Did you know that The Sleep Health Foundation’s Sleep Health Week (with a theme of Sleep: The Lifelong Superpower) is kicking off today in Australia?
Well, it behooves me to zero in on this mysterious topic yet again this month as it’s such a biggie for so many reasons, including memory enhancement, immunity strengthening, productivity boosting, mood elevation and so much more.
This superpower subject has been to the forefront of my mind in recent days, for 2 reasons: firstly, having read a study just published in the Journal of Health Data Science linking 172 different diseases to poor sleep patterns, including dementia, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Of the 172 diseases, 92 had over 20% of their risk correlated with poor sleep behaviour, which is not to be sniffed at, I reckon.
But hey, I’m preaching to the converted. You’re all onto the fact that getting sufficient sleep quantity and quality is super important for good health, right? It’s a hot topic, is it not?
What I really want to mention though is the second reason for my personal front of mind viewing of the topic.
You see, it came following a recent trip to AGWA (Art Gallery of WA) to view the Pulse exhibition, featuring selected works by extremely talented Year 12 artists.
Suspended in an Altered State of Consciousness (2024), the beautiful graphite on paper drawing by Molly-Rovis Hermann, from Applecross Senior High School, caught my eye right away.
Not only did the picture draw me in, but also its caption/label, which to me, speaks beautifully to this elusive state called sleep that so often evades us.
So, without further ado, let me ask how it speaks to you…
Suspended in an Altered State of Consciousness explores the concept of sleep as an elusive space where reality dissolves and time pauses. Through a large-scale drawing, the subject’s tranquil expression represents a deeper state of suspended consciousness, caught between wakefulness and sleep. Influenced by the pressures of teenage life and the search for peace, the work conveys how sleep becomes a fragile boundary, a fleeting respite from life’s demands, yet always just out of reach. This piece reflects the tension between overwhelming reality and the mind’s yearning for escape and peace.
