenticity and truth, even when I feel like I only want to grab on that buoy and not face another day of hypocrisy and untruths.
My late husband expressed himself with poems. Your vivid descriptions remind me of his- written on notepads or envelopes (before laptop’s and cell phones ,often sitting in the courthouse waiting for a hearing -he was an attorney). I don’t have the gift of the writing in that format, but I have the appreciation.
Poets use words like painters use colours. I'm not a poet, nor am I a visual artist--can't draw a line with a ruler--but I am so deeply appreciative of it and the craft involved. However, I AM a musical artist, so I deal in the art of sound. ALL of us artists are needed now more than ever to use our respective media to give wings to the thoughts of others and let our expressions speak for them as well. Thank you for this, Rowshan.
Oh Rowshan, how you enriched my experience of Heather's photo! Thank you! Wouldn't it be something to have a book or collection of the photos and your poems (I'm assuming from Paula's message that there are more) as moments of light in this dark time. Blessings,
That would be an exciting prospect if Heather and Buddy are game! But I don’t know whether they’d find my reflections up to par. 😉Nonetheless, thanks a million for giving my thoughts such value, Chaplain Terry!
I agree with Chaplain Terry and I have to say that since I am “two for two” in viewing Heather’s photo, and hitting “like “ and being lead to the comment threads, and finding another Rowshan gem! So the pattern has been set- enjoying the beautiful pictures and then looking in the comment thread for a “Rowshan” gift! No pressure, but know when you share one you have a following and you are appreciated. Honestly in these emotional, turbulent times a moment to enjoy beauty is a gift to be treasured.
No pressure, but now I'm going to follow in Paula's "footsteps" and look for Rowshan's poem when there's a beautiful photo! Happy to wait till the next day if you need a bit more time!!
You are more than welcome! So let me assure you that your reflections are up to par, until you can see that for yourself! So, I tossed the stick into the river...let's see where it ends up.
Heather (I have no right to call you such, but feel you a dear friend) words cannot express appreciation — mine and so many — for you. Rest well and thank you, sincerely, for all you give.
Yes.....all the friends we have that now start their day with Heather and a cuppa, say to us, it's like sitting with a good friend. Our most summarized source of the news now and historically. We all thank you!
So true. I pass on what I've learned and refer to HCR as Heather and people always ask who I'm referring to. This gives me the opportunity to have their undivided attn to talk about HCR and tell them to sign on.
Sleep, rest, recover. Take two nights if needed. Please. As dire as it all seems these days, tomorrow is another day and a new dawn for fresh perspectives.
I don’t know how you do it — day after day, month after month — synthesizing the day’s news from so many sources into a coherent narrative, but I and the members of the community you created are grateful for your tenacity. Thank you for helping keep us sane in insane times.
Pictures like today’s post remind us that in the midst of all the is happening there still is beauty out there, if only we take the time and effort to recognize it. Peace.
Absolutely grateful for your words and guidance and the hope they give that we can weather the Republican storm. (American living in Australia but watching my country every day.)
Dawn to dusk. And beyond. The Light is there for us. Filling every crack of darkness. As are the guardians that protect us. Have faith, be steady, stand a little taller than you did the minute before. Thank you, Professor Richardson. You, too, are a guardian of truth.
Rest well Heather. Your analyses have helped all who follow your Letters from an American immeasurably. Hats off to Buddy as well for keeping us in touch with the beauty of where you live, reminders of nature's beauty generally.
Please take care of yourself, Heather. I do know when I've felt the most tired in my whole life. In 2013 I had a massive pulmonary embolism and was within two hours of death. Fortunately, they gave me the clot buster drug, TPA ($17,000 for 100 milligrams!), in time and I survived. The next five weeks I found my body was in charge. There was no mentally pushing through the extreme fatigue. There was literally no gas left in the tank. My body would tell me I could lay down on the floor right where I was or it might let me get to my bed. It taught me to listen to my body and get the rest I need. The rest we all need. About eight hours per night. Here is an article I wrote for my monthly column on Accessible Living on sleep. It was the December article so I used Twas the Night Before Christmas poem as a framework. I think it is the potentially most impactful essay I've ever written.
December 2015
ACCESSIBLE LIVING by Catherine Learoyd
Byline: Stille Nacht: Creating A Haven for Sleep
“The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap —
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.“
This is the original wording of the second verse of “Twas a Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore written in 1823. “Settled our brains”? “Visions of sugar plums”? “A long winter’s nap”? “Snug in their beds”? In the context of what we know today about our brain during sleep, this verse shows a family that is getting a good night’s sleep.
