The
Creatives
September-October 2018 Issue 2 Vol.1
Free Planner & Stickers Inside
Sleep and Creativity DOES SLEEP AFFECT YOUR IDEAS?
COMPETITIONS & ACTIVITIES
YOUNG POET’S CORNER
DIY
Special Feature
A True Story
Ship to Pakistan
Winners of Independence Day Competition!
The Creatives is a publication by Ray Academics for children and young adults.
Learn to Reimagine your Future
Calling Writers from all around the World! Email your entries at info@rayacademics.com in the following categories:
Art & Poems
Articles
Puzzles
Stories
Contents 4
Student Editorial Team
5
Talent Found!
8 7
Quote Competition
9
Independence Day Art Competition
10
Independence Day Photography Competition
12
Stories
13
Recipes Subscription
Jokes
Countries
Issue Price
Annual Subscription (12 Issues)
Pakistan
Rs 200
Rs 2200
UAE AED 10 USA & Others $5
AED 110 $55
1 issue is free in a 1 year subscription
Orders fulfilled by
The Ship to Pakistan
A collection of winning stories of Creative Writing Competition held at Ray Academics
. Book Review
14
Weekly Planner
16
DIY
18
Young Poet’s Corner
20
Art Gallery
21
Fun Activities
25
Kiddies in the Kitchen
26
Momi Talks! SleepOver it!
Get organized with this freebie!
A collection of poems contibuted by children and young adults
EDITOR’S LETTER Dear Readers, We would like to thank you all for your wonderful response to our magazine, “The Creatives.” To further the excitement we are introducing monthly art and photography competitions among our other competitions to make a more vivacious creative playground for all. These competitions are meant for ages 6-16 years old. Winning or shortlisted work will be showcased in the magazine, website, social media upon the discretion of the editorial team. We are thrilled to see contributions pouring in our mailbox already. These contributions are fantastic and the fact that you tried speaks volumes! We understand that it gets harder to plan with each passing day as the school pressures mount and tasks seem never ending. We have included a free weekly planner to encourage students towards this daunting task. We have also included some stickers so that you can have some fun while you attempt to jot down your points in the planner August and September have been rich in patriotic fervour so we have included a special feature in our magazine to resonate that. We held some competitions recently on Independence Day of Pakistan and on Pakistan Day in the past. The main purpose of these competitions was to encourage patriotism in our youngsters. The winning entries along with some shortlisted ones have been published in this issue. As for giveaways, we are giving one free happy mail with 3 month subscription. You get to pick the date!
Patron-in-Chief Parveen Akhtar
Student Editorial Team Amn Zain Ryaan Mirza
Photography MehrunissaShahryar Zahrah Ehsan
Distributed by Ray Academics 21 Bank Square Market Model Town Lahore, Pakistan Ph: +92-302-8556771 Email: info@rayacademics.com
Printers Ink factory
We hope that you enjoy the interesting DIYs along with other things in the magazine. Do write to us and give us your feedback. All the best!
Bushra Ehsan Editor-in-Chief CEO of Ray Academics
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Student Editorial Team Hi guys! My name is Amn Zain and I will be one of the proof readers and contributors of this magazine. I’m 12.5 years old and am currently a new seventh grader in LGS 55 Main. Sorry, no fun news about that!! My favorite hobby is reading, reading, reading and I simply adore art. Sometimes in my free time I sit on my computer and explore the world! If you all ever want a good book to read I would be happy to recommend one for you! Adieu for now! See you later!!
Amn Zain
What’s up guys! My name is Ryaan Mirza. I’m an eighth grader and also apart of the student editorial team. I will be proofreading and contributing to the magazine. I’ve learned many things so far including project management tools, design elements for a magazine and learning new techniques of editing. I really hope you guys do enjoy the magazine. I’m really excited for upcoming editions of the magazine and I’m glad to be on board. Until next time, Bye!
Ryaan Mirza
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Talent Found! An exclusive Interview with the winner of Independence Day Photography Competition
Q&A Q. What do you enjoy the most about photography? A. The thing I enjoy the most about photography is that it allows me to experience worlds that are different from my own. My love of photography takes me to new places and experience interesting things. Q. How do you choose the best angle to compose your photographs? A. I choose the best angle by many methods like moving around the object to improve composition, shooting from height of subject, adding perspective to my photographs, tilting my photos and including interesting reflections.
Q. What would you advise other young aspiring photographers? A. If you really love photography then first learn about the subject. You can start by first learning about what kind of camera would you like to use. -Experiment by taking different types of photographs -Try to change the lighting in each photograph -Take photographs from different angles and then after reviewing choose the best angle. -A little bit editing is also good as it enhances the beauty of the picture. You can look through Muhammad Akif’s inspirational portfolio on instagram @clicks.ak
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The Ship to Pakistan A True Story
P
akistan’s history is not just a tale buried in history books but a reality that shook the foundations of many lives in 1947. While we were blessed with beautiful childhood memories our fathers and grandfathers worked hard all their lives to forget the trauma of the sacrifices they made to earn us this freedom for us. This is a true account disclosed by our valued senior citizen of this country. It’s hard to believe that the elderly were once children. They had the same dreams and aspirations but unfortunately met with war and other adversities. He told us that his family had decided to migrate to Pakistan. They all set out from Uttar Pardesh (India) to migrate to Pakistan and witnessed the most life threatening journey that he could have ever thought of. The family had to board a ship from Mumbai to reach the shores of Pakistan. Surrounded by the mob, the only way they could board the ship without getting lost was to hold each other’s hand tightly to keep them united in the mob. The brothers and sisters clasped each other’s hand firmly and began to move towards the ship. Suddenly the mob behind them became rough and pushed his mother over. With a sixth month old
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baby in her arms, she fell on the floor but managed to bend over to cover the baby as the mob trampled over her mercilessly to board the ship. A mother’s instinct took precedence over all the repercussions of the situation and this is how the baby girl survived even though the mother sustained several injuries. As they had missed the first ship, the family waited patiently for the second ship to dock. They all successfully boarded the ship but the journey to Pakistan was markedly tumultuous. They encountered a devastating hurricane on the way and all the passengers fervently prayed for safety. Finally, the ship docked at Karachi port and most people survived the journey. The sacrifices that our fathers and forefathers have made for our freedom are of great magnitude. Yet we take it all for granted and take solace by immigrating to another country. Let’s join hands to develop creativity and problem-solving skills in this community to improve the community. Our leaders of independence helped us in solving the problem of a nation. Let’s try to solve our own problems by being critical thinkers and problem solvers.
