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An unbroken night’s sleep is a myth. Here’s what good sleep looks like

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-reynolds-424346">Amy Reynolds</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claire-dunbar-1651340">Claire Dunbar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gorica-micic-187159">Gorica Micic</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-scott-424633">Hannah Scott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lovato-60684">Nicole Lovato</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> What do you imagine a good night’s sleep to be? Often when people come into our sleep clinic seeking treatment, they share ideas about healthy sleep. Many think when their head hits the pillow, they should fall into a deep and restorative sleep, and emerge after about eight hours feeling refreshed. They’re in good company – many Australians hold <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.09.011">the same belief</a>. In reality, healthy sleep is cyclic across the night, as you move in and out of the different stages of sleep, often waking up several times. Some people remember one or more of these awakenings, others do not. Let’s consider what a healthy night’s sleep looks like. <h2>Sleep cycles are a roller-coaster</h2> As an adult, our sleep moves through <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep">different cycles</a> and brief awakenings during the night. Sleep cycles last roughly 90 minutes each. We typically start the night with lighter sleep, before moving into deeper sleep stages, and rising again into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – the stage of sleep often linked to vivid dreaming. If sleeping well, we get most of our deep sleep in the first half of the night, with <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/stages-of-sleep#:%7E:text=During%20REM%20sleep%2C%20your%20eyes,from%20acting%20out%20your%20dreams">REM sleep</a> more common in the second half of the night. Adults usually move through five or six sleep cycles in a night, and it is entirely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.09.011">normal</a> to wake up briefly at the end of each one. That means we might be waking up five times during the night. This can increase with older age and still be healthy. If you’re not remembering these awakenings that’s OK – they can be quite brief. <h2>What does getting a ‘good’ sleep actually mean?</h2> You’ll often hear that adults <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need#:%7E:text=Sleep%20requirements%20stabilise%20in%20early,their%20best%20the%20next%20day">need between seven and nine hours</a> of sleep per night. But good sleep is about more than the number of hours – it’s also about the quality. For most people, sleeping well means being able to fall asleep soon after getting into bed (within around 30 minutes), sleeping without waking up for long periods, and waking feeling rested and ready for the day. You shouldn’t be feeling excessively sleepy during the day, especially if you’re regularly getting at least seven hours of refreshing sleep a night (this is a rough rule of thumb). But are you noticing you’re feeling physically tired, needing to nap regularly and still not feeling refreshed? It may be worthwhile touching base with your general practitioner, as there a range of possible reasons. <h2>Common issues</h2> Sleep disorders are common. Up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35478719/">25% of adults</a> have insomnia, a sleep disorder where it may be hard to fall or stay asleep, or you may wake earlier in the morning than you’d like. Rates of common sleep disorders such as insomnia and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631">sleep apnoea</a> – where your breathing can partially or completely stop many times during the night – also increase with age, affecting <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32280974/">20% of early adults</a> and 40% of people in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35082023/">middle age</a>. There are effective treatments, so asking for help is important. Beyond sleep disorders, our sleep can also be disrupted by chronic health conditions – such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012369218311139">pain</a> – and by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.13075">certain medications</a>. There can also be other reasons we’re not sleeping well. Some of us are woken by children, pets or traffic noise during the night. These “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07420528.2021.2003375">forced awakenings</a>” mean we may find it harder to get up in the morning, take longer to leave bed and feel less satisfied with our sleep. For some people, night awakenings may have no clear cause. A good way to tell if these awakenings are a problem for you is by thinking about how they affect you. When they cause feelings of frustration or worry, or are impacting how we feel and function during the day, it might be a sign to seek some help. We also may struggle to get up in the morning. This could be for a range of reasons, including not sleeping long enough, going to bed or waking up at irregular times – or even your own <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-categories/circadian-rhythm-disorders#:%7E:text=The%20circadian%20rhythms%20throughout%20the,regulation%20of%20our%20sleeping%20patterns">internal clock</a>, which can influence the time your body prefers to sleep. If you’re regularly struggling to get up for work or family needs, it can be an indication you may need to seek help. Some of these factors can be explored with a sleep psychologist if they are causing concern. <h2>Can my smart watch help?</h2> It is important to remember sleep-tracking devices can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01016-9">vary in accuracy</a> for looking at the different sleep stages. While they can give a rough estimate, they are not a perfect measure. In-laboratory <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31277862/">polysomnography</a>, or PSG, is the best standard measure to examine your sleep stages. A PSG examines breathing, oxygen saturation, brain waves and heart rate during sleep. Rather than closely examining nightly data (including sleep stages) from a sleep tracker, it may be more helpful to look at the patterns of your sleep (bed and wake times) over time. <a href="https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.8356">Understanding your sleep patterns</a> may help identify and adjust behaviours that negatively impact your sleep, such as your bedtime routine and sleeping environment. And if you find viewing your sleep data is making you feel worried about your sleep, this may not be useful for you. Most importantly, if you are concerned it is important to discuss it with your GP who can refer you to the appropriate specialist sleep health provider.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/238069/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-reynolds-424346">Amy Reynolds</a>, Associate Professor in Clinical Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claire-dunbar-1651340">Claire Dunbar</a>, Research Associate, Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gorica-micic-187159">Gorica Micic</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Clinical Psychologist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-scott-424633">Hannah Scott</a>, Research Fellow in Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lovato-60684">Nicole Lovato</a>, Associate Professor, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-unbroken-nights-sleep-is-a-myth-heres-what-good-sleep-looks-like-238069">original article</a>.

Body

Antarctic heat, wild Australian winter: what’s happening to the weather and what it means for the rest of the year

