Can't Sleep, Inc., and Philip Sandstrom present Christopher Caines Dance in the Premiere of listen out loud / move to keep things whole

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Can't Sleep, Inc., and Philip Sandstrom present CHRISTOPHER CAINES DANCE in the premiere of listen out loud / move to keep things whole, a new one-act ballet set to live music by Pauline Oliveros, Paul Kerekes, and Alison Taylor Cheeseman, and featuring advanced student dancers from New York Theatre Ballet School: together with a guest appearance by members of The Bang Group in works by choreographers David Parker and Amber Sloan and a solo by James Waring. Three performances, Saturday May 18 at 8 PM, Thursday May 23 at 8 PM, and Saturday June 1 at 8 PM at the JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue (at 76th Street).

Christopher Caines, called "one of the most musically erudite and articulate dance-makers around" in The New Yorker, will premiere listen out loud / move to keep things whole, which he describes as "a dance about women. In this fraught moment between the sexes in our society, I feel drawn to re-examine conceptions of women as dancers--femininity, the iconic image of the ballerina, the musical and symbolic meaning of pointe work." Adds the choreographer: "I seek to highlight the dancers' power, their brave vulnerability, their everyday heroism--how, in words by the poet Mark Strand that inspired one of the ballet's musical scores, dancers always 'move to keep things whole'."

The ballet is set to music by three composers: two scores by Pauline Oliveros, a gentle matriarch of American experimental music: one of her Sonic Meditations (performed by the dancers), and her Tuning Meditation (sung by the audience), in which the composer urges us to "listen out loud." A commissioned score, Four Sonnets by singer Alison Taylor Cheeseman, sets poems from across five centuries by and about women; while three chamber works by composer Paul Kerekes showcase his signature juxtaposition of fiercely syncopated rhythms with pools of suspended tranquility.

Dancers in listen out loud / move to keep things whole are Elisa Toro Franky, Silken Kelly, Mayu Oguri, Jacob Taylor, Amanda Treiber, and Michelle Vargo, joined by students from the New York Theatre Ballet School. Musicians are Alison Taylor Cheesman, mezzo-soprano; Kelley Barnett, flutes; Eric Umble (May 18) and Vicente Alexim (May 23, June 1), clarinets; and Marja Ilic, piano. Lighting design is by Philip Sandstrom; costume design by two-time Tony Award nominee Gregory Gale.

Appearing as guests are The Bang Group in a New York premiere by David Parker, a recent revival by Parker of a work by James Waring, and a new duet by Amber Sloan. Says Caines: "While looking forward to my company's twentieth anniversary next year, I've been looking back too. David Parker and I got our start as choreographers on DTW's Fresh Tracks series in 1992 and have been friends ever since. I'm delighted to share the stage with him again. It's wonderful too that Phil Sandstrom, who designed lighting for us back in '92, joins us for this project."

At the May 18th performance, TBG will present two works: one by James Waring and one by David Parker. By James Waring is his 12 Objects from Tender Buttons, text by Gertrude Stein read by David Parker, danced by Amber Sloan. By Parker is his group dance Running with Scissors, music by Stravinsky, played by Marija Ilic Caine's, musical director since 2000.

At the performances of May 23 and June 1, TBG will repeat James Waring's 12 Objects from Tender Buttons and will premiere David Parker's Assembly Required, a tap-dance realization of Steve Reich's Clapping Music for two men who play the score with their feet while their upper bodies suggest a wary relationship with intermittent glints of romance. Dancers are Jeffrey Kazin and Dylan Baker. On all performances will be the duet Taking Space, a new duet by Amber Sloan, longtime principal dancer with TBG. For this duet, danced by the choreographer and Joshua Tuason, Sloan has limited herself to twenty layered movements, performed in a variety of contexts to create intimacy, conflict, curiosity.

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Can't Sleep, Inc., and Philip Sandstrom present Christopher Caines Dance in the Premiere of listen out loud / move to keep things whole

]]>

Can't Sleep, Inc., and Philip Sandstrom present CHRISTOPHER CAINES DANCE in the premiere of listen out loud / move to keep things whole, a new one-act ballet set to live music by Pauline Oliveros, Paul Kerekes, and Alison Taylor Cheeseman, and featuring advanced student dancers from New York Theatre Ballet School: together with a guest appearance by members of The Bang Group in works by choreographers David Parker and Amber Sloan and a solo by James Waring. Three performances, Saturday May 18 at 8 PM, Thursday May 23 at 8 PM, and Saturday June 1 at 8 PM at the JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue (at 76th Street).

Christopher Caines, called "one of the most musically erudite and articulate dance-makers around" in The New Yorker, will premiere listen out loud / move to keep things whole, which he describes as "a dance about women. In this fraught moment between the sexes in our society, I feel drawn to re-examine conceptions of women as dancers--femininity, the iconic image of the ballerina, the musical and symbolic meaning of pointe work." Adds the choreographer: "I seek to highlight the dancers' power, their brave vulnerability, their everyday heroism--how, in words by the poet Mark Strand that inspired one of the ballet's musical scores, dancers always 'move to keep things whole'."

The ballet is set to music by three composers: two scores by Pauline Oliveros, a gentle matriarch of American experimental music: one of her Sonic Meditations (performed by the dancers), and her Tuning Meditation (sung by the audience), in which the composer urges us to "listen out loud." A commissioned score, Four Sonnets by singer Alison Taylor Cheeseman, sets poems from across five centuries by and about women; while three chamber works by composer Paul Kerekes showcase his signature juxtaposition of fiercely syncopated rhythms with pools of suspended tranquility.

