WHO NEEDS SLEEP? from IMAGO – CINEMATOGRAPHERS on Vimeo.

Working in the film industry is often viewed as a glamorous way to make a living, and for some, it very well could be. However, for the below-the-line crew in the film industry, the never-ending trend of making films quicker and for less money has led to some troubling working conditions. One of the most troubling of these conditions is the fact that the length of workdays is completely unregulated outside of mandatory overtime pay after a certain amount of hours worked. This leads many productions to regularly operate with 14+ hour work days, which, as legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler reveals in his 2006 documentary, Who Needs Sleep, is not only dangerous, but it could have some potentially deadly consequences.Documentary 2006
directed by Haskell Wexler ASC

Synopsis:
A documentary that highlights the deadly combination of sleep deprivation and long days of work. Focusing in particular in the film industry.
Unsettled by the preventable death of a coworker, filmmaker Haskell Wexler learns that sleep deprivation and long work hours are a deadly combination. Interweaving medical findings with personal accounts, his camera reveals how a 24/7 work culture affects all Americans.

Runtime: 78 min

]]> http://www.sleepangels.com/secret-to-better-sleep/ Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:21:32 +0000 http://www.sleepangels.com/?p=722

At this time of year, food is on pretty much everybody’s mind.

It is a time for festivals and celebrations.  Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, food and drink play a dominant role.

So, it’s not surprising that we sometimes overindulge.  And that can have a direct influence on the way we sleep.

Your diet can seriously affect your sleep.  In fact, there is more and more evidence that good eating habits are linked to healthy sleeping patterns and that both are related to health and longevity.

Eating a large meal just before going to bed does not promote sleep.  It causes our digestive system to have to work harder than it should while you sleep, preventing the body from paying proper attention to the business of healing and rejuvenation for which sleep is designed and needed.  As a result, you may not wake up as refreshed as you should.

At the very least, overindulgence is likely to cause heartburn, indigestion or bloating, all of which will disturb your sleep.

And alcohol doesn’t help either as it can disrupt both REM and non-REM sleep.

Even though you may fall asleep easily under the effects of a few glasses of wine, you are likely to wake again in the middle of the night, leaving you feeling sleepy the next day.

So, the message here is…don’t overdo it!

There is some good news, though.  We can give you a few tips on food for sleep.  Turkey is rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid in the human diet.

Tryptophan is used to make the hormone serotonin which produces feelings of calm and relaxation, helping to promote sleep.  So it is important to ensure that levels of serotonin in the brain are adequate by making sure you eat foods rich in tryptophan.

Tryptophan is best absorbed into the brain when combined with carbohydrate-rich foods, so include healthy carb-rich foods such as green vegetables, brown rice, whole fruits, pulses, nuts and sweet potatoes.

A modest portion of turkey with some sweet potatoes and green beans or broccoli could actually enhance sleep.

Just take it easy on fatty foods, sweet deserts and wine!  And don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks after the middle of the day, as sugar and caffeine are likely to disrupt sleep as well.

If you don’t fancy turkey, seafood is also rich in tryptophan.

According to an article in the Guardian newspaper, María José San Román, the celebrated chef at Monastrell restaurant in Alicante, southern Spain, has discovered the ultimate “food to make you sleep.”

The menu would include:

A grilled octopus starter
A delicate pumpkin “lasagne” doused in a sage and chicken broth
and a main course of turbot with lemon calamari.

The secret ingredient, according to the chef, is the expensive spice, saffron, which is a key ingredient of the “lasagne” and which a 2009 study showed to have a soporific effect (on mice, at least), a good food for sleep.

Whatever your final choice of menu, follow these tips to get a good night’s sleep:

1. Don’t overindulge
2. Eat food rich in tryptophan, combined with healthy carbohydrates (preferably from the plant kingdom)
3. Keep your regular sleep schedule
4. Avoid alcohol, caffeinated and sugary drinks, and fatty or spicy foods. 

One last thing:

Chocolate may act as a stimulant and many sleep advisors say that it should be avoided.  But it is also a rich source of the chemicals theobromine and anandamine, which induce relaxation and the feelings associated with being in love.  It is one of the richest sources of Magnesium, known to be a natural sedative.  So consume in moderation and enjoy the holidays!