“Arose such a clatter”
Papa was probably in the first stage of sleep known as N1. N1 is light sleep where one can be easily awakened say by the clatter of eight tiny reindeer. Mama may have already reached the second level of N2 sleep or even the deep sleep of N3 since she wasn’t arosed. N3 deep sleep (also called long wave sleep) is when the brain does its house cleaning through the ingenious glymphatic system getting rid of waste products that have built up in the brain while awake. For example, the build up of the protein amyloid beta has been shown to be one of the key steps in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. If the brain doesn’t get the time to do its house cleaning and keep the waste from building up this suggests that worsening sleep quality and sleep duration will contribute to conditions like Alzheimer’s.
“Visions of sugar plums”
The children are dreaming which means they have reached REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. In this stage of sleep the brain is actually more active than when it is in the wake state. In REM, the brain is very busy processing and consolidating memory, integrating old and new memories, reinforcing pathways within the brain, developing rules from the patterns it discerns, gaining new insights, and even projecting future scenarios. If you have the opportunity to “sleep on it” after learning new material, you will retain three times the learning when tested twelve hours later compared to not having the benefit of sleep in between.
“All snug in their beds”
Since we spend one–third of our lives in bed and in our bedroom, how do we make it a haven for tranquil sleep and gain the tremendous benefits to our health and well-being from full and deep sleep? Let’s start with the bed itself. The best pillow is soft and made of natural materials (more resistant to dust mites) and is flexible so that it can be adjusted to the various sleep positions we go through each night. Mattresses are a very personal choice so when shopping for a mattress spend fifteen to twenty minutes lying on each candidate in your usual sleep position. Couples need to test the mattresses together since a key difference between types of mattresses is whether the movement of one person is felt by the other. A person with back problems is probably best off with a medium firm mattress – not too soft or too firm. Over the years a mattress loses its ability to give your body the support it needs. The resulting pressure points then trigger your body to tell the brain to wake up multiple times in the night so you’ll roll over. Waking up multiple times in the night for this or other reasons is equivalent to getting only four hours of sleep. So, consider buying a new mattress every ten years or so.
“Settled our brains”
The daily cycle of sleep and wake periods are regulated by our circadian biological clock within the brain’s hypothalamus which manages an army of neurotransmitters. By “settling our brains” a half hour to an hour before we go to bed we greatly enhance the quality of our sleep. This tuck-in period is the time to wind down. Brushing one’s teeth in a brightly lit bathroom is one of the worse things you can do just before climbing into bed so do this at the start of the tuck-in period. Put dimmer switches on bedroom and bathroom lights and lower the light levels at tuck-in time. Use part of the tuck-in time to pick up and declutter the bedroom to lower stress and anxiety. Keep the bedroom uncluttered and reserved exclusively for sleeping if at all possible. White and blue light suppresses melatonin delaying sleep so cover or remove electronic devices from the bedroom at tuck-in time even e-book readers. It is best for you and your child’s overall health to remove TVs from the bedrooms altogether.
“Long winter’s nap”
How much sleep do we need? The longer we sleep the greater the percentage of time spent in the restorative N3 and consolidating REM periods. Newborn babies spend 50% of their 16 to 18 hours of sleep per day in REM sleep because of all the demands of growing and learning and the need to organize and set up connections in the brain. Teenagers, another demanding time in life, require ten hours of sleep a night and their circadian rhythm naturally shifts their day to wake later and go to bed later. Younger children need more hours of sleep than the teenagers. Adults including seniors level off at eight hours of sleep. While the quality of sleep can decrease with age, the need for eight hours of sleep does not. If we take a typical day in the life of a teenager, they get up at 6:30 a.m., have classes from 7:50 to 3:25 p.m., have marching band or athletic practice from 3:45 to 6, have dinner and then do 3 hours of homework from 7 to 10. If they get in bed by 10:30 they need to sleep until 8:30 the next morning way past the tardy bell to get ten hours of needed sleep. They sit in class with lessened ability to concentrate or pay attention and feel moody and stressed. The teacher assigns more homework to make up for the lack of learning in the classroom and this devitalizing cycle of sleep deprivation continues. Further, sleep deprivation is now linked to obesity
because the tired brain releases the hunger hormones and to Type II diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health, sleep deprivation in children can cause daytime hyperactivity
and decrease in focused attention. This can be mistaken for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other behavior disorders! At bedtime and through the night, have the bedroom as dark and quiet as possible. Have the thermostat of the bedroom wing programmed between 65 to 68 degrees F starting at tuck-in time until around dawn. Have plants to take out carbon dioxide and add oxygen into the room. Have red night lighting outside the bedroom and in the bathroom if you need to get up in the night. This gives you enough light to see but not enough of the white/blue light to bring you to a fully awake state and make it difficult to go back to sleep.