Dancers in listen out loud / move to keep things whole are Elisa Toro Franky, Silken Kelly, Mayu Oguri, Jacob Taylor, Amanda Treiber, and Michelle Vargo, joined by students from the New York Theatre Ballet School. Musicians are Alison Taylor Cheesman, mezzo-soprano; Kelley Barnett, flutes; Eric Umble (May 18) and Vicente Alexim (May 23, June 1), clarinets; and Marja Ilic, piano. Lighting design is by Philip Sandstrom; costume design by two-time Tony Award nominee Gregory Gale.

Appearing as guests are The Bang Group in a New York premiere by David Parker, a recent revival by Parker of a work by James Waring, and a new duet by Amber Sloan. Says Caines: "While looking forward to my company's twentieth anniversary next year, I've been looking back too. David Parker and I got our start as choreographers on DTW's Fresh Tracks series in 1992 and have been friends ever since. I'm delighted to share the stage with him again. It's wonderful too that Phil Sandstrom, who designed lighting for us back in '92, joins us for this project."

At the May 18th performance, TBG will present two works: one by James Waring and one by David Parker. By James Waring is his 12 Objects from Tender Buttons, text by Gertrude Stein read by David Parker, danced by Amber Sloan. By Parker is his group dance Running with Scissors, music by Stravinsky, played by Marija Ilic Caine's, musical director since 2000.

At the performances of May 23 and June 1, TBG will repeat James Waring's 12 Objects from Tender Buttons and will premiere David Parker's Assembly Required, a tap-dance realization of Steve Reich's Clapping Music for two men who play the score with their feet while their upper bodies suggest a wary relationship with intermittent glints of romance. Dancers are Jeffrey Kazin and Dylan Baker. On all performances will be the duet Taking Space, a new duet by Amber Sloan, longtime principal dancer with TBG. For this duet, danced by the choreographer and Joshua Tuason, Sloan has limited herself to twenty layered movements, performed in a variety of contexts to create intimacy, conflict, curiosity.

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Newington man rejects plea offer for double fatal crash in Farmington; claims Ambien caused him to ’sleep drive’

A Newington man who faces manslaughter and assault charges for a 2017 crash on Route 6 in Farmington that killed two and injured two rejected a plea offer Tuesday that would have sent him to prison for 12 years.

Instead, Edward Brozynski, 55, opted to take his chances with a jury. His lawyer, Wesley Spears of Hartford, wants to use a rare defense that claims Brozynski was "sleep driving" when the crash occurred as a result of using the sleep medication Ambien.

Zolpidem, the generic name for Ambien, is classified as a sedative-hypnotic and has been associated with incidents of sleep driving, according to a 2011 article in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

"We believe that ... he was basically unconscious," Spears said Tuesday. "When he left the house our argument is he was not walking in a conscious mind."

Brozynski has been jailed since his arrest in February 2018 and does not have the money needed to hire a toxicologist to evaluate his case and determine whether such a defense could be employed, Spears said. He has asked Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini to order the state to pay for a consultant.

Such an expert "could confirm defendant's assertion that he was unconscious prior to entering the vehicle and during the subject incident," Spears wrote in his formal request to the judge.

Ambien was not the only drug in Brozynski's system prior to the Sept. 14, 2017 crash, according to the warrant for his arrest.

He had a blood alcohol content of 0.17 percent and had an anti-anxiety drug called meprobamate and oxycodone in his system, according to the warrant.

Several witnesses also told police Brozynski was driving excessively fast, passing them, crossing into the oncoming lane and driving dangerously prior to the crash. Two drivers witnessed the crash and rushed to aid the victims in the Mazda, according to police.

The offer Brozynski rejected Tuesday would have required him to plead guilty to two counts of manslaughter with a motor vehicle and two counts of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle. He will now proceed to trial on two counts of first-degree manslaughter, a single count of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, two counts of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle and a single count of driving without insurance.

Brozynski's unregistered and uninsured Honda Accord crashed head-on into a Mazda 3 carrying four people who were en route from Quebec to Bristol to attend a funeral, police said. Benoit Boislard and Rejean St. Pierre, both 66, were fatally injured in the crash and died at local hospitals. The driver and front passenger in the Mazda, Lisette Prince, 60, and the driver, Angelique Michaud, 46, were injured.

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Dad nestles his newborn daughter on top of his guitar to lull her to sleep

Dad nestles his newborn daughter on top of his guitar to lull her to sleep originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

Talk about a sweet lullaby.

A first-time dad in Missouri put his 3-week-old daughter to sleep by nestling her on top of his guitar as he sang.

Cody Comer, 21, of Carthage, Missouri, was playing his guitar in his living room when his wife asked him to put their newborn, Carrigan, down for her nap.

Instead of just singing her to sleep, Comer nestled his daughter on top of his guitar as he played the Merle Haggard classic "Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star."

PHOTO: Cody Comer, 21, used his guitar to lull his daughter, Carrigan, to sleep. (Chandra Comer)

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"It couldn't have been 10 seconds after I started playing that she fell asleep," Comer, an aspiring musician, told "Good Morning America." "She was kind of fussy so I had her in my arm and I had the guitar in my lap. I just kind of slid her up on her belly on the guitar really easy."

(MORE: These photos of Prince Harry as a child are so cute, we can't handle it)

Comer's wife, Chandra, walked in the family's living room to see Carrigan fast asleep on top of the guitar.

PHOTO: Cody 1: Cody and Chandra Comer pose with their daughter, Carrigan. (Courtesy Cody and Chandra Comer)

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"To me, it was adorable and something I had never seen before," said Chandra Comer. "At first kind of scared though because I was like, 'What if she falls,' but she was so content and just knocked out asleep that all I wanted to do was capture it"

Chandra Comer captured it on video and the couple posted it to Facebook, where it has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

Carrigan slept on the guitar for probably five to 10 minutes, her parents estimated, before she continued her nap on solid ground.

