Graduate shows 2016: Royal College of Art graduate Ted Hunt has designed a search engine that allows users to search the web using principles based on the Socratic method. (more…)
You’re reading The 4 Key Concepts For Improving Your Sleep, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Sleep is an essential component of maintaining both good mental and physical health. Many of us however seem to neglect this aspect of our health, opting to cram as much into our day as possible. In this 24/7 society that we have created for ourselves is it any wonder that sleep patterns are more disrupted than ever?
Sleep problems come in all shapes and sizes. Some find it impossible to fall asleep in the first place. Whilst others suffer the frustration of waking multiple times during the night. The resulting effect is the same – a feeling of exhaustion, helplessness and loneliness. This can easily spiral into other mental health issues.
Countless doctors’ appointments are taken up because of sleep disorders. Patients come in expecting a quick fix for their sleeping problems, asking for sleeping pills to knock them out at night. What people do not realise is that these remedies are only a short term fix for the problem. They come with many side-effects and they quickly become addictive.
In order to help fall asleep at night and wake feeling well rested, we need to follow good sleep hygiene. Each of these tasks is easy to implement and performed enough times will improve the quality of your sleep dramatically. So what can you do today to improve your sleeping?
Your bedroom should be a place of calm. It should be a place that your brain associates with getting restful sleep. In order for this process to occur, you need to ensure that you create right environment for sleep. Your room should be dark and there should be no electronic devices present. The temperature should be cool and therefore opening a window may be a good idea. Do not use your bed as a place to sit and do work. The bed is for sleep and sex, no other activity.
The time that you get up in the morning will vary from person to person. The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep every night in order to feel well rested. Say you decide that you need to wake up at 6.30 a.m. in order to be at work on time. Well, an 8 hour sleep would mean that you should be in bed by 10.30 in the evening.
Now to begin with you may find that getting into bed at 10.30 is too early and you lie there awake for a while, but after a few days your body will get used to it. You will fall asleep quicker and in no time waking up at 6.30 will seem like no trouble at all. You will be refreshed from a full nights’ sleep and still be able to get yourself to work on time.
It is important that you try and stick to this same sleep pattern every day, and this includes at the weekend. Lying-in makes it more difficult for you to sleep the next night and hence leads to the so-called ‘Sunday night insomnia’.
By following the same 15-20 minute routine before bed, your brain will automatically start shutting itself down, ready for sleep. Put away all electronic devices such as phones and tablets, turn off the television and prepare yourself for going to bed. Pour yourself a hot drink, read a book and when you feel that your eyelids are heavy, settle down for a restful sleep. You will find that the more times you do this routine, the quicker your will drift off to sleep.
When you have had a busy or stressful day, it can make it difficult to unwind at night. By taking some time out during the day to clear your head, you will find that sleep comes that much easier in the evening. Going for a short walk or sitting meditating for a few minutes can help you to cope with the stresses of day-to-day life and will leave you feeling more peaceful when it comes to going to bed. Although pre-bedtime meditation and yoga are always helpful, these activities will be much more beneficial if you have already tried to deal with difficult thoughts and feelings during the day.
Following these simple ideas, sleeping problems will eventually sort themselves out. It does take time, so do not be disheartened if you have a bad night. Just be patient.
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Fran is a junior medical doctor working in the South West of England. During her spare time she enjoys photography, running, yoga and writing. She currently runs a self improvement blog called Lists For Life. You can follow her on Twitter using the handle @Lists4life
You’ve read The 4 Key Concepts For Improving Your Sleep, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
From the architect. Located in Puri Indah, West Jakarta region, the tropical open house creates intimate space from entrance through void in the garden, in living room, library, and the roof top garden.
“I want a house. A house to retreat, to relax with my family,” explains homeowner Mr. Wirawan in his brief to Realrich Sjarief. Situated in the increasingly crowded West Jakarta area, the 500 sqm house occupies a 450 sqm plot of land. Reflected by owner’s name, Wirawan House forest wood, Size-wise it is inconspicuous, but its exposed brassed wood facade gives it a humble look.
The architecture of Tropical Open House separated the service on the ground floor, lifted the building floats with living room, and master bedroom on the first floor and bedroom for three children in the second floor. The composition is designed by designing multiple small landscape based on view from each intimate spaces, this way the heat is reduced by facing the opening to the north south side while opening the skylight and the window to let air and light in. The house has one receiving area then no more separation wall at the first floor which is living room. In the living room, the kitchen also takes some importance its final layout is the result of few adjustments based on the owner’s domestic habits. The only enclosed space in the second storey is Wirawan’s study, which doubles as a library and his space to remember memory for his family. A simple foyer and a light well integrated with stair, and art work is placed after the receiving area. The second story houses private spaces. At the end of the corridor is 2 bedrooms of his daughter’s equipped with suite bathroom and a walk-in closet. An outdoor feel showering area is attached to the bathroom, while the surface connecting its indoor and outdoor area is made of clear glass. The material used in this building is choosed based on the best craftmenship available in Jakarta.
