Sleep and His Half Brother Death
John William Waterhouse
http://www.illusionsgallery.com/sleep.html
Image: dreams.co.uk
How do you feel about sleep? Sometimes I can go a whole night without sleep, but I will surely feel knackered two days later! I love being in bed at night when the rain is tapping on the roof. Weekends I like to lie in…and then get a nice breakfast in bed! …now to the music! I’ve these wonderful music, two tracks from a chess friend and he also sent me the third track by Hennie Bekker and suddenly! I found myself busy with an entry on sleep!! I even found you an interesting link about the stages of sleep and one about sleep deprivation…that’s for me, actually…lol! It was truly not my intention to blog about sleep when I uploaded these snippets of music, but at the end, after searching for some images, I came across these interesting info and sites and thought to share it with you as it was interesting to me. I blog about stuff which I enjoy/find interesting…apart from chess…my blog is sort of a “gathering space” for info I want to refer back to, but also in the hope that other people will find it useful too or will enjoy it at least. In the same process, I also found music for children with Aspergers! I’ve worked with children with Aspergers syndrome, Down Syndrome and also Autistic children and they are all a pleasure to work with!
I’ve come across music for ASD– the link will open in a new window – which you will find in this post. You can read more about ASD on the link and there’s another link in this post for you to follow up too, if you are more interested in Autistic children.
Seven hours sleep a night helps reduce heart problems. Read the article…the link will open in a new window.
Image…see more fantastic images here..http://photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=941594
Firstly, enjoy “Sea of Dreams”…this track is about 5 min, but you get to listen to only a taster of it, as well as the other tracks. Tranquil Realms is about 11 min but the taster only about 2 min. For Afrikaans speaking people, I wonder if you can remember the Afrikaans poem about sleep! Please find it at the bottom of my post, a wonderful poem by DF Malherbe! In this poem he asks God to shut his eyes one day like the little girl’s when she falls asleep…
On my blog on this link you can read about dreams…the link will open in a new window.
Sea of Dreams..by Angelle
Sleepy Time…by Angelle
Hennie Bekker…Tranquil Realms
Read on this link about sleep cycles. The link will open in a new window. Read on this pdf-link on wiki about dreaming.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/en/e/ef/Lucid_Dreaming.pdf
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Brain and Behavior
Sarah Ledoux
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false . Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person’s behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of “quiet readiness” . Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.
The temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex is associated with the processing of language. During verbal learning tests on subjects who are fully rested functional magnetic resonance imaging scans show that this area of the brain is very active. However, in sleep deprived subjects there is no activity within this region. The effects of this inactivity can be observed by the slurred speech in subjects who have gone for prolonged periods with no sleep .
Please click HERE more about sleep deprivation and brain behaviour…the link will open in a new window.
The music in ‘Sleep’ has been designed to be physically relaxing – the program features no distracting surprises and feels like slow, steady breathing, to help transport the listener away from the stresses of the day towards restful sleep.
This CD, with music composed by Hennie Bekker, incorporates scientific principles of sonic response, and is designed to nudge your mind toward deep and refreshing sleep.
On this link you can listen to more snippets of his music. The link will open in a new window.
Hennie Bekker
African Roots
Bekker was raised in Mufulira, a Zambian copper mining town 10 miles south of the Congo border. In those early years, he was captivated by the symphonic sounds of the African wilderness, the haunting harmonies of tribal chanting and the rhythmic dialogue of drummers communicating between camps at sundown. He is a self-taught pianist who had his professional debut at age 15, spending the next decade performing with various bands throughout Zambia, Zaire, Zimbabwe and Kenya. His success as a fusion-jazz musician and band leader elevated him to become the musical director for one of South Africa’s largest record companies. Here, he added scores of film, television, radio and commercial music to his list of career accomplishments.
Read more about Hennie Bekker here, the link will open in a new window. If you click on “home”, you will find youtube-videos of him to watch.
On the “music” link you will find more albums, even some Africa-music and snippets to listen to.
Asperger’s Syndrome is a condition that was initially described by Dr. Hans Asperger’s 1944 doctoral thesis. It was not until 37 years later, in 1981, however, that Dr. Lorna Wing used the term “Asperger’s Syndrome” in a paper that helped to introduce this condition to the English-speaking world.