(MORE: 15-pound newborn baby girl a 'double miracle')

The newborn was a fan of her dad's musical talents before she was even born, according to Chandra.

PHOTO: Cody Comer holds his newborn daughter, Carrigan. (Chandra Comer)

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"When she was inside of my stomach even -- because [Cody] plays all the time -- the reaction was she'd just kick all the time. I wouldn't do anything and I'd sit down by him and she'd kick a lot," she said. "As soon as we got home from the hospital, he started playing again and it seems like it soothes her every time."

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How to use Android and iOS apps for a better night’s sleep

Everyone needs a good night's sleep to recharge the "batteries," but not everyone can get their heads on their pillows and fall asleep easily. Sleep disorders such as insomnia are even very common, especially in today's digital age. Even so, have you ever considered using mobile apps to help you sleep better?

If you are tired of counting sheep, drinking tea, or meditating, technology may be able to help. Some apps for smartphones are literally making people sleepy, but in a good way – they create a perfect environment for you to sleep well. Here are five examples.

Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep

How about resting to the sound of nature? This is what the Nature Sounds Relax and Sleep app for Android offers, which promises not only to stimulate sleep but also relax the user throughout the day through sounds of the sea, forest, snow, birds, waterfalls, and crickets, among others.

Relax Melodies

Interestingly, music helps with productivity as well as relaxation. With the Relax Melodies app for iOS and Android, there are 50 options of ambient sounds, with sounds of sea, rain, trains and still some binary beats (varied sonorous frequencies reproduced in each one of the ears) that promise to send the user into a complete state of relaxation and optimal sleep health, sending insomnia away for good.

The app even allows the user to mix sounds and also offers a kind of timer to program the period in which the program will be active.

Long Deep Breathing

It's not just ambient music and sounds that can help with nighttime relaxation. The proposal of Long Deep Breathing (iOS) consists of small breathing exercises that aid in relaxation, relieving any accumulated stress from the day.

The application can be used in other situations as well, as it is based on yoga exercises, being a great option to accompany exercises.

Relax & Sleep Well Hypnosis

If the stress of work and day-to-day activities makes your mind restless, this app (available for Android and iOS) promises to help calm you down. It aims to relax through a self-hypnosis method, which consists of a text (audio in English of approximately 27 minutes) read by the app's designer, the British hypnotherapist Glenn Harrold.

Sleepmaker Rain

Few things are more pleasant than sleeping under the rain, right? This is what Sleepmaker Rain for iOS offers. By means of 20 tracks simulating the sound of the rain, in different intensities (weak, medium and strong), the Sleepmaker Rains will serve as a real sleep aid.

If you have trouble sleeping, you will probably find some application on this list that will help you to fall asleep, monitor your rest or wake you up subtly. Do you know of any other Apps we've missed from this list? Leave your comment below.

What do you think? Do you use any apps to help you sleep? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors' Recommendations:

24 y/o, born and living in Portugal. Majored in Biology, but tech and computers were always a passion. Wrote for sites like Windows.Appstorm and MakeTechEasier.

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It's Time To Put These Sleep Myths To Bed

GREENSBORO, N.C. — There's just something great about being cozy in your bed. Over the years, we've heard plenty of remedies and reasons for better sleep. But don't believe everything you hear. A lot of those supposed "facts" are actually myths. 

The first myth is that most adults only need 5 hours or less of sleep. The CDC says Adults 18 - 60 should sleep at least 7 hours a night. 

Too little sleep has been linked to diabetes, depression, and hypertension. 

It's also a myth that a nightcap can help you sleep better. 

While you might fall asleep faster, research shows drinking alcohol before bed can cause disturbances during deep REM sleep. 

Finally, if you're having trouble falling asleep, it's a myth you should just stay in bed and keep trying. 

It's counterintuitive, but if you can't get to sleep, experts suggest getting up and waiting to return until you're tired. 

Try reading a book, listening to music or meditating.

And did you know catching up on sleep over the weekend is also a myth? Check out our article that explains why.

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RELATED: Here Is What You Need To Know About Melatonin

RELATED: DID YOU KNOW: What hitting 'snooze' button says about your health

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A concert to send you to sleep? Max Richter epic gets Irish premiere

Sleep, Max Richter's eight-hour musical epic, is to get its Irish live premiere at this year's Carlow Arts Festival, where the slumbering audience will listen to it in bed under what the organisers hope will be a canopy of stars.

Tickets go on sale on Friday morning for each of 100 prepitched two-person tents that will allow the audience to hear the piece, which Richter designed to be as long as a full night's rest, as its creator intended.

The German-born British composer calls Sleep "an eight-hour lullaby", structured as a large set of variations, "to be listened to at night". The 31 parts of this "manifesto for a slower pace of existence", which last from just under three minutes to almost 35 minutes, combine piano, cello, viola, violin, organ and soprano voice with synthesisers and other electronically created sounds.

It will be performed in the grounds of Carlow College on Friday, June 7th, by the Max Richter Ensemble and the soprano Grace Davidson, on the first date of their European tour. The dozen or so previous performances have been in London, Berlin, Sydney, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, among other cities.

The director of Carlow Arts Festival, Jo Mangan, says: "I had the extraordinary privilege to witness this work at SXSW in Austin, Texas, last year. It was one of the most incredible artistic experiences of my life. The work is cleverly written to coincide with the lowest of heart beats when we are in deep sleep. I thought I would be able to stay awake and listen to the live orchestra throughout the night, but that was clearly not the case when the first swell of cello roused me from my slumber – and was so powerfully beautiful that I found myself weeping. This cycle of sleeping, waking and weeping happened on multiple occasions throughout the night. It brings me great joy to be able to share it with an Irish audience."