“Sprang from my bed”
In the morning, the best way to wake up fresh and alert is to do so naturally with the light of the sun with the bedrooms oriented to get eastern light. The thermostat is programmed to bring the temperature of the room to around 70 degrees F. Your body wakes you up at the end of REM instead of the alarm clock jerking you awake in the middle of your dream. This is the decade we’ll change our attitudes as a society about sleep as we come to understand the neurobiology of sleep and its massive impact on our physical and mental health and productivity.
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
Further readings:
Twas the Night Before Christmas in its original version:
"...build up of the protein amyloid beta...Alzheimer's..." scared the bejeezus out of me!
Sleep deprivation in children misdiagnosed as ADHD? And then often prescribed medication? Hugely important for parents and everyone working with children to know!
Thank You, Cathy! Excellent! And such a delightful and "memorable" way of explaining the essential roles of sleep! Tmely, too - our brains will be needing extra "settling" after the January 6th hearings. I would only add this:
"When thinking about getting the sleep you need, it’s normal to focus on how many hours of sleep you get. While sleep duration is undoubtedly important, it’s not the only part of the equation...In a typical night, a person goes through four to six sleep cycles. Not all sleep cycles are the same length, but on average they last about 90 minutes each."
So instead of fretting over lost sleep, think in terms of 1 1/2 hour blocks of sleep. Ideally 5 cycles (7 1/2 hours total) occur at night. But if you wake at 3:30 a.m. after 4 cycles because you must catch HCR's letter when all those west coasters do, plan for a 1 1/2 hour nap later in the day. This is a luxury for most people, but should be as essential as 3 meals a day. Unless, apparently, you are Speaker of the House.
Thank you, MaryPat, we needed a Guidance Counsellor of Sleep. I would add not to be troubled about where you land on the commenter's line. If you're in the back and sorry that you may not be read, so be it. Some rush to find a way near the top by linking up with someone else. Be a contrarian, take your place and read those of us in the back of the bus. There's golden treasure up and down this forum's line. Happy Sunday! Monday will be special, too, with HCR's precious Letter and the 2nd House Committee Hearing, which. may again. hit it out of the park!
Wonderful to see you, Becky. Supreme counselor to us with your examples of communicating with a friend, thus showing how we can engage with one another through differences, which we do not want to keep us apart
Thanks for that lovely bit of flattery! My conversation with my friend continues. Here is something she wrote yesterday: "Here in Mississippi the folks are really tired of government trying to take away our guns, stuff their agenda down our throats, and take away our religious freedoms. I truly believe that all people need God in our lives. If that God is Buddha or Mohamed that’s fine with me. I believe in Jesus. All our statues have been removed. This country has tried to be more inclusive and in the process have excluded history and Christianity. Those are my concerns."
Thank you, Becky for sharing your friend's concerns. Can she share how guns are being taken away? Is she aware that they have been expanded in some states? What in particular is being pushed down her throat? Is it literally happening or is it what she hears from whom and in what media? She has provided a list for conversation, slowly and with respect. At heart, the feeling of a tug a way between the impression v. reality of inclusiveness v. time honored history and different understandings of Christianity. I appreciate the goal of finding openings from which to proceed. Cheers, Becky.
Since there are two Barbara's now I am changing my commenter name to Barbara M. Just an FYI. You and I have had some nice conversations for awhile so it's still me out here in the weird and wonderful land of online commenting and chatting.
Thank you for your greeting, Barbara M. We will have many more good exchanges as we learn from one another and contribute to a more secure and more democratic USA.
Thanks for this. Yes, in addition to the " tfg as loser " thought. I like the reminder that there actually were people who tried to do the right thing!! Also, very important, Frum puts each of us standing squarely in this saga as significant players. TY Barbara M!
Agree on the nap. In some cultures, the "siesta" is a part of daily living. It certainly is for me. When I was still in the corporate gig, I would often head out to my car after eating a modest lunch and settle in for a nap. And then head back in to attack the job - quite refreshed.
I wish I could have done that! 12 hour shift as a nurse provided us with 30 minutes for a meal break. Barbaric really. Health care workers work in quite unhealthy environments.