Let me know if you have your own tips for food for sleep.

]]> http://www.sleepangels.com/hypnosis-for-sleep/ Sat, 01 Dec 2012 17:26:23 +0000 http://www.sleepangels.com/?p=691

If you suffer from sleeping problems and insomnia, you may want to consider hypnosis.

Despite the myths surrounding the technique, which often originate with stage tricksters rather than authentic therapeutic practitioners, hypnosis is a genuine, safe and non-habit forming alternative to other sleep remedies.

As with other sleep remedies, if you have any doubts about the suitability of using sleep hypnosis to combat insomnia you should visit your doctor first and ask his opinion, especially if there may be an underlying medical condition causing your sleep challenges.

But if you are happy to give it a try, there are qualified hypnotherapists in every major town and city.  A consultation can help you to get to the heart of the things that are bothering you most (and may be at the root of your sleeplessness).   It could well result in ridding you of all sorts of addictions and other psychological issues.  Sleep Hypnosis for sleeping problems can be very effective for teaching the mind to let go of the world and allow the body to get the rest it needs.

According to hypnotherapist Jim Katsoulis Jim Katsoulis, “Hypnosis is not unlike sleep. In fact, hypnosis [causes you to enter] a mental state known as Alpha. You pass through this state naturally as you fall asleep and wake up.

You are also in an Alpha state 75% of the time when you are watching television. Hypnosis is far from unnatural or mythical; it is a natural state of mind for you to be in part of the time. During this state, the mind is more suggestible than when you are fully awake and alert. If you are hearing positive messages during this suggestible state, your mind will hold on to positive thoughts”.

Watch Jim’s video at the top of this post.

A professional hypnotherapist can address negative thoughts during a hypnosis session, allowing you to be more relaxed  and often resulting in more restful sleep.

When selecting a hypnotherapist, ensure that he or she is a member of one of the major governing bodies such as The General Hypnotherapy Register or The American Board of Hypnotherapy.

It is believed that more than 60 per cent of the population is affected by sleep disorders at one point or another. The range of sleeping problems is very wide indeed, as physicians have identified more than 70 different conditions.

As someone who has battled with sleep problems for quite some time, I understand the feelings of frustration and exhaustion that often accompany those who are affected by sleep problems. The consequences of sleep deprivation range from irritability and poor concentration levels to weight problems (and believe me, I have experienced them all).

Over the years, you could say I have become an expert in sleep remedies, as I have tried virtually everything that is available, from over-the-counter sleep remedies to meditation, aromatherapy, and other techniques like exercises of creative visualisation and progressive muscle relaxation. While these remedies do help, I must say that in my case relief has always been temporary.

My most recent “discovery” in this sense is the emotional freedom technique (also known as EFT). This is a relatively new technique that appeared in the early 1990s. The principles of EFT draw on fields like acupuncture, energy balancing, neuro linguistic programming, and other forms of alternative medicine and psychology. This technique has been used to treat addictions, headaches, overweight, depression, and a range of sleep problems.

To put it simply, the emotional freedom technique proposes that sleep disorders are a result of an imbalance of energy within the body. It is also believed that certain patterns of thought can deepen energy imbalances and therefore worsen sleep disorders, so if your mind is filled with “I can’t sleep” thoughts, you will effectively not be able to sleep. Energy practitioners who use this technique focus on addressing negative thoughts and modifying them so that they do not interfere with sleep patterns.

After reading other people’s successful experiences with this technique, I decided to give it a go and found an EFT practitioner in my local area. During the session, I was asked to rate several stress triggers from 1 to 10. The highest rated stressors were used to create a positive statement that I had to repeat several times while the practitioner tapped on my energy points. The emotional freedom technique is known for its quick results, so the night after my session I was looking forward to a good night of sleep, which I happily managed to get.

I have since been to a few more sessions and have been so pleased with the results that I have no hesitation about recommending this remedy to people who suffer from similar problems.

He is normally a very reliable sleeper, so my wife and I both assumed that it was time to get up and take his older brothers and sister to school.

It was only when we were reaching for our toothbrushes, that we glanced at the clock.

It read 1.30am!

We crept back to bed, taking our toddler with us, feeling rather foolish.