Max Richter's Sleep: the Los Angeles performance. Photograph: Mike Terry

Richter, who consulted the American neuroscientist David Eagleman to learn about the way the brain functions as we sleep, is well known for combining neoclassical with postmodern and minimalist music. His collaborated with the actor Tilda Swinton on his second album, The Blue Notebooks, from 2004, and used an original voice recording of the novelist Virginia Woolf for his 2017 album, Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works, taken from the score he composed in collaboration with Wayne McGregor, resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet in London.

Each two-person tent costs €110 plus booking fee; tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, March 29th, from carlowartsfestival.com. The full festival programme, marking the event's 40th anniversary, will be launched on April 17th.

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The 7 Best Sleep Apps To Wake Up Feeling Rested For Once

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Yes, I know it sounds totally counterintuitive, but your phone might actually be your answer to more peaceful sleep. Well…"as long as you're not actually looking at your phone," says Mary Ellen Wells, PhD, a director and associate professor of neurodiagnostics and sleep science and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

That's because staring at any light-emitting screens—by scrolling through Instagram or catching up on *just one more* episode of Game of Thrones—will keep your mind alert and make it harder for you to fall asleep.

Instead, your bedtime routine should revolve around doing something soothing or just plain boring to help you wind down, according to Wells. Your solution? An audible sleep app like one that focuses on meditation or is preloaded with the sounds of a waterfall to drown out your partner's snores.

Here are the top seven sleep apps to help you drift off, according to Wells.

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1 Calm

Meditation is a solid way to destress before bed so you can actually sleep through the night, making this app super handy, according to Wells. Calm is technically free, but you'll need a subscription to use it. And if you're willing to shell out the coin (about $59.99 a year), it's totally worth it.

With sleep stories (including some narrated by Matthew McConaughey), soothing music, and guided lessons on gentle movements that will relax the body, Calm could be the answer to making sure your anxieties don't come to bed with you.

Get it for iOS

Get it for Android

2 Headspace

If you haven't already downloaded Headspace, an app filled with meditations for every possible situation, I'll give you moment.

Got it? Good. To help your mind relax, Headspace has created sleep packages including "sleepcasts" which are 45-to-50 minute stories (about cats at a marina, or descriptions of a stormy night). You can even manipulate the speaker's voice to be louder or softer than the background ambient sounds.

Stories not your jam? No problem. Listen to a wind down that guides you through falling back asleep and deep breathing, or sleep music instead.

Get it for iOS

Get it for Android

3 Pillow

Pillow is a sleep tracker that will automatically sense when you fall asleep so it can monitor your movements, record you so can discover if you snore or sleep talk, and track your sleep stages. With the app, you can compare your most recent night's sleep to others to determine what's keeping you up—whether it's that extra cup of coffee or skipping a workout.

The key to this app, though, is how it works with your Apple Watch's accelerometer (it tracks your movement since it's attached to your wrist).

Get it for iOs

4 Relax Melodies

With the Relax Melodies app, you can set sounds and meditations to play all night long or program them to turn off after a set amount of time so you can drift into sleep and rest in silence.

Try this routine to wake up refreshed: Listen to one of the app's quick meditations followed by the sound of rainfall to help you stay in dreamland until your alarm goes off.

Get it for iOs

Get it for Android

5 Pzizz

Pzizz uses psychoacoustics (a.k.a., the psychological affects of sound) to treat insomnia.

The app (which works offline, too, so you don't have to be connected to the internet) has more than 100 billion sleep music sequences called "focuscapes" to help you stay alert during the day, and customizable narrations with programmed alarms called dreamscapes to help you sleep and nap.

Get it for iOs

Get it for Android

6 Sleep Cycle

This sleep app is all about waking up. Instead of programming an alarm, Sleep Cycle monitors your sleep with sound analysis through your phone and wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase—the time when you'd wake feeling most rested (don't worry, you can still set an approximate time, so you aren't late for work).

At the end of the week you can look back at your sleep quality, compare it to that of other users, and track what might be causing your restlessness (like too much coffee or not enough exercise).

Get it for iOs

Get it for Android

7 White Noise

White Noise and its collection of sounds is ideal for people who want to quiet their minds when they find silence disturbing or need to drown out the sound of loud roommates.

Though there is a free version, it has ads, which Wells says would counteract the work of even the best apps. So consider purchasing an upgrade if the free version doesn't do the trick. Whichever you choose, you can mix and combine any of the programmed sounds for a customizable sleep experience.

Get it for iOs

Get it for Android

Aryelle Siclait Aryelle Siclait is an editorial assistant at Women's Health.

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The Dreampad Smart Pillow Put Me to Sleep in Minutes After the Most Stressful Day

I've always been the person who, no matter how tired I am at 9 p.m., will be awake until midnight trying to slow my thoughts and calm my mind. One thing that can help me rest assured once I do finally fall asleep, though? Knowing that I'm not alone. In fact, according to Dreampad Sleep, 27 percent of the population has trouble falling asleep and 68 percent struggle with difficulties sleeping at least once a week. Oof...

Memory Support

dreampadsleep.com

$159.00

For this reason, when I learned about The Dreampad—a smart pillow designed to help people sleep deeply, thanks to an embedded white noise speaker—I had to try it out. Since I've also never been a person who can sleep in silence (yes, I use a fan in the dead of winter), a white noise pillow to help me de-stress was music to my ears—literally.

When I began using my Firm Support Dreampad, I was wildly impressed. Through the Dreampad app, I was able to choose from a range of tranquil music—from Seaside Strings (my personal fav) to Acoustic Daydream—then play it through the pillow via Bluetooth technology. For me, the coolest part was that even on the loudest volume, the music could not be heard unless my head was on the pillow. In other words, if you sleep with a partner, it won't bother them! And you don't even have to wear headphones!