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-jucker-379172">Martin Jucker</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Australia’s south and east have seen <a href="https://theconversation.com/southern-australia-is-freezing-how-can-it-be-so-cold-in-a-warming-climate-233977">freezing temperatures</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/29/australia-winter-weather-forecast-east-coast-colder-records">wild weather</a> this winter. At the same time, the continent as a whole – and the globe – have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-03/australia-suffers-cold-winter-weather-despite-mild-forecast/104176284">continued to warm</a>. What’s going on? As ever, it’s hard to pinpoint a single cause for weather events. But a key player is likely an event unfolding high above Antarctica, which itself may have been triggered by a heatwave at surface level on the frozen continent. Here’s what’s happening – and what it might mean for the rest of this year’s weather. <h2>When the stratosphere heats up</h2> Out story begins in the cold air over Antarctica. July temperatures in the stratosphere, the layer of air stretching between altitudes of around 10 and 50 kilometres, are typically around –80°C. The winds are also very strong, averaging about 300 kilometres per hour in winter. These cold, fast winds loop around above the pole in what is called the <a href="https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/waugh/research/polarvortex">stratospheric polar vortex</a>. Occasionally, persistent high air pressure in the lower atmosphere can influence large-scale waves that extend around the globe and up into the stratosphere. There they cause the strong winds to slow down, and the air high above the pole to become much warmer than normal. In extreme situations the stratospheric winds can completely break down, in what is called a “sudden stratospheric warming” event. These events occur every few years in the northern hemisphere, but only one has ever been observed in the south, in 2002 (though another <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-air-above-antarctica-is-suddenly-getting-warmer-heres-what-it-means-for-australia-123080">almost happened in 2019</a>). <h2>Pushing polar weather our way</h2> Once the polar vortex is disturbed, it can in turn influence the weather at the surface by steering weather systems from the Southern Ocean towards the Equator. However, this is a slow process. The impact at the surface may not be felt until <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0425.1">a few weeks or even months</a> after the initial weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex. Once it begins, the stratospheric influence can prevail for more weeks or months, and helps meteorologists make <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2601-2022">long-range weather forecasts</a>. In climate science terms, the weak stratospheric winds put an atmospheric system called the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/sam/">Southern Annular Mode</a> into a negative phase. The main effect of this on surface weather is to bring westerly winds further north. In winter, this means polar air outbreaks can reach places like Sydney more easily. As a result, we see more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI4134.1">rain over much of southern Australia</a>, and snowfall in alpine regions. In spring and summer it means westerly winds blow over the continent before reaching the east coast, bringing warm and dry air to southeastern Australia. The exact impact of a weaker polar vortex depends on how much and for how long the weather systems are being pushed further northward. It will also depend on other weather influencers such as El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole. <h1>This winter’s weirdness</h1> Unpicking exactly why any weather event occurs is tricky at the moment, because global weather has been absolutely crazy over the past 12 months or so. Global temperatures are <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-just-blew-past-1-5-degrees-game-over-on-climate-not-yet-213364">much higher than usual</a>, which is making unusual weather very common. But there are indications that the stratosphere is having some influence on our weather this winter. The stratospheric polar vortex started to warm in mid-July, and is about 20°C warmer than the long-term average. At the time of writing, the winds slowed down to about 230 kilometres per hour, 70 kilometres per hour slower than average. These numbers mean that, technically, the event does not qualify as a sudden stratospheric warming. However, further warming may still occur. If we look at how southern hemisphere winds have evolved in the past few weeks, we see a pattern which looks like what we would expect from a sudden stratospheric warming. First, we see warming in the stratosphere which is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095270">at first accompanied by a poleward shift of weather systems</a>. The stratosphere’s influence then propagates downward and seems to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0425.1">induce many weeks</a> of weather systems shifted towards the equator. This coincides with the period of cold and rainy weather along Australia’s east coast in late July and the beginning of August. Forecasts suggest the Southern Annular Mode will be a long way from normal conditions in the first half of August – four standard deviations below average, which is extremely rare. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Diagram showing atmospheric warming and winds" /></a><figcaption>How initial warming high in the stratosphere ends up changing winds near the surface and pushing polar weather further north. <a class="source" href="https://stratobserve.com">Z.D. Lawrence / StratObserve / Annotated by Martin Jucker</a></figcaption></figure> <h1>A surface disturbance</h1> The main reason for the polar vortex to slow down is disturbances from the surface. Weather over the Amundsen Sea near Antarctica in the South Pacific is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0425.1">an important source</a> of these disturbances. This year, we have seen disturbances of this sort. There have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/01/antarctic-temperatures-rise-10c-above-average-in-near-record-heatwave">near-record surface temperatures around Antarctica</a>. These disturbances may be due to the globally high ocean temperatures, or even lingering effects of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-23-0437.1">eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in 2022</a>. But more research will be required to confirm the causes. <h1>What should we expect for the rest of the year?</h1> There are two pathways until the end of the year. One is that the stratospheric winds and temperatures recover to their usual values and no longer influence surface weather. This is what the forecasts from <a href="https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov">Ozone Watch</a> seem to suggest. Another is that the stratosphere keeps warming and the winds keep being slower all the way into summer. In this scenario, we would expect a persistent negative Southern Annular Mode, which would mean a spring and potentially even summer with warmer and drier than usual weather over southeastern Australia, and a small ozone hole. The seasonal forecasting models from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts <a href="https://x.com/drahbutler/status/1819142206348759170?s=46&t=sayfGwpo3_s310BwYpcdcQ">seem to favour this second scenario</a>. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-jucker-379172">Martin Jucker</a>, Senior Lecturer in Atmospheric Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/antarctic-heat-wild-australian-winter-whats-happening-to-the-weather-and-what-it-means-for-the-rest-of-the-year-236067">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

"Rest in love": All Blacks legend and Dancing with the Stars winner dies at 55

The sports and entertainment communities are mourning the loss of former All Blacks hooker and Dancing with the Stars winner Norm Hewitt, who has passed away at the age of 55. Hewitt, a beloved figure both on and off the rugby field, succumbed to a lengthy battle with motor neurone disease, as confirmed by his family in a heartfelt statement. "Although rugby dominated his early life, he established a thriving human relations consultancy after retirement, and his services were much in demand both nationally and internationally," his family shared. "He walked confidently in both Māori and Pākehā worlds and was a particular role model for troubled youth, citing his own background, and offering inspirational teachings that one’s present life need not be one’s future." Hewitt leaves behind his wife Arlene and their two children, Elizabeth and Alexander. Born and raised in Pōrangahau, southern Hawke’s Bay, Hewitt's rugby career was nothing short of illustrious. Over 13 seasons, he played 296 representative matches for Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Wellington, earning 23 caps for the All Blacks. Hewitt was also a pivotal member of the Hurricanes during the formative years of Super Rugby, missing only one match in the first five years. The rugby community has been profoundly affected by Hewitt's passing. Former teammate Ofisa Tonu’u posted a touching tribute on Facebook: "I’m just devastated finding out the news today. I will never forget how you always stuck up for me during the Black Tracker days when no one else would, you always look after all the players and we always followed you into battle. No more pain, brother, you can now rest in Love. Fa’afetai tele lava my uso for having my back as I did yours. I know the other boys will be welcoming you with open arms at the gates. Rest in Love, Normy." Beyond his rugby career, Hewitt transitioned into a public speaker and mentor, focusing heavily on violence prevention programmes and advocacy. He worked with the SPCA as an animal cruelty and anti-violence publicity officer, visiting schools to spread his message. In 2005, Hewitt showcased his versatility by winning the first season of Dancing with the Stars alongside professional dancer Carol-Ann Hickmore. Hewitt's life was not without its struggles. In 1999, he made a public apology for a drunken incident in Queenstown, marking a turning point as he renounced alcohol and dedicated himself to helping others facing similar challenges. The outpouring of tributes was immediate, with The All Blacks expressing their sorrow: “We are saddened by the loss of All Black #938 Norm Hewitt who passed away yesterday in Wellington. Hewitt played 9 Tests and 14 Games between 1993 and 1998. Our thoughts are with Norm’s family and loved ones at this time.” Podcaster Martin Devlin shared his personal experience: “RIP Norm Hewitt. Not a lot of people know how kind & generous this man was. A truly wonderful person. Reached out to me and helped me considerably a long time ago when things were very rough. Love & respect.” Richard Hills echoed the sentiments of many: “This is bloody sad. A sad way to lose a kiwi icon so young. He had a really rough childhood and upbringing and faced it and turned his life around to become not only a rugby legend but also helped others who’d been through similar issues.” Norm Hewitt’s legacy will endure through the lives he touched and the positive change he inspired. His story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the profound impact one individual can have on the world. Image: Radio New Zealand

