I used to have trouble sleeping. I was caught up in a cycle of incessant planning and worrying, and I had trouble calming my mind enough to fall asleep at the end of each day. One evening I stumbled upon Max Richter’s album Sleep, and this gift allowed me to fall asleep quickly, and stay asleep throughout the entire night. I want to share this album with you, dear reader, as a way of potentially helping you have a better sleep.
First, let’s talk about sleep, and ground our conversation with some statistics (sorry, Psychology grad over here). The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults aged 18-64 should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, 1 in 4 adults aged 18-34, and 1 in 3 adults aged 35-64, are not getting enough sleep. Further, 1 in 2 adults have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep; and 1 in 5 adults do not find their sleep refreshing. There are a number of factors related to insufficient sleep in adults. The longer we spend in sedentary activities (watching TV, playing video games), the more likely we are to report insufficient sleep. Those experiencing chronic stress have a higher likelihood of having an insufficient amount of sleep. Further, insufficient sleep is exacerbated when one is experiencing poor mental health. Everyone needs a bit of help falling–and staying–asleep.
Sleep is an 8.5-hour neo-classical album composed by Max Richter. It’s a concept album that incorporates research based around the neuroscience of sleep. To make this possible, Richter collaborated with American neuroscientist David Eagleman to learn about how the brain functions during each of our sleep cycles. The music is radically calm and mellow. Its orchestration is sparse but effective: piano, strings, organ, soprano vocals, synthesizers and electronics all weave seamlessly in and out of its 31 individual compositions. Richter himself describes the album as “an eight-hour lullaby.” I find the album to be incredibly gorgeous and also use it during non-sleep related activities, such as with my personal yoga practice.
It’s something you just have to experience for yourself to decide whether it will be of use to you. Load it up on Apple Music or Spotify, hit play, and settle in. I recommend keeping the volume quite low–lower than you might originally think. Allow the soft, pulsing piano chords and deep sub-bass work their magic. You might even benefit from actively short-circuiting your busy bedtime mind with this simple technique: counting. While settled comfortably in bed, take a breath in. As you breathe out count “1” in your mind. Take another breath in and as you breath out count “2.” When you get to 10, just start over again at 1. If you lose track of which number you are on, or catch your mind wandering to other things, gently guide your attention back to counting, starting again at 1.
I hope Sleep treats you well, dear reader. You deserve a good rest. Sweet dreams.
Kevin Brasier (who also goes by Sandra), is CHMA’s Programming Director as well as a yoga and meditation instructor. Their website can be found at www.movingheartsyoga.com