Though Seaside Strings had me drifting off to sleep within minutes after a very stressful day, I will say the Firm Support version wouldn't be my first pick off the pillow menu if I chose another. Since the pillow itself was a little too thick for my liking, I woke up the next day with a kink in my neck. So, if you prefer to keep your head at less of an angle as you snooze, I'd recommend checking out one of the other sizes: Memory Support, Medium Support, or Slim Support.

The Dreampad was originally designed to help children with high levels of anxiety, including trauma and autism, and it worked so well parents began using them.

A study conducted by SleepScore Labs tracked Dreampad users across 400 nights of use and found that 84 percent were able to keep their minds from distraction to help them sleep.

It's beneficial for people of all ages including adults, teenagers, and kids alike.

It's made with hypoallergenic ecofill.

To learn more about The Dreampad, check it out here:

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Taylor Mead Taylor is the Editorial Assistant for House Beautiful and Delish.

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4 Tips to Help You Get a Good Night Sleep

Lifestyle choices and unhealthy habits can contribute to most sleeping problems. Changing some habits in one's daily routine might prove to be the cure for better sleep.

(Newswire.net -- April 15, 2019) -- The benefits of a good night sleep are plenty as it affects our mental and physical health. Sleeping well gives us the energy to last the day and helps us to focus on the tasks at hand. It also boosts our productivity and maintains our emotional balance. Losing sleep can negatively affect our focus as well as our eye-hand coordination which leaves us prone to accidents especially when driving. Lack of sleep for long periods of time has also adverse effects on our skin and weight.

The recommended hours for better sleep are at least 6-8 hours a day. However, many people struggle to get a good night sleep. Lifestyle choices and unhealthy habits can contribute to this type of sleeping problem and so changing some habits in one's daily routine might prove to be the cure for better sleep.

Follow these tips to get a good night sleep:

Keep in sync with your body's circadian rhythm or the natural sleep-wake cycle.

The best strategy for sleeping better is keeping in sync with our bodies' natural sleep-wake cycle. Following a regular sleeping schedule will make you feel much more relaxed and energized compared to sleeping at different times and altering your hours of sleep. Try to sleep and get up at the same time daily to optimize your quality of sleep. Avoid sleeping in on weekends and try to regulate your napping.

Have bedtime rituals to help set your mood.

Relaxing bedtime rituals can help you fall asleep easily. Some examples include taking a warm bath, listening to soft music, doing some light exercise before sleeping, having a bed fan by your side to help you relax, as well as dimming the lights as you head to your bed. These rituals are also a form of self-care especially after having a long day at work.

Set a conducive environment for sleeping.

A comforting and relaxing bedroom will also aid in setting your mood to snooze mode. Keeping your room dark and quiet as well as free from noise will definitely set your mood to sleep. Make sure to keep your bed fresh and comfortable. Always change your sheets and make sure that your pillows and mattresses do not give you body pain especially in your back and in your neck.

Clear your head before sleeping.

Anxiety, stress, worry, and even anger keep most people awake at night. Some techniques for to help you clear your head are doing some light exercise or stretches before bed. Doing some yoga is also a great way to clear one's head. Another great technique would be setting a time for meditation. To avoid over stimulating our brains before sleeping, meditating can help us willfully and intentionally recharge our mind. It would also be best to avoid digital screens before bedtime. Never bring your work laptop to bed and avoid checking your email notifications and mindlessly scrolling through social media with your smartphone. Following these simple steps will not only help you sleep soundly at night but will also leave you feeling refreshed when the sun comes up.

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5 ways to get a better nights sleep

There's no doubt about it– we have a sleeping problem, America.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a third of U.S. adults aren't getting the minimum recommended amount of 7 hours of sleep per night, which is alarming considering sleep deprivation is linked to health issues like heart disease, obesity, and depression. The CDC also notes that good sleep isn't a luxury, rather it's a necessity for living long, healthy lives.
So if you're in the market for ways to improve getting some much-needed shut-eye, here are five ways you can get a better night's sleep:
1. Design your room with sleep in mind
Even the soundest of sleepers will get better Z's if in a well-designed bedroom. As sleep specialist Micheal Breus wrote for Fast Company, you want to set up your bedroom with all five senses in mind to create a sleep utopia.
Use soothing sound machines or earplugs while falling asleep, sleep with clean, natural fibers on your bedding and pajamas, and consider putting air filters or humidifiers in your room to control air quality. Most importantly, know that light directly impacts your ability to fall asleep. Use blackout curtains and a nightlight if you need to wake up in the middle of the night, and avoid your electronics' emitted blue light leading up to your bedtime.
2. Fall asleep in 20-minute stages
Breus also recommends a staged process to help you fall asleep each night, ideally at the same time each day. The idea is to follow a process that winds you down, rather than expecting your body to go from "on" to "off" instantly. To fall asleep, spend 20 minutes wrapping up last-minute tasks for the next day, 20 minutes for your nightly hygiene routine, and then 20 minutes doing a relaxing, mindful activity like meditation or reading.
These can be personalized depending on your needs. As an example, a parent might pre-make tomorrow's lunches or a sedentary desk worker might go for a jog around the block in that first 20-minute phase. But when planning said bedtime routine, time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders says to avoid things that excite us. This includes staring at bright screens, listening to upbeat music, or eating a big meal.
3. Prioritize healthy relationships
Ever tried going to bed upset with your partner or family member? Royette Tavernier reported for Fast Company that the quality of how satisfied we are with our relationships affect how we sleep– even if we're sleeping alone. Studies have pointed to the idea that having healthy, active social lives helps manage our stress, and thus give us better sleep in return.
4. Stay active so you're actually tired
Laura Vanderkam interviewed Lisa Mercurio, cofounder of The Bedtime Network, and learned her secret to good sleep–she's a marathoner.
"If you don't have some quotient of physical exhaustion, if you don't move your body, good luck with that," she said. Maybe you're not running miles every day like she is, but keeping active will help your body feel naturally tired when it's time for bed.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke recommend exercising for 20 to 30 minutes a day, but not within the few hours before your bedtime.
5. Build more "Me" time into your days
Mercurio also told Vanderkam that people see bedtime as their only "me" time for the whole day, thus they sacrifice sleep to do pleasurable things during bedtime like scrolling on social media.
"You need to build in me time at other points in your life," Mercurio said.
Maybe that means scheduling coffee with a friend, taking breaks throughout the workday, or planning an hour during the afternoon to do something just for you. That way, sleeping doesn't feel like it's taking away from your personal time.