Another option if you wake up and can't get back to sleep is to try Ujjayi breathing. You can learn this 20 minute easy practice in Clair Oaks "Relaxation Suite" (on Amazon). The digital album also has a 10 minute shavasana/body relaxation which is helpful before the breathing practice.
Namasté
Sandy,
yoga practitioner since 1975, teacher and yoga therapist since 2003.
Two of the most important things we should invest in regularly are excellent shoes and a seriously supportive mattress. About a year ago we upgraded from a 10 year old fairly expensive "pillow top" mattress (one of the S companies). It was showing signs of the "king bed valleys". The new one we had "test slept" on at a relatives home. It is a simple product made of solid foam topped with memory foam. I would call it medium/firm. No motion transfer when one of us flips around. Came in a box and was fun to watch "grow". Best possible investment in home furnishings. I sigh happily as I settle into it. For 7 to 8 hours. All that you say about sleep is so true and neglected by so many. Great post!
It was a pleasure hearing you speak in person in Portland and I appreciate your nightly letters and artistic Sunday evening photos. You keep us all grounded when the seas are rough and quicksand seems to be all around. I never miss reading your recap of the day, helping us to see through your informed, honest, and well polished lens. Thank you for all you do for us ordinary Americans. Take all the rest you need!
Thank you Heather/Prof. Richardson for your amazing work this, and every week. Your Letter, the day after the Jan. 6 televised hearing was just perfect and I was amazed since it was exhausting and ABSOLUTELY VITAL that we watch all the hearings. Hope you are having a wonderful rest. You give so much to us.
I add my name to the multitudes of Americans who owe you a deep debt of gratitude for the gift of reasonable thinking and sanity you have given us amid the crazy thinking taking over our country . Thank you. Joan Sweet
Thank you for the fantastic work you did for us this week. Rest well.
Yes, you are so very appreciated, Heather!
Burnt sienna and russet
rising of the sun
painting the tips of the waves,
as they refract
the hope of dawn.
Dismissive of the
ominous clouds,
the colors of daybreak
shatter through the
greys of our daily living.
The stalwart buoy,
daring to be,
heralds in the gift of daylight —
as do you, our wordsmith
of authenticity and
unvarnished truth.
Another lovely poem so “on the mark” of Buddy’s picture and Heather herself. She is like that buoy to me- guiding me to the light and bringing her gift of authenticity and truth, even when I feel like I only want to grab on that buoy and not face another day of hypocrisy and untruths.
Paula, I’m so glad that it resonated with you. Thank you very much.
My late husband expressed himself with poems. Your vivid descriptions remind me of his- written on notepads or envelopes (before laptop’s and cell phones ,often sitting in the courthouse waiting for a hearing -he was an attorney). I don’t have the gift of the writing in that format, but I have the appreciation.
What lovely memories his poems must bring back for you! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you paula...very nice...I agree...enjoy the day
In other words, great picha, Buddy! Thanks, Rowshan, lovely poem...
Nice of you to say so, Lynell! Thank you so much!
Love you, Rowshan!
Awwww, shucks❣️
Poets use words like painters use colours. I'm not a poet, nor am I a visual artist--can't draw a line with a ruler--but I am so deeply appreciative of it and the craft involved. However, I AM a musical artist, so I deal in the art of sound. ALL of us artists are needed now more than ever to use our respective media to give wings to the thoughts of others and let our expressions speak for them as well. Thank you for this, Rowshan.
Thanks for your note and magical musical words
If only we could listen to your music, too, Bruce Sellers! Thank you.
Nicely penned!
Thank you, Jean-Pierre!
I am not a fan of poetry. But I really like this!
I’m so glad that my words hit the spot for you, Bill. Thank you!
Wow.....so beautiful! Even if there wasn't a photo, I would have an image.
Rest well Dr Richardson, the new week will be gripping.
Barbara, how kind of you to say so! Thank you!
Simply beautiful accompaniment for the soul calming photo Heather shared, Rowshan Nemazee!
How nice of you to say so, Charlotte! Thanks so very much!
Beautifully written.
Thanks so much, diana!
You're welcome! It's the truth. I love the way you weave fact into imagery. Very nice.
Oh Rowshan, how you enriched my experience of Heather's photo! Thank you! Wouldn't it be something to have a book or collection of the photos and your poems (I'm assuming from Paula's message that there are more) as moments of light in this dark time. Blessings,
That would be an exciting prospect if Heather and Buddy are game! But I don’t know whether they’d find my reflections up to par. 😉Nonetheless, thanks a million for giving my thoughts such value, Chaplain Terry!