As described by Dr. Wing, the primary clinical features of Asperger’s Syndrome include:
naïve, inappropriate, one-sided social interactions
limited ability to establish relationships
poor non-verbal communication
a lack of emotional empathy
pedantic, repetitive speech
intense absorption in certain subjects
clumsy, un-coordinated movements
odd postures
Currently, the prevailing view is that Asperger’s Syndrome is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder which falls at the high end of the Autism Spectrum continuum.
BEHAVIORAL DEFINITION
The autism spectrum extends from “classic autism” — which lies at the lower end of the spectrum– through ASPERGER’S SYNDROME, which is characterized as being at the mildest and highest functioning end of the spectrum –or Pervasive Developmental Disorder–Continuum
The major source of stress in life for the person with Asperger’s Syndrome is social contact, and increased stress generally leads to anxiety disorders and depression Attwood, T. Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, 1998, p. 148.
AS represents a neurologically-based disorder of development
AS reflects deviations or abnormalities in four aspects of development:
(1) Social relatedness and social skills
(2) The use of language for purposes of communication
(3) Certain behavioral and stylistic characteristics such as repetitive or persevering features
(4) Limited, but intense, range of interests
These dysfunctional features can range from mild to severe
“The Epidemiology of Asperger Syndrome: A Total Population Study” by Ehlers and Gillberg (retrieve citation) 2001), it is estimated that the prevalence of Asperger is 2.6 per 1,000 individuals. With the population of the U.S. currently estimated at 275 million (July 2000), this would mean an estimated 715,000 people are affected by Asperger’s syndrome in the U.S. alone”
Stewart, K. (2002). Helping a Child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome, p. 148
AS is characterized by:
high cognitive abilities — or, at least, “normal” IQ level
extending into the very superior range of cognitive ability
normal language function when compared to other autistic disorders
difficulties with pragmatic, or social language
a better prognosis than other Autism spectrum disorders
Please read on THIS LINK more…the link will open in a new window. Click on “products” and it will take you to the music page.
Image: babyzone.com
DF Malherbe (1881-1969)
Slaap
Wat is die slaap ‘n wondersoete ding!
Sag op haar bloue oë daal die vaak
soos maneskyn diep waterkuile raak
om daar te droom in silwer skemering.
Vir laas beef oor haar lippe ‘n fluistering:
“Nag, Pappie.” Ek merk hoe langsaam hy genaak,
wat drome soet tot werklikhede maak:
in vaderarms rus my lieweling.
Sluit so my oë, God, wanneer vir my
u Engel wenk ter laaste, lange rus
en ek van wilde woeling hier moet skei;
dat my dan stille drome huis toe sus
en sterke Hand deur duisternisse lei.
Sluit so my oë, God, as ek gaan rus.
To Sleep
by John Keats.
O soft embalmer of the still midnight!
Shutting, with careful fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas’d eyes, embower’d from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine;
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close,
In midst of this thine hymn, my willing eyes.
Or wait the Amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities;
Then save me, or the passed day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes;
Save me from curious conscience, that still hoards
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards,
And seal the hushed casket of my soul.
Sea of Dreams…Kelly King …I’ve found this book on google-books whilst searching for images and thought it might be on my list to read when I have more time…I’ve read a couple of books about wars…and for some reason I like to read about it…all part of history.
Sea of dreams by Martin Sramek
Dreams
by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
My Piano….by… artistnina.com
(Jou header is baie mooi!! )
Ai, hoe lus het ek nou om te gaan slaap. Baie interessante inskrywing Nikita!
Dankie Zee… ek dink jy’t hom voorheen gemis, want hy’s al ‘n geruime tydjie hier…te danke aan Jasper! ek’s ook mal oor hom! Dankie vir jou laat-aand besoek! Ek’s ook oppad bed toe en hierdie musiek is ook net die musiek om mens nog vaker te maak 🙂
I love rain. I miss it terribly. We had a whole season of it in Nepal. The dry air continues to suck the life of the earth here. It’s dreary and only the winter snow gives some hope.
hi norrbu, I looove rain too! I have tons of energy on rainy days and usually want to do everything as my energy-levels are higher then…I like warm weather, but not toooo hot. I can imagine what your country looks like during the rainy season!