Caring

Princess Di's relative lays to rest longstanding burial myth

Princess Diana's relative has corrected a longstanding myth about where the late Princess of Wales is actually buried. Countess Karen Spencer, who is married to Diana's brother Charles, responded to a fan on her Instagram account to address the claim. Since Princess Diana's death in 1997, there have been many rumours about where she was actually laid to rest. After a large funeral in Westminster Abbey, Diana's casket was returned to her family home for burial. She was buried within a mausoleum on the Oval Lake, on an island in the middle of the Althorp estate, where she grew up. Lady Diana spent her childhood and teenage years at Althorp House, a 90-room stately home located in Northamptonshire, prior to marrying the Prince of Wales in 1981. There is no public access to the island where Diana is buried, with a seperate memorial laying elsewhere on the Althorp grounds for members of the public to pay their respects. Since the Princess's death, she believe she is not buried at Althorp at all. Instead, it's claimed the late Princess of Wales was laid to rest alongside her late father John, who died in 1992, in the Spencer family vault at St Mary's Church in Great Brington. But the countess has now publicly denied such claims. Sharing an innocent photo of the Oval Lake to Instagram, one person asked the countess about the rumour. They said, "I saw online that she may have been buried in the family crypt with her father in a church which was used by the Spencer family". Karen commented below, "The law in the UK is that she would have needed to be creamated [sic] in order to go in the crypt and that was not what she wanted, so that wasn't possible." Another person added to the conversation, "Thank you for publicly addressing this longstanding myth. A statement from the family has been the missing piece in 26 years of speculation." While another comment said, "Agreed this is the first public statement from the family. A bit bizarre it's in the Instagram comments section but at least it's now been addressed!" Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

6 common factors that are impacting your sleep

While we all do our best to make sure we’re get our eight hours every night, at times it can feel as though we’re our own worst enemies. And while we’re all aware of the importance of sleep, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what the root of the problem is. Here are six common factors that may be negatively impacting your ability to get shut eye. Correct these and you’ll be on your way to enjoy a good night sleep. 1. Light Studies have shown the exposure to light can wreak havoc in terms of our internal circadian rhythm. Try to avoid having your vision obstructed by any light when you’re about to get to sleep and keep the use of mobile and computer devices to a minimum. 2. Food Asides from the correlation between poor quality sleep and processed foods, it’s generally not recommended you have large, heavy meals just before you’re about to go to bed. Also, try to avoid sugar and caffeine in the few hours leading to bedtime. 3. Noise Noise can also affect the pattern of your sleep as anyone who’s tossed and turned at the sound of a neighbour’s party. Earplugs are one option you can explore. It’s also an idea to perhaps try a light fan to drown the noise out somewhat, or some sort of gentle recording. 4. Temperature Each person has an optimal temperature for falling asleep and it varies between people. If you’re feeling a bit hot under the collar (or too cool to start sleeping) it’s worth experimenting with the temperature in your room until you find one that better suits. 5. Schedule Are bodies are fiends for routines, so try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekend. Not only will this help integrate your body into a regular sleep/wake pattern, it will also make the actual process of falling asleep seem much easier. 6. Naps While there’s nothing quite as nice as an afternoon nap during the day, it can actually significantly disrupt out sleep patterns during the night. If you really do have to nap during the day, try to keep it short and avoid napping too much in the later parts of the day. Image credits: Getty Images

Body

Tips to filter out the noise in your life

The modern world can make you feel like you are in a constant state of busyness. Here’s how to filter out the noise and take back some time for yourself. 1. Begin your day with some quiet They way you start your morning can determine your whole day. When you wake up, take a few minutes to centre yourself in silence. This could be meditation or even just some quiet reflection in bed. You will be amazed at how it can change your outlook. 2. Declutter your digital Technology is a wonderful thing, but it also means we are constantly tied to our smartphones, email accounts or the latest news updates. It can be hard to switch off when you are constantly connected. You don’t have to switch off completely, but set yourself limits – only check social media once a day, don’t check emails on the weekend or leave your phone at home if it’s not essential. 3. Limit TV time It’s amazing how quickly an hour (or two or three) can go by when you are sat mindlessly in front of the TV. Don’t automatically turn it on as soon as you walk in the house. Set a time for TV (say after 7pm) and then use your new free time to read a book, do some gardening or take a walk. You’ll be amazed at how much free time you suddenly have. 4. Get out into nature Never underestimate the power of connecting with the physical world. Head out for a walk through the park or along the beach. Leave your phone and iPod at home so you can listen to the sounds around you. You can clear your mind in a sort of moving meditation, plus the physical exercise will give you an extra boost. 5. Find meaningful activities In our busy life we rarely take time for the activities we love, like drawing, reading, singing or yoga. These activities can bring meaning to our lives, and encourage us to slow down and find stillness. It is worth setting aside some time each day or week to do something you really love. 6. Practice inner stillness Too often we are our own worst enemy. So, even if we can quiet the external noise, we persist with the internal noise. We constantly run over to do lists, fret over mistakes we’ve made, berate ourselves for not loosing weight. When you feel yourself falling into these patterns, stop. Relax, reset and feel grateful for what you have. Image credits: Getty Images

Mind

Sleepless nights can affect your memory

One-third of a life span is a massive slice of time to spend with our eyes closed, but there's a very good reason humans need so much sleep. We just don't know what it is. What does sleep do to our brains? Like a sleep-deprived student trying to muddle through a morning exam, scientists trying to unravel this enduring mystery have been labouring in a heavy fog. But a new study could help answer this fundamental question, suggesting those hours of slumber allow the brain to rewire the crucial connections between the brain's neurons that clog up when we're awake. This nightly reset is vital for building and preserving memory, as well as our ability to learn new skills and engage with our waking realities, according to the German researchers. But just one sleepless night may be all it takes to stop the brain's ability to recalibrate its connections, overloading its synaptic activity and ultimately hampering its ability to form and retain new memories, according to the research paper published on Wednesday in <a href="http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ncomms12455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Communications</a>. The researchers set out to test the "synaptic homeostasis hypothesis" that a good night's sleep allows the brain's neuron signals to cut through the chaotic "noise" and improve its capacity to encode, or remember, new information. It is virtually impossible directly test this theory in humans. Using non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the research team was able to indirectly compare the synaptic activity in the brains of 20 individuals (aged between 19 and 25) after one night's sleep or after one night of sleep deprivation. The research team used small magnetic pulses to zap the motor cortex - the region responsible for movement - to trigger a muscle twitch in participant's left hands. After their sleepless night, participants needed a much lower pulse to activate the hand muscles compared their well-rested counterparts, suggesting their sleep-deprived brains were more excitable, said the researchers lead by psychiatrists Dr Christoph Nissen at Freiburg University, Germany. The researchers then used the magnetic pulses to imitate the brain activity used to encode new memories. The sleep-deprived participants showed a weaker synaptic response and performed worse in a word-pair memory exercise. Their blood samples also showed reduced BDNF, a molecule that regulates synaptic plasticity needed for memory and learning. "Our study provides the first evidence for sleep-wake-dependent dissociation of associative and homeostatic synaptic plasticity in humans," the researchers concluded. The results may pave the way for effective treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. There is some evidence the experimental treatment - therapeutic sleep deprivation - can improve mood among people with major depression. The findings suggest the therapy shifts the brain of a depressed patient "into a more favourable window of associative plasticity", the authors suggested. Overall, "the findings were a significant step towards a better understanding of basic mechanisms for health performance and potential alterations in neuropsychiatric disorders," they concluded. What’s the minimum amount of sleep you can survive on before your cognitive performance is affected? Let us know in the comments below. Written by Kate Aubusson. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Images: Getty