I agree with Chaplain Terry and I have to say that since I am “two for two” in viewing Heather’s photo, and hitting “like “ and being lead to the comment threads, and finding another Rowshan gem! So the pattern has been set- enjoying the beautiful pictures and then looking in the comment thread for a “Rowshan” gift! No pressure, but know when you share one you have a following and you are appreciated. Honestly in these emotional, turbulent times a moment to enjoy beauty is a gift to be treasured.
No pressure, but now I'm going to follow in Paula's "footsteps" and look for Rowshan's poem when there's a beautiful photo! Happy to wait till the next day if you need a bit more time!!
😂😂😂
How lovely of you to shower me with such compliments! Thank you! I’ll do my best … no pressure! 😊
You are more than welcome! So let me assure you that your reflections are up to par, until you can see that for yourself! So, I tossed the stick into the river...let's see where it ends up.
😉
Beautiful, Sister Rowshan.
UNITA! 🗽
Thank you, my sister!
wonderful words, Rowshan. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Bonnie!
I’m a painter and your words have painted the visual response to Buddy’s photograph . Thank you Rowshan, Buddy and Heather
Thank you for seeing my words through the eyes of an artist! That means so much, Mary.
Rowshan,, I was commenting on Heather's insightful words and Buddy's picture and was so glad to see your poem. Beautiful. Thanks
Thanks so much, Bruce!
Nice, Rowshan.
Thank you, Pam.
Wow!!
Thanks so much, Patricia!
" heralds in the gift of daylight —as do you, our wordsmith
of authenticity and unvarnished truth." As do you Rowshan Nemazee...
Thanks ever so much, Manuel!
Yes!! Thank YOU for soo much!!… your phenomenal in-depth explanations and historical information is PURE GOLD!!!…. Soo NEEDED in these times…
I couldn't agree more! I don't know where I'd be without this truthful summary every day.
Agree
Agree
Heather (I have no right to call you such, but feel you a dear friend) words cannot express appreciation — mine and so many — for you. Rest well and thank you, sincerely, for all you give.
Yes.....all the friends we have that now start their day with Heather and a cuppa, say to us, it's like sitting with a good friend. Our most summarized source of the news now and historically. We all thank you!
So true. I pass on what I've learned and refer to HCR as Heather and people always ask who I'm referring to. This gives me the opportunity to have their undivided attn to talk about HCR and tell them to sign on.
Sleep, rest, recover. Take two nights if needed. Please. As dire as it all seems these days, tomorrow is another day and a new dawn for fresh perspectives.
Thank you for your dedication.
I don’t know how you do it — day after day, month after month — synthesizing the day’s news from so many sources into a coherent narrative, but I and the members of the community you created are grateful for your tenacity. Thank you for helping keep us sane in insane times.
Pictures like today’s post remind us that in the midst of all the is happening there still is beauty out there, if only we take the time and effort to recognize it. Peace.
Special words Fran thank you too😉🎶
Absolutely grateful for your words and guidance and the hope they give that we can weather the Republican storm. (American living in Australia but watching my country every day.)
Dawn to dusk. And beyond. The Light is there for us. Filling every crack of darkness. As are the guardians that protect us. Have faith, be steady, stand a little taller than you did the minute before. Thank you, Professor Richardson. You, too, are a guardian of truth.
UNITA! 🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿🇺🇸🗽
Beautiful words/thoughts/uplifting for me and I hope many others.
Lovely, Christie! Unidad!
Rest well Heather. Your analyses have helped all who follow your Letters from an American immeasurably. Hats off to Buddy as well for keeping us in touch with the beauty of where you live, reminders of nature's beauty generally.
Please take care of yourself, Heather. I do know when I've felt the most tired in my whole life. In 2013 I had a massive pulmonary embolism and was within two hours of death. Fortunately, they gave me the clot buster drug, TPA ($17,000 for 100 milligrams!), in time and I survived. The next five weeks I found my body was in charge. There was no mentally pushing through the extreme fatigue. There was literally no gas left in the tank. My body would tell me I could lay down on the floor right where I was or it might let me get to my bed. It taught me to listen to my body and get the rest I need. The rest we all need. About eight hours per night. Here is an article I wrote for my monthly column on Accessible Living on sleep. It was the December article so I used Twas the Night Before Christmas poem as a framework. I think it is the potentially most impactful essay I've ever written.
