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Sleepless in Singapore? A book can be a quiet antidote
The physical book can be a gentle lullaby in a world hurtling towards insomnia.
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In Singapore, about one in four residents report poor sleep quality even before the Covid-19 pandemic, with one in seven experiencing severe insomnia.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Josephine Chia
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It is only when you are deprived of quality sleep that you understand how essential it is to well-being. Without deep rest, the body becomes restless, the mind scattered and health begins to fray. Sleep deprivation brings fatigue and a pervasive sense of unease.
This was the plight of the Ancient Mariner from an epic poem by British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, the mariner wandered sleepless for seven days and seven nights after killing an albatross. His inhumane act condemned his soul to torture. Restoration occurred only after he unknowingly said a prayer for the water snakes.