Body

“We can let you rest now”: Devastating development in missing Nicola Bulley case

Police in the United Kingdom have confirmed that a body found in a cluster of weeds by the River Wyre has been identified as missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley. Nicola was last seen in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, just after 9am on January 27. Her body was discovered just over a kilometre from where she disappeared. Nicola was walking her dog along the river after dropping her children off at school when she failed to return. Her mobile phone was found on a bench, still connected to a conference call for work, and her dog - a springer spaniel named Willow - was nearby. “We were called today at 11.36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road," local police reported. "An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body." Formal identification was required before it could be confirmed that it was Nicola's body, with police announcing the process was complete and the confirmation made at a press conference on Monday. “Sadly, we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre,” Lancashire Police's Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said. "Nicola’s family have been informed and are, of course, devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community. "We recognise the huge impact that Nicola’s disappearance has had on her family and friends, but also on the people of St Michael’s. "We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation. "Today’s development is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that it can at least start to provide some answers for Nicola’s loved ones, who remain foremost in our thoughts.” Assistant Chief Constable Lawson added that the case was now being handled by HM Coroner, and that the cause of her death is being treated as unexplained. In the wake of the tragic news breaking, Nicola’s family also issued a statement and emotional tribute for their late loved one. “Finally, Nikki, you are no longer a missing person, you have been found. We can let you rest now,” they said. “We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us. “We will never forget Nikki - how could we? - she was the centre of our world, she was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that. “Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most.” Images: Getty

Caring

I’ve indulged over the holidays. If I’m healthy the rest of the time, does it matter?

The holidays are often called the “silly season” – a time when we eat, drink and be merry. But these holiday indulgences can lead to feelings of guilt and fear that we’ve undone all the healthy habits from the rest of the year. But how much do you really need to worry about the impacts of holiday overeating? <h2>Yes, weight gain can happen in the holidays</h2> There are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31953670/">studies</a> that show weight gain can and does occur in the silly season. But on average it’s not as dramatic as diet culture would have us believe, coming in at about 0.7kg. However, because humans are complex and varied, and nutrition science is hard, there are studies with varied findings. Some show that despite significant increases in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32203107/">overall energy intake</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27618574/">reductions in diet quality</a>, <a href="https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1300&context=etd">weight gain doesn’t occur</a>. Importantly, much of this research comes from the northern hemisphere where the major holidays coincide with winter. And these studies focus on weight, not health. Weight is just a marker that’s convenient to measure, but <a href="https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-10-9">health is more complicated</a>. <h2>Food is not just fuel</h2> Food isn’t just energy and nutrients. It’s a big part of our cultures and celebrations, and contributes to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J140v06n04_04?casa_token=B88qy23WbRMAAAAA:HbizzLaYk_SDbucI00WWrJ1krwp5lZFgJjDpFBs6CkbkEXHEbfVhPfbH9uUooPh0z5ay3vLkKRJ-di8">social, cultural and emotional wellbeing</a>. While it’s harder to study, nourishing our souls with foods that connect us to our loved ones and our traditions is just as important as the role food plays in nourishing our bodies. Holiday feasts are also an opportunity to share meals. Sharing meals <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-017-0061-4">contributes to our emotional wellbeing and happiness</a>. <h2>Say hello to homeostasis</h2> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/homeostasis">Homeostasis</a> is a scientific term that describes how systems self-regulate. The word comes from the ancient Greek words for “similar” and “steady”. In living things it means that biology can adapt to changes to keep things in their normal constant state. Essentially, our body is always making little constant biological changes to help things stay the same. This is how we regulate things like our body temperature, blood sugar, blood pressure and other systems important for survival. The principles of homeostasis also apply to our <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.658997/full">eating and metabolism</a>. If we eat more for one or two holiday feast days (or even weeks) our biology works to minimise the impacts. This is also why losing weight on restrictive diets can be hard – homeostasis means as we reduce our energy intake our bodies adjust to using less energy. So for most people, discrete periods of indulgence aren’t likely to be the major determinants of health outcomes. It’s more likely the patterns we follow most of the time will influence our long term health. <h2>It’s about balance</h2> Biology and social norms both mean restrictive diets are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7538029/">hard to maintain long-term</a>. Some people are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296321002940">more successful</a> in maintaining a balanced diet when indulging is allowed. And now science has helped you to relax a little, a few words of caution. <h2>Drink in moderation</h2> Over-consumption of alcohol can cause <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm#:%7E:text=Over%20time%2C%20excessive%20alcohol%20use,liver%20disease%2C%20and%20digestive%20problems.&text=Cancer%20of%20the%20breast%2C%20mouth,liver%2C%20colon%2C%20and%20rectum.">increased risk for chronic diseases</a>. Excess alcohol consumption in the festive period increases the risk of alcohol-related harm, <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/-/media/ResourceCentre/PublicationsandResources/alcohol-misuse/Drinking-cultures-social-occasions-Factsheet_public-holiday.pdf?la=en&hash=6C43A7F27769C7016FBBC0C1AA35CA3FC74A7A0C">including accidents and violence</a>. Staying hydrated by alternating with non-alcoholic beverages helps reduce how much you drink and how bad a hangover is, but it won’t eliminate the risks. <h2>Food safety risks</h2> Festive eating, with sharing, travelling and over-crowded fridges increases our <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/holidays.html">risks of food poisoning</a>. Summer holidays also bring the added risk of heat. You want to share food and joy, not germs, so remember your <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-poisoning-prevention">basic food safety rules</a> like hand washing, avoiding cross contamination of uncooked meats and other foods, storing food chilled, and heating thoroughly. It’s also a good idea to make sure you talk to your guests or hosts about food allergens to make sure everyone has a safe holiday feast. <h2>The bottom line</h2> What we eat is a big part of determining our health, but adding a side serving of guilt to your festive feast isn’t healthy either. For true healthy choices, focus on balance and moderation for the bulk of the year and for most of your choices, but social and cultural eating is part of balance. Enjoying your celebration foods doesn’t need to mean throwing away all your healthy habits, but healthy eating and healthy indulgence can co-exist if we let it. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-indulged-over-the-holidays-if-im-healthy-the-rest-of-the-time-does-it-matter-195643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Body