December 2015
ACCESSIBLE LIVING by Catherine Learoyd
Byline: Stille Nacht: Creating A Haven for Sleep
“The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap —
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.“
This is the original wording of the second verse of “Twas a Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore written in 1823. “Settled our brains”? “Visions of sugar plums”? “A long winter’s nap”? “Snug in their beds”? In the context of what we know today about our brain during sleep, this verse shows a family that is getting a good night’s sleep.
“Arose such a clatter”
Papa was probably in the first stage of sleep known as N1. N1 is light sleep where one can be easily awakened say by the clatter of eight tiny reindeer. Mama may have already reached the second level of N2 sleep or even the deep sleep of N3 since she wasn’t arosed. N3 deep sleep (also called long wave sleep) is when the brain does its house cleaning through the ingenious glymphatic system getting rid of waste products that have built up in the brain while awake. For example, the build up of the protein amyloid beta has been shown to be one of the key steps in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. If the brain doesn’t get the time to do its house cleaning and keep the waste from building up this suggests that worsening sleep quality and sleep duration will contribute to conditions like Alzheimer’s.
“Visions of sugar plums”
The children are dreaming which means they have reached REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. In this stage of sleep the brain is actually more active than when it is in the wake state. In REM, the brain is very busy processing and consolidating memory, integrating old and new memories, reinforcing pathways within the brain, developing rules from the patterns it discerns, gaining new insights, and even projecting future scenarios. If you have the opportunity to “sleep on it” after learning new material, you will retain three times the learning when tested twelve hours later compared to not having the benefit of sleep in between.
“All snug in their beds”
Since we spend one–third of our lives in bed and in our bedroom, how do we make it a haven for tranquil sleep and gain the tremendous benefits to our health and well-being from full and deep sleep? Let’s start with the bed itself. The best pillow is soft and made of natural materials (more resistant to dust mites) and is flexible so that it can be adjusted to the various sleep positions we go through each night. Mattresses are a very personal choice so when shopping for a mattress spend fifteen to twenty minutes lying on each candidate in your usual sleep position. Couples need to test the mattresses together since a key difference between types of mattresses is whether the movement of one person is felt by the other. A person with back problems is probably best off with a medium firm mattress – not too soft or too firm. Over the years a mattress loses its ability to give your body the support it needs. The resulting pressure points then trigger your body to tell the brain to wake up multiple times in the night so you’ll roll over. Waking up multiple times in the night for this or other reasons is equivalent to getting only four hours of sleep. So, consider buying a new mattress every ten years or so.
“Settled our brains”
The daily cycle of sleep and wake periods are regulated by our circadian biological clock within the brain’s hypothalamus which manages an army of neurotransmitters. By “settling our brains” a half hour to an hour before we go to bed we greatly enhance the quality of our sleep. This tuck-in period is the time to wind down. Brushing one’s teeth in a brightly lit bathroom is one of the worse things you can do just before climbing into bed so do this at the start of the tuck-in period. Put dimmer switches on bedroom and bathroom lights and lower the light levels at tuck-in time. Use part of the tuck-in time to pick up and declutter the bedroom to lower stress and anxiety. Keep the bedroom uncluttered and reserved exclusively for sleeping if at all possible. White and blue light suppresses melatonin delaying sleep so cover or remove electronic devices from the bedroom at tuck-in time even e-book readers. It is best for you and your child’s overall health to remove TVs from the bedrooms altogether.
“Long winter’s nap”
How much sleep do we need? The longer we sleep the greater the percentage of time spent in the restorative N3 and consolidating REM periods. Newborn babies spend 50% of their 16 to 18 hours of sleep per day in REM sleep because of all the demands of growing and learning and the need to organize and set up connections in the brain. Teenagers, another demanding time in life, require ten hours of sleep a night and their circadian rhythm naturally shifts their day to wake later and go to bed later. Younger children need more hours of sleep than the teenagers. Adults including seniors level off at eight hours of sleep. While the quality of sleep can decrease with age, the need for eight hours of sleep does not. If we take a typical day in the life of a teenager, they get up at 6:30 a.m., have classes from 7:50 to 3:25 p.m., have marching band or athletic practice from 3:45 to 6, have dinner and then do 3 hours of homework from 7 to 10. If they get in bed by 10:30 they need to sleep until 8:30 the next morning way past the tardy bell to get ten hours of needed sleep. They sit in class with lessened ability to concentrate or pay attention and feel moody and stressed. The teacher assigns more homework to make up for the lack of learning in the classroom and this devitalizing cycle of sleep deprivation continues. Further, sleep deprivation is now linked to obesity
because the tired brain releases the hunger hormones and to Type II diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health, sleep deprivation in children can cause daytime hyperactivity
and decrease in focused attention. This can be mistaken for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other behavior disorders! At bedtime and through the night, have the bedroom as dark and quiet as possible. Have the thermostat of the bedroom wing programmed between 65 to 68 degrees F starting at tuck-in time until around dawn. Have plants to take out carbon dioxide and add oxygen into the room. Have red night lighting outside the bedroom and in the bathroom if you need to get up in the night. This gives you enough light to see but not enough of the white/blue light to bring you to a fully awake state and make it difficult to go back to sleep.
