214- Art, Music, Pets and Sleep

What do brains of musically trained individuals show?

Stronger neural connections, more grey matter

Benefits of hand drumming

Increased white matter in brain, improve cognitive functioning

Group drumming increases what hormone?

oxytocin

Regular practice of waiata and karakia can lead to:

increased wellbeing and whanaungatanga

What can music therapy do for the body

Activate vagus nerve- calms fight or flight response

The initiative in UK called “Arts on Prescription” was associated with what?

Decrease in primary doctor care visits (37%), decrease in hospital admissions (27%).

What are the 5 mechanisms of how art engagement may contribute to flourishing

Reflection, Acquisition, Immersion, Socialisation, Expression

What does the research say about pet therapy

Some studies showed positive relationship with mental health and pets, but most showed mixed association, no association or even a slight negative association

What differences are found in dog vs cat ownership compared to no ownership.

Teens who have a dog were found to have higher wellbeing than those without dogs. Teens with cats were found to have a lower well being compared to those without cats.

Why do we sleep?

Restorative, Energy conservation, Brain processing and memory consolidation, Detoxification, Reduce inflammation, avoid weight gain, Supports activation of glymphatic system – cleansing mechanism within CNS that removes “molecular junk” that builds up during waking hours

What happens during deep sleep

Memory consolidation, synapses are augmented, info learned moves from short term to long term

REM

when dreams happen, reduced activation of amygdala- good for processing emotional memories

What is the lower limit of recommended sleep according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

7 hours

What kind of relationship do improvements in sleep have with mental health outcomes

dose-response relationship

What does REST stand for?

Routine, Environment, Stimulation Control, Thinking

What are ultradian cycles?

Recurring cycles lasting ~90-120 minutes. Basic rest- activity- cycle, switch between alertness and sleepiness

Biophilia hypothesis

Our ancestors’ wellbeing and survival depended on connecting with nature (i.e., for finding food and water, navigating, and predicting time or future weather conditions, etc. The need to connect with nature likely remains an innate part of who we are.

Attention restoration theory

Directed attention- used for executive functions and involves prolonged focus and effort. Involuntary attention- effortless yet demanding. Directed attention is a limited resource that becomes fatigued after extended use and, when depleted, may lead to negative emotional states (e.g., irritability) and declines in cognitive performance. Natural environments are restorative: provide an opportunity to get away, stimuli effortlessly engage our involuntary attention, and allow us to act without the need to constantly monitor our behavior

Stress-reduction theory

Exposure to certain (unthreatening) natural environments that were evolutionarily beneficial for wellbeing and survival can reduce stress. Compared to built environments, nature can decrease arousal and perceived stress levels, and promote stress recovery (e.g., decrease blood pressure) after attentional abilities are fatigued