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Wellness Residential Responds To The Need For Quality Sleep

Jacob Elliot

For UHNWIs, "ultra high net worth individuals," there's a rather traditional trend on the rise - quality sleep. This quest for optimal beauty rest demands living spaces that can support it. And Troon Pacific in San Francisco has mastered the art of sweet dreams. 

Jacob Elliot

Think light-calming window shades, outdoor meditation areas and extensive EMF (electromagnetic field) mitigation. Accompanied by the luxuries high-end residents know and love, such as infinity pools, expansive wine cellars and private gardens, these homes blend new-age technology with old-school pleasures.  

Paul Dyer

All bedrooms are equipped with shielded cables that mitigate EMF (Electromagnetic Field) signals, which can impede the production of melatonin and affect the body's circadian rhythm.

David Livingston

To carry the calming music, guided meditation or white noise throughout the halls of the home, speakers were installed in master bedrooms, bathrooms and showers.

Jacob Elliot

Automated Lutron shades transform harsh light into soft, calming light (or block light entirely).

David Livingston

The Merv 13 system filters air throughout the home with 9-12 air changes per day with heat exchanger to maintain consistent air temperature throughout the night.

David Livingston

Additional factors considered during the design phase were comfort, noise and mindfulness. 

Jacob Elliot

Mindfulness & Relaxation

o   Outdoor yoga deck and meditation area to calm the mind before bed

o   Spa with sauna, steam shower 

o   Oversized, free-standing tub by Blu Bathworks for soaking tense muscles 

o   Large south-facing terrace overlooking private garden with city and bay views allows residents to connect with their surroundings, meditate and reflect before going to bed 

o   Private terrace with bay views

o   Wellness center including a steam room with Dornbracht Kneipp Water Tube and custom stone benches, as well as a sauna with Canadian hemlock wood and a cobble heater 

o   Distributed speakers in master bedroom, bathroom and shower allow residents to listen to calming music, guided meditation or white noise

o   Freestanding tub with two-sided see-thru fireplace to master bedroom

David Livingston

Comfort & Convenience

o   Troon homes are typically prewired for Automated Lutron shades in home, including bedroom windows in order to transform harsh light into soft, calming light. These can also block light entirely for restful, uninterrupted sleep at any time

o   Whole house Savant control system allows residents to control audio, visual, heat and security from bed via smart phones or tablets

o   Air conditioning for comfort and humidity control

o   MERV 16 air filtration on bedroom level

o   Merv 13 filtered air throughout the home with 9-12 air changes per day with heat exchanger to maintain consistent air temperature throughout the night

David Livingston

Noise Reduction

o   Clay-wrapped plumbing

o   Rubber, felt or foam acoustic isolators on all water and drain lines at wood framing to reduce vibration/sound

o   Insulated interior walls (uncommon) 

o   Thick, concrete or Gyp-Crete floor assemblies

o   Constant, low-speed air ventilation minimizes noise and feeling of air movement

o   Silent radiant heating rather than forced air heating

o   LED drivers, which do not produce a humming sound

o   Use of Quiet-rock at select locations such as plumbing walls, mechanical rooms and ceilings below roof drains to reduce sounds from rain or plumbing

Jacob Elliot

Electrical Interference

o   Shielded cables in all bedrooms for EMF (Electromagnetic Field) mitigation

o   Wi-Fi kill switch shuts off the signal at the touch of a button

o   Metal sheeting underneath flooring to block EMF signals near electric panels

Troon Pacific is a real estate development and investment management company based in San Francisco. Focusing on design, innovation, and environmental sustainability, we construct distinctive, high-performance Bay Area homes with luxury aesthetics and cutting-edge functionality.

Jacob Elliot

Paul Dyer

Paul Dyer

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From The Soundboard: AI is on the rise to curate the soundtracks to our lives

For many people, the first step to exercise is finding a good playlist. Exercisers turn to Spotify in search of high-adrenaline tracks to help on them on the treadmill or at the barbells. Or, on date night, the host sets the mood by searching for "romance" playlists to play in the background while they prepare dinner. Sleep enthusiasts rave about the benefits of soundscape apps that play back terrestrial noises to lull users to sleep.

Mood and environment-based playlisting is gaining ubiquity. Listening to music is arguably becoming more of a background activity than one that is given unadulterated attention (such as film or video games), and people want sounds that supplement their daily lives. Instead of trying to find specific albums that conjure a particular ambiance, people spend time looking for playlists that align with the environment they are in or the activity they are engaging in.

Why do we need highly curated playlists, though? What if there was an entire platform that did this in real time, without the need for human interaction? Adaptive music — music that "adapts" to a person's setting — is on the horizon for the music industry and will have monumental implications for the way music is created and consumed. The premise of adaptive music is fairly simple: An user indicates to the software in some way (or the AI would be smart enough to recognize) that they are engaged in some activity or have transitioned from one activity to another, and music is created in real time to fit whatever they are doing.