“Sprang from my bed”
In the morning, the best way to wake up fresh and alert is to do so naturally with the light of the sun with the bedrooms oriented to get eastern light. The thermostat is programmed to bring the temperature of the room to around 70 degrees F. Your body wakes you up at the end of REM instead of the alarm clock jerking you awake in the middle of your dream. This is the decade we’ll change our attitudes as a society about sleep as we come to understand the neurobiology of sleep and its massive impact on our physical and mental health and productivity.
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
Further readings:
Twas the Night Before Christmas in its original version:
http://www.nightbeforechristmas.biz/poem.htm
National Institute of Health “Your Guide to Healthy Sleep
http://catalog.nhlbi.nih.gov/catalog/product/Your-Guide-to-Healthy-Sleep/11-5271
TEDtalk by Russell Foster “Why We Sleep”
http://www.ted.com/playlists/223/talks_to_inspire_you_to_go_to
Peace.
Wow, thank you, Cathy!
"...build up of the protein amyloid beta...Alzheimer's..." scared the bejeezus out of me!
Sleep deprivation in children misdiagnosed as ADHD? And then often prescribed medication? Hugely important for parents and everyone working with children to know!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
And another reason to sleep: cerebrospinal fluid cleans the brain (and eliminates those toxic Altzheimer's proteins) while we sleep!
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/cerebrospinal-fluid-washing-in-brain-during-sleep/
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/10/31/775068218/how-deep-sleep-may-help-the-brain-clear-alzheimers-toxins
Thank You, Cathy! Excellent! And such a delightful and "memorable" way of explaining the essential roles of sleep! Tmely, too - our brains will be needing extra "settling" after the January 6th hearings. I would only add this:
"When thinking about getting the sleep you need, it’s normal to focus on how many hours of sleep you get. While sleep duration is undoubtedly important, it’s not the only part of the equation...In a typical night, a person goes through four to six sleep cycles. Not all sleep cycles are the same length, but on average they last about 90 minutes each."
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep
So instead of fretting over lost sleep, think in terms of 1 1/2 hour blocks of sleep. Ideally 5 cycles (7 1/2 hours total) occur at night. But if you wake at 3:30 a.m. after 4 cycles because you must catch HCR's letter when all those west coasters do, plan for a 1 1/2 hour nap later in the day. This is a luxury for most people, but should be as essential as 3 meals a day. Unless, apparently, you are Speaker of the House.
Thank you, MaryPat, we needed a Guidance Counsellor of Sleep. I would add not to be troubled about where you land on the commenter's line. If you're in the back and sorry that you may not be read, so be it. Some rush to find a way near the top by linking up with someone else. Be a contrarian, take your place and read those of us in the back of the bus. There's golden treasure up and down this forum's line. Happy Sunday! Monday will be special, too, with HCR's precious Letter and the 2nd House Committee Hearing, which. may again. hit it out of the park!
You can also sort to the "newest" comments.
I sort chronological, newest, and most loved, shuffling the comments like a Euchre deck it seems. Love the continual improvements in Substack!
sooo, creative!🌠
Maybe substack could alphabetize respondents, too. Easier to find "Fern"!
I confess the collapse feature comes in handy from time to time too.
Nicely said, Fern.
Wonderful to see you, Becky. Supreme counselor to us with your examples of communicating with a friend, thus showing how we can engage with one another through differences, which we do not want to keep us apart
Thanks for that lovely bit of flattery! My conversation with my friend continues. Here is something she wrote yesterday: "Here in Mississippi the folks are really tired of government trying to take away our guns, stuff their agenda down our throats, and take away our religious freedoms. I truly believe that all people need God in our lives. If that God is Buddha or Mohamed that’s fine with me. I believe in Jesus. All our statues have been removed. This country has tried to be more inclusive and in the process have excluded history and Christianity. Those are my concerns."