"Rest in paradise": Tina Turner's son passes away

Tina Turner's son has died at age 62 after taking his own life. Ronnie Turner, the second-born son of the legendary singer, died on Thursday morning after police were called to his home in Los Angeles, according to reports from TMZ. Despite the best efforts of emergency services to revive him, Ronnie died at the scene. Ronnie's wife Afida announced the devastating news in an emotional post on Instagram. "My god Ronnie Turner a true angel, huge soul highly spiritual, my husband, my best friend my baby..." she captioned a series of photos. Tina Turner also shared a tribute to her late son in a short post on social media, alongside a black-and-white photo of herself grieving. "Ronnie, you left the world far too early," she wrote. "In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl9Y5HtDRav/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl9Y5HtDRav/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tina Turner (@tinaturner)</a> </div> </blockquote> Ronnie had battled several health issues in the past, including cancer. This is the second time in four years Turner's family has been rocked by tragedy, after the singer's eldest son Craig died by suicide at age 59 in 2018. "I think Craig was lonely, that's what I think really got him more than anything else," Turner said in an interview with Gayle King in 2019. "I have pictures all around of him smiling, and I think I'm sensing that he's in a good place. I really do." Image credits: Instagram

News

8 tips for a happy retirement life

It’s easy to be worried about retirement when you hear all the discussions about a weak economy or poorly performing investments. But instead of thinking only about the financial logistics of retirement, have you put much thought into what you want your day-to-day life to be like? For many people, the idea of giving up work (and for some, their identity) is scary. There’s also the worry of whether you would actually be bored when you’re no longer in the workforce. The truth is that retirement can be whatever you want it to be. That might mean taking an art class, volunteering for a charity close to your heart, or taking an active role in childcare for the grandkids. Check out our list of tips for a happier retirement. <ul> <li>It’s not just about the money: Yes it is important to have a financial plan in place for retirement, but it’s not the only thing you should be thinking about. What kind of life do you want for yourself? How do you want to feel? These are also important questions that you should try to answer.</li> <li>Make some concrete plan:. It’s all well and good to say that you want to travel – but why not be specific? Make yourself an action plan with items to tick off by a certain date – it could be a visit to Fiji before your next birthday. </li> <li>Do what makes you happy: Now is your time to focus on you, so find things to do that are meaningful for you and give you joy. That could mean taking on a course in photography or even getting a pet. </li> <li>Keep your mind active: If you think you will miss the stimulation of the work environment, you might want to take steps to address this early on. It might be a course to learn French or taking up the guitar.</li> <li>Give back: If you’ve always wanted to get more involved in the community but have been too busy, now is the time to get your hands dirty. Not only will you be helping others, you might also meet some like-minded people. </li> <li>Join or start a group: Your social life is at the forefront, so why not spend time with people who share common interests with you. Anything goes from a book club to a Men’s Shed style setting.</li> <li>Consider partial retirement: If finances are holding you back, why not take on a part time position that will offer more time off? </li> <li>Look after yourself: Now isn’t the time to overindulge in unhealthy foods or drink more wine that you ought to. Keep yourself healthy by eating well, exercising moderately and keeping your mental health in check. </li> </ul> Image: Getty

Retirement Life

Beauty tips that work while you’re sleeping

You already know how important it is to get eight hours of rest each night, but with these tips your beauty sleep can be even more effective. Eye cream – Invest in a good overnight eye cream to help reduce and prevent future fine lines while you sleep. Braids – If you still have your long locks, after you shower, skip the routine blow-dry and tie your still-damp hair in a French braid. You’ll wake up with body and texture. Gloves and socks – If your hands and feet have been feeling dry lately, apply a heavy-duty moisturiser or Vaseline thickly to your skin and cover with gloves and socks. Keep them on overnight and you’ll wake up to nourished, soft skin. Buns – Before bed, tie your hair up in a loose bun. Not only will it add texture to your hair the next day, but it will keep your hair from absorbing as much of your body’s oils that are emitted while you sleep. Retinol cream – Because retinol shouldn’t be used before direct sun exposure, bed time is the perfect the perfect time to apply this wrinkle-reducing, collagen encouraging miracle ingredient. Silk pillows – If you haven’t invested in silk pillow cases yet, you might want to. Silk helps prevent wrinkles in the skin and keeps your hair from getting static or tangled as you sleep. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

“Rest, great soul”: Dame Angela Lansbury exits to the "theatre in the sky"

Dame Angela Lansbury, known for her roles on TV, stage and film, has died aged 96 just days before her birthday. Her family broke the news in a statement on Tuesday. “The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1.30am today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” they said in a statement. The Murder, She Wrote star was one of the most decorated actors in stage history, winning five Tony Awards for her performances on Broadway and a lifetime achievement award. Lansbury scored one for her best-known work on Broadway, where she starred as the piemaker Nellie Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, winning the Tony for best musical actress in 1979. Her other three Tony awards for best actress in a musical were for her roles in Mame (1966), Dear World (1969) and Gypsy (1975). She earned Academy Award nominations for her work in film as a supporting actress in Gaslight (1945), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1946), and again in 1962 for The Manchurian Candidate. The star displayed her singing talents off-Broadway when she voiced the character of Mrs Potts in the 1991 animated movie Beauty and the Beast. For the film’s 25th anniversary in 2016, Lansbury took to the stage in New York and brought the house down with a rendition of the movie’s titular tune. But her widespread fame came when she took on the role of a mystery writer and amateur sleuth in Murder, She Wrote. Running for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996, the series was loosely based on Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories and followed Jessica Fletcher, a widowed mystery writer living in the village of Cabot Cove, Maine. Lansbury earned 12 Emmy award nominations for Murder, She Wrote, making her the record-holder for the most Emmy nominations for lead actress in a drama series. While the show became a hit, Lansbury said she found the first season exhausting. "I was shocked when I learned that had to work 12-15 hours a day, relentlessly, day in, day out," she recalled. "I had to lay down the law at one point and say, 'Look, I can't do these shows in seven days; it will have to be eight days.’” But, she was pleased that her role as Fletcher had become an inspiration for older women. "Women in motion pictures have always had a difficult time being role models for other women," she observed. "They've always been considered glamorous in their jobs." After the news broke of her passing, tributes have poured in across social media as fans and Hollywood stars remember the legendary actress. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed. A tale old as time, our beloved Mrs. Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/1579922852761198592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></blockquote> “Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed. A tale as old as time, our beloved Mrs Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul,” George Takei tweeted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Dame Angela Lansbury has fallen asleep and gone to the ‘theatre in the Sky.’ She epitomised grace and exhibited a gifted natural talent. One of the world’s greatest actors. I had the privilege of meeting her. — David_Suchet (@David_Suchet) <a href="https://twitter.com/David_Suchet/status/1579961581672497155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></blockquote> “Dame Angela Lansbury has fallen asleep and gone to the ‘theatre in the Sky’. She epitomised grace and exhibited a gifted natural talent. One of the world’s greatest actors. I had the privilege of meeting her,” Poirot star David Suchet wrote. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Tale as old as time True as it can be In memory of Angela Lansbury, we offer this cosmic rose plucked by our Spitzer Space Telescope. <a href="https://t.co/V1N0QynRDJ">https://t.co/V1N0QynRDJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/zPduniVBsl">pic.twitter.com/zPduniVBsl</a> — NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1579939011606769664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2022</a></blockquote> Even NASA paid tribute to Lansbury, offering a “cosmic rose” to the star. Lansbury is survived by her two children, Diedre Angela Shaw, 69, and Anthony Pullen Shaw, 70. Image: Getty Images