For example, suppose someone is taking a quick jog around their block for 30 minutes and they enter a "workout" application on their smartwatch or smartphone. AI would use this information to immediately craft a soundscape that complements the energy of their run. After the workout, the music would change instantaneously to help the runner relax. Or, from greetings and cheese board appetizers to red wine and goodbyes, the music would adapt to a party host's needs without the host having to ever interact with the software.

Interestingly, the technology for something like that already exists and is already in use. Warner Music Group, one of today's three major record labels, just signed a deal with AI start-up Endel, an algorithm creates albums based on mood and environment and suggests those to users based on what they are doing. Similarly, start-up Weav Music takes existing songs and alters their BPMs based on the activity the user is engaged in.

This has pretty far-reaching ramifications for the music and tech industries. Since major labels are beginning to sign contracts with adaptive music platforms, it is conceivable that they may own copyrights for AI neural nets in the future instead of albums and singles created by humans. That would revitalize the recorded music business and keep labels from going under and would open up myriad job opportunities for musicians. The software would definitely need human input in the early stages for things like basic music theory and mood detection; the neural net would need to understand chord progressions, cadence, melody and atmosphere. This provides ample opportunity for practicing musicians, music professors, musicologists and music engineers.

For tech giants like Apple, Google and Amazon, this frontier presents major means for innovation. All three companies have their own music streaming services, as well as their own home speakers. Take Apple, for instance. The company's music streaming service Apple Music is fully integrated with its home speaker, the HomePod. Imagine someone walking into their living room with their iPad, lying down on their couch, opening the Apple Books app and then saying, "Hey, Siri, play my Music IQ radio station." The AI, in turn, would recognize that the user is in their living room, lying down on their couch with a book and create music accordingly.

AI is scary to many people, but it has a plethora of applications that can augment our everyday lives. Think about how common it is to sometimes endlessly search for music to fit particular activities or moods. Why not use an AI that creates the exact sounds you are looking for, and does it all instantly? Adaptive music is already here, and it is only a matter of time before we are all engrossed in it.

Willard Givens is a sophomore writing about the music industry. His column, "From The Soundboard," runs every other Monday.

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Child forced to sleep on garage floor because of dad's music

A 12-YEAR-OLD child was forced to sleep on the floor of a garage as their father refused to turn down loud music for three hours.

The 41-year-old father was sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court yesterday after pleading guilty to contravening a domestic violence order.

Police prosecutor Julie Marsden said police found the 12-year-old sleeping on a mattress on the floor in the garage and the defendant yelling at the child's mother "I want you out of this house tomorrow" when they arrived at the Rockhampton residence for a domestic violence breach.

She said the children had asked their father multiple times over three hours to turn the music down so they could sleep, but he did not comply.

Ms Marsden said the defendant claimed he didn't think he was doing anything wrong, he "just wanted the aggrieved and the kids to leave the house".

Magistrate Jeff Clarke said the defendant had a history of abusing alcohol and breaching domestic violence orders and had been subjected to three probation orders in the past.

He ordered the defendant to pay a $750 fine and a conviction was recorded.

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Family stays at IKEA after catalogue puts them to sleep

[unable to retrieve full-text content]They were asked to stay overnight to test-run a new app, designed by IKEA to put people to sleep. Instead of upbeat music, the 22-minute IKEA Sleep podcast is designed to lull listeners into slumber ...

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7 Best Sleep Apps to Download in 2019, According to Experts

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Struggling to catch enough zzz's? There's an app for that (no surprise there!). In fact, there are so many sleep apps that promise to help you fall (and stay) asleep that it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth a try. That's where the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute come in. We got feedback from real consumers to determine the best sleep apps out there. Whether you want to drift off to a meditation or a bedtime story, download one of these apps today to get the sleep you (so desperately) need. Sweet dreams!

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1 Headspace

Headspace has made a name for itself as a meditation app, but it's also great for sleep. The free version has "sleepcasts," which are 45-55 minute-long audio experiences (kind of like adult bedtime stories) that help you visualize calming experiences, like a slow moving train or a walk through a garden. There are new stories every night, so you you'll never get bored. If you upgrade to the paid version, you'll get access to more than 40 themed meditation courses (like for sleep and stress), plus many more sleepcast and music options to help you wind down.

Cost: free for select content; $95/year for full access

Get it for iOS or Android.

2 Noisli

This super simple app lets you choose from a bunch of different sounds (like thunder, wind, white noise, and even the buzz of a coffee shop) to create your ideal sleep soundtrack. You can create a combo of sounds you love that you can save in the app for future use. Pro tip: If you're using it overnight, keep your phone plugged in—otherwise, you may wake up to a dead battery.

Cost: $2, website is free

Get it for iOS or Android.

3 Pzizz

With Pzizz, you can set a timer for the length of sleep session so it plays a soothing dreamscape (read: combo of music, voiceovers, and sound effects) while you snooze; then, you can wake up to the built-in alarm. You'll need to upgrade for more advanced features, like the ability to choose different sounds, but the app offers a seven-day free trial.

Cost: free for select features; $60/year for full access

Get it for iOS or Android.

4 Slumber

Slumber offers a combination of experiences to help you fall asleep, whether it's meditation focused, a six-part bedtime story series, or the sound of a warm jacuzzi. You can also choose a background noise (like rain or the ocean) to play for up to 10 hours after the main track ends. New sleep-inducing stories and meditations are added each week, and you can listen to them all if you upgrade to the premium version (otherwise, you can get many episodes for free).

Cost: free for 10+ episodes; $40/year for full access

Get it for iOS.