NIKS hou my weg van my slaap nie Nikita, dit is my gunsteling tydverdryf!
Ek lees die comment hier bo, ek het nie eens die sneeu om my hoop te gee nie. Hierdie tropiese hitte kry my onder, ek weet nie hoe lank ek dit nog sal uithou nie.
Ek lees van Herfs oral in die Noordelike halfrond en ek voel desperaat!
Ag wel, een van die dae word dit seker weer koeler hier ook.
Lekker naweek vir jou.
Hi eilandkind! sommige dae wens ek ek kan meer slaap! 🙂 ek is baie lief vir laat slaap op Saterdae…maar “laat” is nou tot so teen 10 uur…sommige mense sal dit nie as “laat” beskou nie..lol! Siestog, ek dink ek moet vir jou bietjie koeligheid stuur! Dankie, lekker naweek vir jou ook! o ja, Herfs is nou hier in volle swang, maar dit voel eerder soos winter! 🙂 alhoewel ons nie juis regtig kan kla nie, dit was tot dusver nie rerig koud nie.
Hi Nikita
Het dit regtig geniet om deur jou drome inskrywing te “sweef” 🙂 . Regtig baie interessant en leersaam, veral oor die invloed van ‘n tekort aan slaap. Ek het die rustige, “slaap”-musiek ook geniet. Voel sommer ontspanne. Ek weet hulle werk seker met sekere klanke, maar ek is altyd teleurgesteld dat hierdie tipe musiek met elektroniese, sintetiese klanke gemaak word. Hoe meer ongelooflik sou dit wees as hulle dit met ‘n volle simfonie-orkes of gevoelvolle werklike instrumentele met uitvoerings van baie goeie musikante geskep het! Sintetiese musiek sal maar altyd vir my half een-dimensioneel en plastiekerig klink. 🙂
hi annerkant, bly jy het dit geniet om hier rond te “sweef”…ek het so 3 dae terug op Yahoo/health gelees dat min slaap jou ‘n hartaanval kan gee, ongelukkig moes my rekenaar restart nadat hy gehang het (Vista wat my ‘n pyn gee!)…en daar verloor ek my yahoo-bladsy..ja, ek stem saam met jou oor die musiek wat maar “plastiek” klink en ek stem dat ‘n simfonie-orkes darem die “ding” baie beter sal kan doen! lekker week vir jou en ek sal jou brein-inskrywings definitief opvolg… 🙂
Wow propvol van my gunstelinge dingetjies!!
Sea of dreams is vreeslik verskriklik mooi! Dit maak my sommer rustig! 😉
Slaap ‘n wondersoete ding!!
As ek nie genoeg slaap kry nie raak ek sommer siek. Dankie tog dat ek nie vreeslik baie slaap nodig het nie. 😆
Hi Tilla! bly jy het dit geniet! Stuur jou man enige tyd! 🙂
Hi Wipneus! Ek hou so bietjie meer van Sleepy time…maar Sea of dreams is ook mooi! Ek kan soms ook met min slaap klaar kom, maar dan vang dit my weer ‘n paar dae later, veral as ek nie baie besig is nie. 🙂
Hoop dit gaan goed met jou, het net kom inloer!!!
Hi Wipneus! Dankie dit gaan goed, net besig!, so pas eers by die huis gekom, dis nou 20 voor 6! moeg…gelukkig more ‘n “vry” dag…laaste “vry” dag!
I was reading your post on Austim Spectrum Disorders. There is a company called Butterfly Effects that has great information regarding behavioral therapy. They are located I think somewhere in South Florida. I did my thesis paper on Vaccinations and the possible link to autism and found great info there.
Hi Rehab Mommy!
Welcome and thank you for your information!! I will check them out sometime when I have a little more time!
the more sleep I get the more I need
Ai, Nikita, jou ou bloggie is ‘n regte skatkis! 😆
Wil so half-en-half leen by D F Malherbe, maar was nie heeltemal seker van die woorde nie…maar danksy jou, siedaar! 😉
hi Turskvy
Dit was ‘n plesier, bly ek kon jou help! Kom gerus weer vir meer indien jy so voel. 🙂 Jy weet jy’s altyd welkom hier. Sien, dis darem nie net skaak nie. 😆
O ja, dankie vir jou positiewe kommentaar ook! Ek waardeer dit.