News

“Rest easy ma’am”: Tributes flow for singer Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn, the country singer behind Coal Miner’s Daughter and You Ain’t Woman Enough and a leading feminist in the country music scene, has passed away aged 90. Her family broke the news in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday. “Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” the statement read. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Loretta Lynn ♥️ A pioneering daughter that changed music and the world forever for all the daughters that followed. We’ll miss you but your spirit lives on! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thepill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thepill</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/forher?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#forher</a> <a href="https://t.co/9XTPwLkVru">pic.twitter.com/9XTPwLkVru</a> — The Chicks (@thechicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/thechicks/status/1577421929673543681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote> With a career spanning six decades, Lynn built her reputation as a feminist voice in the male-dominated world of country music, tackling issues including the freedom provided by birth control and the inequities of heterosexual relationships. Her choice of subject matter was controversial for country music in the 1960s and ‘70s, with Lynn telling one interviewer that 14 of her songs had been banned by radio stations. “I wasn’t the first woman in country music,” she said in a 2007 interview with Esquire magazine. “I was just the first one to stand up there and say what I thought, what life was about. The rest were afraid to.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Loretta Lynn and Sissy Spacek after the 53rd Academy Awards (March 31, 1981). Spacek, who was personally selected by Lynn to portray her in the biographical musical film 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' earned the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as the country music icon. <a href="https://t.co/mbFnBhY1Ic">pic.twitter.com/mbFnBhY1Ic</a> — The Academy (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy/status/1577424584709705728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote> Even so, Lynn became an icon of the genre with more than 50 top 10 hits according to her website. Lynn went on to become the first woman to win the Country Music Association’s ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award in 1972, as well as seven other CMA awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, and three Grammy Awards as an artist. She won an additional two Grammys in 2004 for her work on the album Van Lear Rose in collaboration with White Stripes frontman Jack White, where she either wrote or co-wrote every song. The singer also received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2010. In 1988, she was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2013 she was presented with a Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-president Barack Obama, who <a href="https://twitter.com/ObamaFoundation/status/1577428821590282242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that she “opened doors for women not only by winning tremendous achievements, but also by raising issues few dared to discuss”. Since the news of her passing broke, tributes have begun to flow for Lynn from fans, fellow singers and friends. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> My heart is broken with the news of my sweet friend Loretta Lynn passing. I will remember all the sweet visits and laughs we shared. RIP sweet Angel. <a href="https://t.co/X5IqiD63an">pic.twitter.com/X5IqiD63an</a> — Stella Parton (@StellaParton) <a href="https://twitter.com/StellaParton/status/1577314224078217217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote> Stella Parton penned an emotional tribute to her “sweet friend” and “angel”, accompanied by a photo of the pair together. “My heart is broken with the news of my sweet friend Loretta Lynn passing. I will remember all the sweet visits and laughs we shared. RIP sweet Angel,” Parton wrote. “She was an inspiration. R.I.P. Loretta Lynn ❤️‍,” Carole King tweeted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> She was an inspiration. R.I.P. Loretta Lynn ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/VqwmkcOAqy">pic.twitter.com/VqwmkcOAqy</a> — Carole King (@Carole_King) <a href="https://twitter.com/Carole_King/status/1577318037912330240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote> “Joyous. Fierce. One of a kind. I loved meeting and working with Loretta Lynn ❤️‍🕊️🙏,” singer k.d. Lang <a href="https://twitter.com/kdlang/status/1577381590736388096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a>. “Loretta Lynn gave me this ring of hers many moons ago and I’ve cherished it ever since. Rest in peace. We will all miss you so dearly ❤️‍,” actress Brooke Shields said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Loretta Lynn gave me this ring of hers many moons ago and I’ve cherished it ever since. Rest in peace. We will all miss you so dearly ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/KdgmIiXhXP">pic.twitter.com/KdgmIiXhXP</a> — Brooke Shields (@BrookeShields) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeShields/status/1577371993611059232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote> American band The Oak Ridge Boys tweeted: “Loretta Lynn has gone home… Great Britain lost their Queen … now we have lost ours … Rest easy ma’am. You were loved by all … 😢”. Ken Burns, the documentarian behind Country Music, the 2019 miniseries that Lynn took part in, <a href="https://twitter.com/KenBurns/status/1577397952569643009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>: “Loretta Lynn turned life into song, providing a voice to the experiences of American women. “She will always be celebrated as a central part of the history of country music.” Image: Getty Images

Caring

First look at Queen Elizabeth's final place of resting

Buckingham Palace have released an official photograph of Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place within the St George Chapel. The engraved ledger stone, featuring the name of the late Queen was installed in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, an annex to the main chapel on the evening of September 19, following a private service that was attended by family only. The slab is hand-carved from Belgian black marble, and features brass letter inlays reading the names of her parents, Queen George VI and Queen Elizabeth, followed by the late Queen’s name along with that of her husband, Prince Philip and sister, Princess Margaret. A garter star separates the two royal couples, and the years of birth and death have been inscribed next to each name. The four royals were members of the Order of the Garter, the country’s most senior order of chivalry that dates back to medieval times and the reign of King Edward III. The group’s members are personally chosen by the sovereign in recognition of an individual’s service to the nation and include several members of the royal family, former prime ministers and other senior figures. The order’s spiritual home is St. George’s Chapel. Image: Royal Family Twitter