5 types of local Wood was picked based on each unique character. First is, dried pine wood 180 mm x 30 mm x 3000 mm, for the facade, and 85 mm x 10 mm x 3000 mm for the ceiling. Pine wood was chosed because of the durability and the lightness. Second, reused Iron wood which is most durable material used for phinisi boat, combined with bengkirai wood which is more economic for the less walkable space is used for indoor – outdoor decking because of the texture, durability, and economic. Teakwood is used for main area bedroom, library, and foyer area, and merbau wood 300mm x 480 mm x 2800 mm combined in single door is used for door because of its tolerance on expansion, the most available material in Jakarta.
An additional bedroom, bathroom and a multi function room linked by a corridor leading to an open space beside the void leading to the stairwell and stair case, a pretty bow to knot the horizontal and vertical circulations together. The project installed storm water harvesting and reuses it in water landscaping. While storm water harvesting is increasingly common in some countries, it is still a rare, exceptional facility in Indonesia, one that this project was determined to have in this home. The attention of to the play of light and shadow, created through a combination of materials and artificial and natural light is fundamental to the design of the house and evokes the quietude of such a retreat house which stated by its architecture.
Seven projects have been named finalists in the second edition of the biennial Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP). Selected from a pool of 175 nominees, the chosen buildings represent the best built works of architecture realized in the Americas from January 2014 to December 2015. The inaugaral award, which was given to the best project from 2000-2013, was shared by Álvaro Siza’s Iberê Camargo Foundation and Herzog & de Meuron’s 1111 Lincoln Road.
Continue after the break for the list of finalists.
Weekend House / Angelo Bucci; Sao Paulo, Brazil
UTEC Campus / Grafton Architects; Lima, Peru
Pachacamac Museum / Llosa Cortegana Arquitectos; Lima, Peru
Tower 41 / Alberto Kalach; Mexico City, Mexico
Star Apartments / Michael Maltzan Architecture; Los Angeles, California
Grace Farms / SANAA; New Canaan, Connecticut, United States
Fort York National Historic Site Visitor Centre / Patkau Architects & Kearns Mancini Architects; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The MCHAP 2014/15 Jury includes Jury President Stan Allen, architect and former Dean of Princeton University’s School of Architecture; Florencia Rodriguez, editorial director of Piedra, Papel y Tijera publishers; Ila Berman, Dean, UVA School of Architecture; Jean Pierre Crousse of Barclay & Crousse, and Wiel Arets, Dean of The Rowe Family College of Architecture at IIT.
The winner will be announced at a symposium held at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture on October 19, 2016. The winning team will also receive funding of $50,000 in support of research and a publication related to the theme of “Rethinking Metropolis.”
News via MCHAP.
This innovative building replaces the original Seta Sports Connection built in 1982, which was one of the first membership fitness clubs in Tokyo. The new six-story, 6,000 square-meter facility accommodates the private club’s new emphasis on personal sports training, Japanese bathing and social activities.
Designed in a striking minimalist aesthetic, Aqua Sports & Spa is the first project to be completed by COE Architecture International in Japan. The significance of the new Aqua Sports & Spa draws on a sensitivity Christopher Coe developed early in his career as a designer with celebrated architect Richard Meier.
Embracing the project’s complex urban site and varied program, the architect explored Western and Japanese concepts of spatial definition and materiality. Although a private club, the design intent was to create a transparent building with a welcoming and public presence, one with a serene and refined demeanor in sharp contrast to the chaotic surroundings of Tokyo. The design echoes an ancient calmness in opposition to the frenetic context.
The building is located on a steep hillside site, which was once part of a Tokugawa country estate containing onsen springs, rich forests and a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji. Today the site is bordered by a large highway, apartment buildings and small houses. But there remain large pockets of trees on both sides of the highway, which became primary considerations in the building design.
The building is comprised of spaces serving both the sports and social functions of the club. Fitness facilities include the only private 50-meter swimming pool in greater Tokyo, as well as a fitness gym, locker rooms, spa lounges and men’s and women’s showers and Japanese baths. The social facilities include a lounge, bar, dining room and a public cafe with outdoor terrace.
Aqua Sports & Spa focuses on high-level personal service for its members and the building design needed to bridge the wide gap between a utilitarian fitness club and a luxurious hotel. Programmatically, the club functions are separated into sports and social spaces. Each assemblage of spaces is housed separately in white or dark gray concrete volumes which vary in scale related to their function.
Enclosed in the largest white volume, the pool is raised in the air level and parallel to the adjacent highway and sidewalk. Enormous windows allow both private swimmers and passing pedestrians to visually engage each other from only 2 meters away.
At the upper end of the site a smaller white volume sits perpendicular to the pool volume. It contains the member’s lounge which floats above a clear glass box enclosing the ground floor entry lobby and public café. The upper lounge is totally transparent at its east and west ends to take advantage of the unique tree-top views of the historic site. The centerpiece of the lounge is a modern pavilion of wood slats defining the main seating area and fireplace within the larger lounge space. A driveway slips under the elevated lounge and between the entry and café, providing access to the roof-top parking, similar to Corbusier’s Villa Savoye.
Expressing internal functions within a refined massing of varying scale, the design negotiates the complex site and blurs the traditional boundary between private and public spaces and activities.
Sig Nordal 