Sunday, February 9, 2025

How art and literature can help us rethink our problems with sleep

Share

Here is the rewritten content:

How Art and Literature Can Help Us Rethink Our Problems with Sleep

Sleep Inequities

- Advertisement -

As Daylight Saving Time approaches, many of us will be losing an hour of sleep. But sleep troubles are a persistent issue, with up to half of the Canadian population reporting trouble sleeping. The global sleep industry is valued at a staggering US$67 billion. Yet, despite this widespread problem, we often treat sleep as an individual issue, something to be solved with quick fixes and personal responsibility.

The Cultural Significance of Sleep

But sleep is not just a personal problem. It is also a cultural issue, reflecting and shaping societal values and power structures. Works of literature and art can help us rethink our relationship with sleep, exposing the ways in which it is tied to broader social and economic issues.

Dear Scarlet

Teresa Wong’s illustrated memoir, "Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression," is a powerful example of how sleep loss can be tied to cultural norms. Wong’s story is one of struggle and despair, as she battles overwhelming hopelessness after the birth of her first child. The starkness of her drawings reflects her blunted senses, as her inner world is drained of detail and color.

Fiction and Poetry

Other works of fiction and poetry also reflect the links between sleep loss and societal issues. David Chariandy’s novel, "Brother," follows the lives of two brothers trapped in a world of poverty and violence. Michael notes that Francis would "be on the edge of sleep when some terror would visit him. He’d wake screaming a deep body scream." The repeated image of the "edge" of sleep brings to mind a precipice or, perhaps, the blade of a knife that penetrates the mind.

Dionne Brand’s poetry considers the difficulty of sleeping when disasters are affecting others. In her book, "Thirsty," she writes: "if it is late at night and quiet… you can hear someone’s life falling apart." Sleeping through an ambulance siren can be a necessary skill in the city, but for Brand, such a sleep shows callousness toward the suffering of others.

Conclusion

If we want to be compassionate people during our waking hours, we need to enjoy restful slumber at night. Works of literature and art can help us understand why sleeping well is about more than buying the right mattress or debating the merits of Daylight Saving Time. We need to recognize sleep as a matter of culture, so that we can think critically about the forms of power tied up with it. Every sleep tells a story, and by learning to read these stories carefully, we can help each other rest a little easier.

FAQs

  • What is the significance of sleep in our society?
    Sleep is not just a personal issue, but also a cultural one, reflecting and shaping societal values and power structures.
  • How can art and literature help us rethink our problems with sleep?
    Works of literature and art can help us understand why sleeping well is about more than personal responsibility, and can expose the ways in which sleep is tied to broader social and economic issues.
  • What are some examples of how sleep is tied to societal issues?
    Teresa Wong’s memoir, "Dear Scarlet," and David Chariandy’s novel, "Brother," are examples of how sleep loss can be tied to cultural norms and societal issues such as poverty and violence.
  • How can we use literature and art to think critically about sleep?
    By reading and analyzing works of literature and art that explore the cultural significance of sleep, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which sleep is tied to broader social and economic issues, and can think critically about the forms of power tied up with it.

Read more

spot_img

Related