5 Calm

Calm's app is super easy to use, and the Sleep Stories section has bedtime stories (for kids and adults!) read aloud by people with soothing voices, including celebrities like Matthew McConaughey. Only a few stories are included for free, but getting a subscription unlocks a huge library of meditations made specifically for sleep — plus categories like stress and ASMR!

Cost: free for some features; $70/year for full access (includes a seven-day free trial)

Get it for iOS or Android.

6 Sleep Cycle

If you want to learn how you slept, the Sleep Cycle app is for you. It tracks your sleep patterns and provides tips to optimize your snooze time. Plus, it has a an alarm clock that gently wakes you up when you're in your lightest sleep phase so you'll wake up feeling refreshed. Just keep in mind that no sleep tracker is 100 percent accurate so if you're really struggling with your sleep, you may need to see a dedicated sleep specialist.

Cost: free

Get it for iOS or Android.

7 10% Happier: Meditation

If you still haven't found a sleep app that works for you, 10% Happier is worth a shot. It offers a wide range of meditations — including ones for sleep — that range from three minutes to 45 minutes to help you relax and fall asleep. There are also meditation courses spanning a variety of genres and the option to message a coach for extra support.

Cost: free for one session; $15/month or $100/year for a subscription

Get it for iOS or Android.

Selina Tedesco, Good Housekeeping Institute Product Testing Analyst, Media & Tech Lab Selina Tedesco is a product testing analyst in the Media & Tech Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she evaluates consumer goods like electronics, smart devices, toys, cars and home improvement merchandise. Amina Lake Abdelrahman, Good Housekeeping Institute Editorial Assistant Amina is an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she works with lab experts (who test all the latest products) and writes original content based on their recommendations.

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Missouri Dad Nestles Newborn Daughter on Top of Guitar to Lull Her to Sleep: 'It Works Every Time!'

Missouri Dad Nestles Baby on Top of Guitar to Lull Her to Sleep | PEOPLE.com Top Navigation Close View image

Missouri Dad Nestles Newborn Daughter on Top of Guitar to Lull Her to Sleep: 'It Works Every Time!'

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The Dreampad Smart Pillow Put Me to Sleep in Minutes After the Most Stressful Day

I've always been the person who, no matter how tired I am at 9 p.m., will be awake until midnight trying to slow my thoughts and calm my mind. One thing that can help me rest assured once I do finally fall asleep, though? Knowing that I'm not alone. In fact, according to Dreampad Sleep, 27 percent of the population has trouble falling asleep and 68 percent struggle with difficulties sleeping at least once a week. Oof...

Memory Support

dreampadsleep.com

$159.00

For this reason, when I learned about The Dreampad—a smart pillow designed to help people sleep deeply, thanks to an embedded white noise speaker—I had to try it out. Since I've also never been a person who can sleep in silence (yes, I use a fan in the dead of winter), a white noise pillow to help me de-stress was music to my ears—literally.

When I began using my Firm Support Dreampad, I was wildly impressed. Through the Dreampad app, I was able to choose from a range of tranquil music—from Seaside Strings (my personal fav) to Acoustic Daydream—then play it through the pillow via Bluetooth technology. For me, the coolest part was that even on the loudest volume, the music could not be heard unless my head was on the pillow. In other words, if you sleep with a partner, it won't bother them! And you don't even have to wear headphones!

Though Seaside Strings had me drifting off to sleep within minutes after a very stressful day, I will say the Firm Support version wouldn't be my first pick off the pillow menu if I chose another. Since the pillow itself was a little too thick for my liking, I woke up the next day with a kink in my neck. So, if you prefer to keep your head at less of an angle as you snooze, I'd recommend checking out one of the other sizes: Memory Support, Medium Support, or Slim Support.

The Dreampad was originally designed to help children with high levels of anxiety, including trauma and autism, and it worked so well parents began using them.

A study conducted by SleepScore Labs tracked Dreampad users across 400 nights of use and found that 84 percent were able to keep their minds from distraction to help them sleep.

It's beneficial for people of all ages including adults, teenagers, and kids alike.

It's made with hypoallergenic ecofill.

To learn more about The Dreampad, check it out here:

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Taylor Mead Taylor is the Editorial Assistant for House Beautiful and Delish.

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MVAOCOU Music Department to host mattress fundraiser

The MVAOCOU Music Department is excited to announce they will be hosting an one-day mattress fundraiser on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For one day only, MVAOCOU main gymnasium will be transformed in to a mattress showroom. For quick information about the sale, go to bit.ly/beds4mvaocou.

There will be 30-plus mattress floor models on display for customers to try. Massage chairs, adjustable power bed bases, premium pillows, sheet sets, bed frames, headboards and mattress protectors will be available as well. The brands include Simmons Beautyrest, Tranquility Sleep Systems, Symbol, Intellibed and Wellsville.

All beds are available in all sizes, come with factory warranties, and are made to order. Delivery and haul away are available.

Best of all, the MVAOCOU Music Department benefits from every purchase, and the beds are less than retail stores because of the fundraising company’s unique business model. If you are considering a new bed for someone in your home, the MVAOCOU Music Department wants you at the sale.

Custom Fundraising Solutions has worked with numerous other schools in the Omaha/Lincoln areas running mattress fundraisers, and the results can be impressive. In a one-day sale, schools have the ability to raise several thousand dollars, simply by promoting and advertising for the weeks leading up to the event.

CFS provides the promotional material and handles the sales and distribution of the products.

Custom Fundraising Solutions is based in Cleveland, Ohio. With over 90 independently owned and operated locations, working with 2,800-plus schools, the company has helped revolutionize fundraising in schools by helping programs earn great sums of money with no risk and a relatively small amount of work. CFS has raised over $33 million for school programs with these unique fundraising events.

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