Everyday Canvas

Sleep & Contagious Negative Behavior

Prompt: What do you think affects a good night’s sleep in a negative way? The kind of bed, the pillows, the covers, life’s stresses, relationships, noise, illness, medication, and/or anything else you can come up with, in addition to all of the above?

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I think anything and everything might mess up a peaceful sleep at night. Most people who have studied the subject advise to go to sleep at the same time each day and to keep away from napping. But that doesn’t work because it isn’t doable, at least not always. Even when it is doable, many things can interfere with our sleep anyway. Other professional recommendations may not work most of the time, also.

Reading in bed before feeling sleepy helps me, provided the physical requirements--such as a quiet, dark, and cool room etc.--are in place. Then, when I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, I use a tiny music player, similar to an iPod, and listen to music or books. I have had several dreams about the music and the books I’m reading and listening to, which were a lot of fun to recall in the morning. I’d rather do this than get up and lose even more sleep or use pills or other sleep-aids.

Prompt: Do you believe hate, fear, and bad behavior can be contagious, not only among kids but adults as well?

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Absolutely. Bad behavior and negative feelings can become an epidemic if people do not watch themselves. I believe such contagion may arise from being inspired, a desire to imitate or to belong, perceived similarities, idolizing or sympathy with a cause, a wish for fame.

Since like-minded people are emboldened when they can clump together and feel justified in their anger to the point of acting that anger out, negative feelings and behaviors are bound to increase. Then, their group violence emboldens such people and forces the others either into a fearful submission or detachment. Very few can rise to defend their personal views against such violent behavior.

I think such people who are so easily persuaded are the insecure ones, who in a group of offensive people, feel emboldened and even idolized with the help of the internet, corrupt media, and the undeserved accolades. This way, they are no longer alone with their insecurities, since they’ve now joined a subculture to feel special, apart, and above the rest of the society. To them, what is deviant is acceptable and even noble.