But the little one is not very good at sharing a bed. He tossed and turned, kicked and pushed. He lay across the bed so there was no room for his parents: he swept aside the covers and left us exposed to the freezing cold winter air in our bedroom.  Needless to say, sleep pretty much eluded us.

Eventually, he announced that he was ready for breakfast and wanted his cereal – not in half an hour, mind, but right now! How do you argue with a two-year old who wants his breakfast? Answer: you don’t!

But there was another bombshell to come: not only had we hardly slept, but the alarm clock still hadn’t advanced beyond 4.30am. Junior got his cereal, but Mum and Dad were exhausted. What a way to start the day.

So how do you recover from such a bad start to the day? We’d probably lost at least five hours of sleep, looked terrible, had a cranky two-year old on our hands and wondered how we were going to make it through our busy schedule.

Well, here is a quick checklist of things you can do that may help all those parents out there whose precious sleep is interrupted:

1. Stay positive.  Try to remember that these sleepless nights aren’t going to last for ever.
2. Also remember that sleep deprivation is experienced by many parents and is not life-threatening or even harmful to your health provided it doesn’t become too frequent.
3. Try not to expect too much of yourself the day after a sleepless night. You can’t do everything, and being over-tough on yourself will only increase the stress that you are feeling.
4. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, try to persuade the litte one to go back to her own bed, rather than invading yours.
5. Try to share the load both during the night and the following day with your partner or friends. It is OK to need help.
6. Do some relaxing exercise – take a walk or do some yoga. You will find it refreshing and revitalizing.
7. Get outside and soak up some sunlight – this will help to reset your body clock, and dispel the feelings of disorientation and grogginess.
8. Make sure that you don’t skip meals – eat light, healthy food.
9. Try to avoid drinking coffee or energy drinks. They may seem the obvious answer to keep you awake during your day, but are actually likely to make it harder to sleep when you finally get back to bed.
10. Instead, try fresh fruit or vegetable juices, to give you an (almost) instant boost without putting strain on your digestive system.
11. Drink lots of water.
12. Take a power nap during the day, if you can. Restrict it to 20 minutes maximum so that you don’t enter deep sleep.
13. Keep to your regular sleep schedule (if there still is such a thing). Avoid going to bed earlier after a sleepless night or lying in at weekends as this will upset the natural rhythms of your body clock.
14. Find some time to relax during the day. I can hear you saying, “are you kidding? With a toddler in the house?” But even taking 5 minutes to do a breathing exercise will help.

Most of these tips will work after any sleepless night.  So, if you have been out partying, revising for exams, preparing a report for your boss, or just couldn’t sleep for some other reason, follow these same, simple principles and you will soon be back to normal, full of energy and vitality.

visualization techniques

Creative Visualisation is a simple but powerful tool which you can use to bring positive outcomes to any area of your life.

1. Find a quiet place where you aren’t going to be disturbed.  Make sure that you are comfortable and warm and that the lights are turned down.  You might want to do this if you are still awake after your Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) exercise.
2. Close your eyes.  Breathe deeply, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
3. Imagine you are lying on a beach on a tropical island.  The sand is incredibly soft and cool to your touch.  Feel it as it flows between your fingers and toes.
4. You are facing the setting sun, which is casting a beautiful orange glow across the ocean.  Really see it.  Imagine every detail.  Let the warmth of the last rays of the day warm your eyelids and your body, bathing you in its healing energy.
5. Hear the waves gently lapping at the shore.  It is a calm evening, and you are totally relaxed.  You don’t have any worries that can’t wait until morning, and the stresses of the day have fallen away.
6. Smell the smell of the sea.  Breathe in the salt and the coconut oil.  Taste the saltiness of the air.  Really use your imagination.  What are you wearing?  Are there palm trees beyond the beach?  Are there colourful boats at anchor just off shore, their rigging singing in the breeze?
7. Feel your muscles relaxing.  The knots in your shoulders and neck gently untie themselves.  Your jaw is totally relaxed.
8. Thoughts will occasionally come into your mind but you just let them go.  They float away over the ocean like bubbles.  Don’t judge them.  Just acknowledge them and let them go.
9. If the thoughts are problems, say to them “I can’t fix you right now: I’ll deal with you tomorrow.”  Then send them on their way.  You don’t have to deal with everything that comes up right now.
10. Feel the warmth of the evening, the first stars twinkling in the sky.  Feel yourself drifting off to sleep, relaxed, calm, without stress.
11. Feel the weight of your body increasing, sinking into the warm sand as you become ever more drowsy.  Release the tension.  Continue to breathe deeply but comfortably.  Feel yourself falling asleep effortlessly, your muscles relaxed, the stressful challenges of the day put aside.