Caring

Andrew Symonds laid to rest in private service

Cricketing icon Andrew Symonds has been farewelled in a private funeral on Friday morning, ahead of a public service later that afternoon. Symonds’ wife and children were seen clutching his beloved Akubras as they gathered with friends, teammates and other family members of the cricketer at Riverway Stadium on the outskirts of Townsville, Queensland. The memorial comes <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/gone-too-soon-tributes-flow-for-andrew-symonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly a fortnight after Symonds veered off a remote road</a> and fatally crashed his car. His wife Laura and their children Billy and Chloe were among the first to arrive at 10am, just an hour before the service began, and were followed a short time later by Symonds’ best friend and former teammate Jimmy Maher. Other cricketing greats also attended the service, including Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Glenn McGrath and Micthell Johnson, as well as West Indies batsman Brian Lara and NRL player Darren Lockyer. A note sent to guests told them “no tie necessary”, reflecting Symonds’ casual personal style and his frequent appearances at semi-formal events in shorts and t-shirts. Some guests took the brief seriously, arriving in chinos and button-up shirts, while others wore three-piece suits. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Andrew Symonds will be publicly farewelled this afternoon in Townsville. Fans are welcomed to join the service online from 2:30pm AEST on <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cricketcomau</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxCricket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxCricket</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> <a href="https://t.co/E4rR5Sae18">pic.twitter.com/E4rR5Sae18</a> — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1530015862995816448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote> In lieu of flowers, guests were encouraged to donate to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Nigel Fairbain was the first to speak at the service, welcoming attendees to celebrate Symonds’ life. “The gratitude his family extends to you all, with the acknowledgement to people who have travelled long distances. “Rejoice in the life he led. Celebrate it and learn from it. “Andrew’s life was a life well-lived, albeit cut short too early.” Symonds’ two children both spoke after, followed by his mother Barbara and sister Louise. A video tribute was also delivered by former teammate Matthew Hayden. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/andrew-symonds-service1.jpg" alt="" /> Photos of Andrew Symonds, cricket hats and his cricket bat surrounded his coffin. Image: Twitter After the service, Gilchrist told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10859363/Andrew-Symonds-funeral-Townville-Riverway-Stadium-Australia-cricket-greats-wife-Laura-farewell-Roy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail Australia</a> that Maher delivered the best eulogy he’s ever heard. “He looked at the kids in the eyes and told them exactly what he thought Roy would want him to say,” Gilchrist told the publication. “The service was simply beautiful. I’ve not seen a congregation as moved as they were today - full of sadness, but also such beautiful memories of a guy who just gave so much of himself to so many people, unconditionally. “He was loyal, almost to a fault. Mischievous character, but he would do whatever it took to help others - in and off the field. “We’ve all spoken so much about Roy, and there’s barely been a mention of his cricketing exploits and he was one of the game's great exploits. Ricky Ponting said he’d pick him in any team in any format.” Following on from the morning’s service, a public service will be livestreamed on <a href="https://www.cricket.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cricket.com.au</a>, <a href="https://kayosports.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kayo Sports</a>, and <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/?_gl=1*qteu7l*_ga*YW1wLU50aDlQVWR6Yk41MU11RW5FRjdQRVE." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Cricket</a> from 2.30pm. Image: Getty Images

News

Readers respond: What single event or decision do you think most affected the rest of your life?

From travelling and seeing the world, to getting married and settling down, there are a lot of moments that can change your life forever. We asked our readers what single event or decision changed the trajectory of their lives, and the responses were overwhelming. Kathleen Farrell - My decision to come to Australia! Changed my life and I have never regretted it! Glen Crawford - Sunday 1st April 1979, I’d spent the entire weekend in the surf after 10 weeks forced abstinence due to a serious surfing accident, and I was tired, sunburnt and in need of a good nights sleep. 2 of my young surfing mates turned up at the door and said they were taking me to the disco as I hadn’t been out for too long. I reluctantly agreed, and within the hour had met the young lady who’s been my best friend and wife for 42 years. Tanya B Lyons - Giving birth to my Daughter, followed by getting sober and immigrating to the best country in the world Australia 40 yrs ago. Noelene O'Donnell - Partner rang me at work and asked if I want to go to WA to live in 1983. I said YES (we were in NSW) and here we are still. Helen Knowles - Leaving my first husband. Best decision I ever made for myself and my life. Lewis Turner - I migrated from England to Australia 48 years ago. Margaret Inglis - Buying a ticket at a spur of the moment for a trip to Sydney. My friend and myself were having morning tea, lunch time put a deposit on a ticket. Early 1969, Wellington NZ. Boat left Wellington for Sydney September 1969. Also on board were a group of guys. One ended up being my husband for nearly 42 years until he passed 7 years ago. Still in Australia. Lorna Embling Tudball - Meeting & marrying my husband, nearly 62 years ago. Norma Fowler - At age 10 determined to go to selective high school despite mum wanting me to go elsewhere... to become a teacher. Rhondda Walters - I quit my job, packed my bags and enrolled in University at the age of 32. A decision that changed my life. Kim Galuschin - I had a Gastric-bypass operation at age 35. Now I'm 52 and have not gained any of the 40kg that I lost during the year after my surgery. Image credits: Getty Images

Mind

The pursuit for 8 hours of sleep could be keeping us up at night

We’re constantly told 8 hours is the optimal amount of sleep for health and energy, but if you don’t or can’t get it you might be left feeling stressed and even concerned for your health. However, a leading sleep expert wants us all to know the furphy we've been made to believe about a perfect eight-hour block of sleep. Dr David Cunnington, specialist sleep physician, says that the idea of eight hours of sleep was invented by humans and isn't necessarily the way Mother Nature has programmed us. "This concept of eight hours' sleep is a concept of industrialisation, it's a social construct," he said. In fact, Dr Cunnington says that a lot of our sleep ideas stem from the slogan coined in 1817 by labour rights activist Robert Owen: "Eight hours labour, eight hours' recreation, eight hours' rest." "Up until the early 19th century … human sleep had been three to four hours at the start of the night, an hour or two awake in the night, and then some dozing until the sun came up, and a nap in the day if the opportunity arose," Dr Cunnington explains. "That’s more biologically how we sleep, that flexibility of sleep and wake being a bit dispersed across the day." But when industrialisation occurred, we began "shoehorning" sleep into a designated window. Dr Cunnington says that can work perfectly fine when life is going smoothly, but can pave the way for anxiety if you have sleeping difficulties or a lot of life stress. "[We have] rigid time domain constraints around sleep and wakefulness — sleep must only occur in this eight-hour window," he says. "[We think we must] get eight hours in the eight hours we allocate for it, and then wakefulness must occur for 16 hours continuously with no sleep interrupting that continuous wakefulness, and performance across that wakeful period must be uniform. "That’s a societal construct … it’s just not biological. We have ebbs and flows in energy across the day, but that allocation of time, that eight-eight-eight doesn’t pay any respect to that." While our society is unlikely to change to allow us to sleep in chunks, Dr Cunnington says the knowledge that sleep wasn't always forced into a particular block and did not always have so much pressure on it, is useful to know. Image: Getty

Mind

Quaden Bayles puts vicious rumours of fake age to rest

Quaden Bayles, the bullied schoolboy who went viral across the world last month, has posted proof of his age to silence the vicious trolls who accused him of being an 18-year-old man. The nine-year-old Indigenous Australian made international headlines last month, when he was filmed saying he wanted to die because he was bullied for his dwarfism. However just days after the video became an internet sensation, rumours began to circulate accusing Quaden of being a grown adult trying to gain internet fame with a “fake” bullying story. On Monday, Quaden’s mother Yarraka officially put the rumours to rest once and for all. The Queensland-based mum uploaded a video of Quaden holding up his passport, which displayed his date of birth as December 13, 2010 - making him nine-years-old. “I can understand why people think my son is not really 9,” Ms Bayles captioned the video. “He’s an old soul, wise beyond his years and definitely the smartest, strongest kid I will ever know. “He has so much swag and attitude, unlike any other 9-year-old you’ll ever meet. He is obviously not your average kid but like any other person, he just wants to be happy and healthy and I will do all I can to ensure that. “So just to set the record straight... Quaden was born at 12:15 pm on Monday December 13, 2010! “As you can clearly see here on his passport that was issued 22nd September 2017 before our first trip to Fiji.” Quaden gained the support of millions last month when his mother shared a distressing video of her son. The nine-year-old could be heard telling his mother: “give me a rope, I want to kill myself.” Quaden, who has achondroplasia, which is the most common type of dwarfism also went on to heartbreakingly say: “I just want to stab myself in the heart... I want someone to kill me.”