Thank you, Becky for sharing your friend's concerns. Can she share how guns are being taken away? Is she aware that they have been expanded in some states? What in particular is being pushed down her throat? Is it literally happening or is it what she hears from whom and in what media? She has provided a list for conversation, slowly and with respect. At heart, the feeling of a tug a way between the impression v. reality of inclusiveness v. time honored history and different understandings of Christianity. I appreciate the goal of finding openings from which to proceed. Cheers, Becky.
Since there are two Barbara's now I am changing my commenter name to Barbara M. Just an FYI. You and I have had some nice conversations for awhile so it's still me out here in the weird and wonderful land of online commenting and chatting.
Thank you for your greeting, Barbara M. We will have many more good exchanges as we learn from one another and contribute to a more secure and more democratic USA.
Here is an good article from the Atlantic. I especially love the part about TFG being such a loser.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/january-6-hearing-congress-insurrection/661234/#:~:text=IDEAS-,The%20One%20Witness%20at%20the%20January%206%20Hearing%20Who%20Matters%20Most,-It%E2%80%99s%20you.
Thanks for this. Yes, in addition to the " tfg as loser " thought. I like the reminder that there actually were people who tried to do the right thing!! Also, very important, Frum puts each of us standing squarely in this saga as significant players. TY Barbara M!
Agree on the nap. In some cultures, the "siesta" is a part of daily living. It certainly is for me. When I was still in the corporate gig, I would often head out to my car after eating a modest lunch and settle in for a nap. And then head back in to attack the job - quite refreshed.
I wish I could have done that! 12 hour shift as a nurse provided us with 30 minutes for a meal break. Barbaric really. Health care workers work in quite unhealthy environments.
I wish I would have done that.
Another option if you wake up and can't get back to sleep is to try Ujjayi breathing. You can learn this 20 minute easy practice in Clair Oaks "Relaxation Suite" (on Amazon). The digital album also has a 10 minute shavasana/body relaxation which is helpful before the breathing practice.
Namasté
Sandy,
yoga practitioner since 1975, teacher and yoga therapist since 2003.
Thanks, Cathy!
Cathy! Great and important info.
Two of the most important things we should invest in regularly are excellent shoes and a seriously supportive mattress. About a year ago we upgraded from a 10 year old fairly expensive "pillow top" mattress (one of the S companies). It was showing signs of the "king bed valleys". The new one we had "test slept" on at a relatives home. It is a simple product made of solid foam topped with memory foam. I would call it medium/firm. No motion transfer when one of us flips around. Came in a box and was fun to watch "grow". Best possible investment in home furnishings. I sigh happily as I settle into it. For 7 to 8 hours. All that you say about sleep is so true and neglected by so many. Great post!
Cathy, wonderful post. Can you provide link to your column? Is there an archive to access this particular column on sleep?
Thank you so much. I love the connection with “‘Twas the night before Christmas”.
Sweet dreams!
Also check out Matthew Walker, Ph.D. at UC Berkeley on sleep. He has numerous videos, and has written several books on the importance of sleep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=106zCmbMKYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1yGw_hfEfk
Such good and important info, thanks so much, Cathy.
And what a story that you almost died to learn about the need of sleep for yourself and the rest of us! In gratitude 🙏
Thanks Cathy. I will have to save this one.
Thank you for this lovely photo - take care of yourself - tough days ahead!
Please rest as long as you need to.
I love the fiery clouds along the horizon with the buoy in the center of them and the burnished reflections in the waves. Thanks, Buddy.
It was a pleasure hearing you speak in person in Portland and I appreciate your nightly letters and artistic Sunday evening photos. You keep us all grounded when the seas are rough and quicksand seems to be all around. I never miss reading your recap of the day, helping us to see through your informed, honest, and well polished lens. Thank you for all you do for us ordinary Americans. Take all the rest you need!
Thank you Heather/Prof. Richardson for your amazing work this, and every week. Your Letter, the day after the Jan. 6 televised hearing was just perfect and I was amazed since it was exhausting and ABSOLUTELY VITAL that we watch all the hearings. Hope you are having a wonderful rest. You give so much to us.
Thanks to Heather and thanks, too, to all who read, comment, debate and support each other on this forum.
I add my name to the multitudes of Americans who owe you a deep debt of gratitude for the gift of reasonable thinking and sanity you have given us amid the crazy thinking taking over our country . Thank you. Joan Sweet
Agree!
Thank you Heather
Well deserved sleep!!! Sleep well. Self care it important.
Sleep tite😘thank you for all you do, doc💕