Practise this every night and make it part of your ritual.  You can replace the scene with a waterfall, a meadow full of wild flowers, or a mountain scene.  Whatever makes you feel comfortable and relaxed will work best.

Use all your senses to visualise what you are trying to achieve.  In the morning, visualise yourself feeling well rested and satisfied by a good night’s sleep.  What would you do with the extra energy?  How would you use the extra brainpower?

Feel the energy coursing through your body.

simple sleep

Sleep is such an important part of our lives and yet can prove so elusive, can’t it?

If you are like me, you go through phases of thinking that at last you’ve cracked the code to good, consistent, restful sleep. And then, out of the blue, you have a night of restless sleeplessness.

The secret has slipped through your fingers. All those things that have previously worked for you suddenly seem to have lost their efficacy, and you are left feeling powerless and frustrated.

Finding some answers to the question of how to achieve lasting, consistent sleep is the subject of this blog. SleepAngels is a place to explore the issues surrounding sleep.

Sometimes that will mean following the academic institutions whose main purpose is to research the technical and medical aspects of sleep. Other times it is to look at the mystery of sleep from a more personal, perhaps even philosophical point of view.

There are plenty of helpful and effective techniques for improving your sleep. I hope you will use this blog as a resource to find the ones that work for you. But there are also more general aspects of your life that you will want to look at. For, ultimately, if your life is in balance, you are more likely to feel energised during the day and sleep blissfully well at night.

Here is a five step plan to achieve balance in your life:

Simplify

We are constantly bombarded with advertising and media suggesting that we can’t live without the latest luxury, gadget, car or holiday. “Keeping up with the Jones’s” has become an obsession for many of us in both the developed and developing countries. We are programmed to consume.

This puts a great deal of pressure on us, however. How can we ever truly compete on this level? There is always going to be someone (or many people in most cases) who are wealthier, have a faster car (or three), go on more exotic holidays and live in the huge mansion up the road.

Simplification of one’s life can actually allow one to savor it more. Competing less does not reduce one’s appreciation of the good things in life, it increases it. Cut down on the shopping, the internet surfing, the watching of television programs that you can’t remember having watched the next day. Ride the bike to work, or take the bus.

Take a piece of paper and a pencil and write down all the things that you could do without. Is it physical or mental clutter that is keeping you awake at night, when you should be fast asleep?

It’s the little things that make life worth living – for me it is playing with my two-year-old son or kicking a ball around with his big brother, going for a walk with my wife, or eating a simple salad full of fresh, raw goodness. Life is about being, not just doing. Slow down, simplify and enjoy it.

Breath

Breath. Breath deeply. Follow one of the breathing exercises on this blog or take a yoga class to learn how. The simple art of breathing properly is one of the body’s most effective antidotes to stress. You will find yourself calming down and ready for sleep.

Be Mindful

There is much current scientific research to reinforce the connection between mindfulness and a relaxed state of mind. Be aware of the present moment, for that is all the reality that there is. If you can sit and focus on your body, the gentle rhythm of your breath, the beating of your pulse, your feelings and your thoughts, any anxiety which you are feeling will quickly be replaced by stillness and serenity.

Eat With Care And Awareness

Poor eating (and drinking) habits are a major contributor to impaired sleep. Plan for sleep with appropriate food and drink, especially in the last quarter of the day. Simply avoiding spicy or carb-laden foods, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, sugar and too much red meat within a few hours of bedtime can improve the quality of your sleep dramatically.

Sleep Beautifully

By which I mean create a beautiful environment for sleep. Ensure that you are comfortable, warm and safe. Make your bedroom an oasis of calm, free from any distractions such as clutter, television or computer. Understand the rhythms of sleep and the effects of light and dark. And make your bedroom a sacred place to be used only for simple sleep and intimacy.