News

Social media and technology mean that dead celebrities can't rest in peace

“To be dead,” wrote the 20th century French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, “is to be a prey for the living.” Even Sartre, though, would have struggled to imagine casting James Dean in a movie 64 years after the actor’s death. The <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-james-dean-reborn-cgi-vietnam-war-action-drama-1252703">curious announcement</a> that Dean, who died in a car crash in 1955 having made just three films, will star in a movie adaptation of Gareth Crocker’s Vietnam War novel Finding Jack, has been met with <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/james-dean-finding-jack-digital-actor-backlash-controversy-172502291.html">outrage</a>. It would be a remarkable CGI achievement for any studio to resurrect an actor who has been dead since the Eisenhower administration. True, the Star Wars movie Rogue One featured the late Peter Cushing “reprising” his role as Grand Moff Tarkin. But the new role given to Dean would reportedly be far larger and more complex. Cushing, at least, had already played Tarkin while he was alive. In Finding Jack, “James Dean” will supposedly be starring in a film based on a novel written 80 years after he was born, set near the end of a war that started after he died. He will reportedly be reanimated via “full body” CGI using actual footage and photos; another actor will voice him. The reaction to this goes beyond mere scepticism, however. Nor is it simply the now-familiar post-truth anxiety about no longer being able to tell what’s real and what isn’t. The rise of “<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi_392QhdjlAhVLdCsKHQ_zC5gQFjALegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2019%2F06%2F10%2Fopinion%2Fdeepfake-pelosi-video.html&usg=AOvVaw2qK3CZZjtPtJJcix9JXZ4X">deepfakes</a>” presents a much greater threat on that front than bringing dead actors back to life. What’s at work here is another pervasive challenge of the online era: how we should live with the digital dead. People die online every day. Social media is increasingly full of <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13347-011-0050-7">electric corpses</a>; at some point <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-04-29-digital-graveyards-are-dead-taking-over-facebook">the dead will outnumber the living</a> on platforms like Facebook. This already poses a range of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-015-9379-4">ethical and practical problems</a>. Some of these are the subject of a <a href="https://www.lawreform.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/lrc/lrc_current_projects/Digital%20assets/Project-update.aspx">NSW Law Reform Commission inquiry</a> into how we should deal with the digital assets of the dead and incapacitated. Reanimation These issues only get thornier once you add in the prospect of reanimation. For most of this decade, digital immortality was confined to press releases and fiction. A string of start-ups promised breathlessly to let you cheat death via AI-driven avatars, only to disappear when it became clear their taglines were better than their products. (The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/shortcuts/2013/feb/18/death-social-media-liveson-deadsocial">Twitter app LivesOn’s</a> “When your heart stops beating, you’ll keep tweeting” was undeniably clever). “Be Right Back,” a 2013 episode of the TV series Black Mirror, imagined a young woman who signs up for a service that brings her dead partner back to life using his social media footprint: first as a chat bot, then as a phone-based voice simulator, and finally as a lifelike automaton. It was brilliant, bleak television, but thankfully, it wasn’t real. Then in late 2015, 34-year-old Roman Mazurenko died in an accident in Moscow. As a tribute, his best friend, fellow tech entrepreneur Eugenia Kuyda, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/a/luka-artificial-intelligence-memorial-roman-mazurenko-bot">built the texts</a> Mazurenko had sent her into a chat bot. You can download Roman Mazurenko right now, wherever you get your apps, and talk to a dead man. Internet immortality might not be here yet, not quite, but it’s unsettlingly close. Between remembrance and exploitation Sadly, it’s not an immortality we could look forward to. When we fear death, one thing we particularly dread is the end of first-person experience. Think of the experience you’re having reading this article. Someone else could be reading exactly the same words at the same time. But their experience will lack whatever it is that makes this your experience. That’s what scares us: if you die, that quality, what it’s like to be you, won’t exist anymore. And there is, to mangle <a href="https://ethics.org.au/ethics-explainer-what-is-it-like-to-be-a-bat/">a famous line from Thomas Nagel</a>, nothing it is like to be a bot. But what about living on for other people? The Mazurenko bot is clearly a work of mourning, and a work of love. Remembering the dead, <a href="http://sorenkierkegaard.org/works-of-love.html">wrote Kierkegaard</a>, is the freest and most unselfish work of love, for the dead can neither force us to remember them nor reward us for doing so. But memory is fragile and attention is fickle. It seems reasonable that we might use our new toys to help the dead linger in the lifeworld, to escape oblivion a little longer. The danger, as the philosopher <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/05568641.2015.1014538">Adam Buben has put it</a>, is that memorialisation could slip into replacement. An interactive avatar of the dead might simply become a stopgap, something you use to fill part of the hole the dead leave in our lives. That risks turning the dead into yet another resource for the living. The line between remembrance and exploitation is surprisingly porous. That is what’s ultimately troubling about resurrecting James Dean. To watch a James Dean movie is to encounter, in some palpable way, the concrete person. Something of the face-to-face encounter survives the mediation of lens, celluloid and screen. To make a new James Dean movie is something else. It’s to use the visual remains of Dean as a workable resource instead of letting him be who he is. Worse, it suggests that James Dean can be replaced, just as algorithm-driven avatars might come to replace, rather than simply commemorate, the dead. We’ll know in time whether Finding Jack can live up to its likely premature hype. Even if it doesn’t, the need to think about how we protect the dead from our digital predations isn’t going away.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127211/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-stokes-10346">Patrick Stokes</a>, Associate Professor of Philosophy, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/chat-bots-james-dean-can-the-digital-dead-rest-in-peace-127211">original article</a>.

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“Rest, great soul”: Dame Angela Lansbury exits to the "theatre in the sky"

“Rest easy ma’am”: Tributes flow for singer Loretta Lynn

First look at Queen Elizabeth's final place of resting

Andrew Symonds laid to rest in private service

Readers respond: What single event or decision do you think most affected the rest of your life?

The pursuit for 8 hours of sleep could be keeping us up at night

Quaden Bayles puts vicious rumours of fake age to rest

Social media and technology mean that dead celebrities can't rest in peace