Pakistan Day 2018 Quote Competition 23 March 2018 First Prize:
Abdullah Awais Aitchison College
Second Prize:
Wania Ahsan Ababistan-e-Sophia
Third Prize: Zeluf Fatima
“My message to all is hope, courage and confidence. Let us mobilize all our resources in a systematic and organized way and tackle the grave issues that confront us with the grim determination and discipline worthy of a great nation.”-Muhammad Ali Jinnah - Contributed by Muhammad Abdullah Awais, 8 years old Aitchison College, Lahore
“The nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.” -Muhammad Ali Jinnah
“I do not believe in taking the right decision, I take a decision and make it right.” -Muhammad Ali Jinnah Contributed by Zeluf Fatima, 8 Years old, LGS, Lahore
Contributed by Wania Ahsan, 11 years old Adabistan-e- Soophia School, Lahore
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“Peoole have become educated but have not yet become human.” -Abdul Sattar Edhi Contributed by Inshal Ahsan, 12 years old, Adabistan-e-Sophia, Lahore
Think 100 times before you take a decision, but once the decision is taken stand by it as a man.” -Muhammad Ali Jinnah Contributed by Usman Baig, 9 years old LGS, Lahore
Life is too short to spend worrying about people who opposed you. -Behnazir Bhutto Contributed by Ayeshum Adil, 12 years old, Beaconhouse School System, Lahore
Expect the best, prepare for the worst. -Muhammad Ali Jinnah Contributed by Shah Muhammed, Allama Iqbal College, Lahore
“Compromise for your Dream but never Compromise on your Dream” -Imran Khan Contributed by Damia Nouman, 14 years old LGS 55 Main Gulberg, Lahore
Prizes and certificates were given by the Guest of Honor, M. Ehsan ul Haq, who was also the judge of The Quotes Competition
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Special Feature
Independence Day Art Competition 14 August 2018
Gull-e-Zainab, 16 years old, Bahawalpur
Amn Zain, 12 years old, Lahore Omer Zain ul Abidin, 6 years old, Lahore
Ahmed Ejaz-10 years old, Lahore
Eman Fatima-15 years old, Narowal
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Special Feature
Independence Day
Photography Competition 2018
Rawal Lake Muhammad Akif, 16 years old, Islamabad
“Everything will be different from tomorrow.� Hashim Sajid Malik, 15 years old, Islamabad
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Zarwa Umar, 8 years old, Lahore
Man Selling Corn Muhammad Akif, 16 years old, Islamabad
Abdul Raffay Rafay Saad, 9 years old, Lahore
“Noor Mahal” Eesha Waqar, 15 years old, Lahore Amn Zain, 12 years old, Lahore
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Winning Story
I
You Can’t Fight Fire with Fire
tried to forget her. But I knew I never would. There she was with her hair in the most up-to-date French high pigtail with the hottest, sleeveless, Rhine-stone top and trendy ripped jeans complete with hot pink high tops. There was Sussanah. She glanced my way and glared in her same heated style she used to when I beat her in a test. I tried to act nonchalant and focused on finding my cabin. But before you can spell my name, I felt her pointy red fake nails sink into my flesh. “Hey, there Reeny Meeny! Remember me much!” an ice-cold voice sent goosebumps down my spine. I’ll always remember my first year in Westchester Middle School. I was still the most popular girl in the grade. A fashionista, not the mean type but the goodgrades, easy-going sort. Then Sussanah Meyers transferred to this school and was queen bee. Her face was always event green with envy when she looked at me. I got better grades, more friends and all she had was one ‘A’ and an army of wanna be’s. Then that hazy October day everything went wrong. I went from the most popular to the most un-cool, C grades, muddy stains. I won’t get into the depths of it but when that Sussanah distributed badges of ‘Reena is a Meany’, I lost my potential and everything felt useless. And she was back from Florida to make my first year in camp a misery. Even though I was sweltering, her hands bit my ego like the freezing Arctic. Suddenly those days of sixth grade came back and I was
filled with a sudden lust of incapable revenge. Instead of turning around and giving her two-year desire of a slap, I stomped away, grinding my teeth. The next day more than half the camp was wearing badges saying ‘Sussanah spells poison, run away!’ namely made by me, Reena Felchart. Sussanah’s face was to die for. Even her excessive amount of blush failed to hide her rigid face with beads of cold sweat forming on it. It was paler than chalk dust and her eyes went bloodshot. Oh my God! What she did next was unbelievable! Sussanah Meyers, the untouchable, the proudest girl ever, grabbed me by my waist and sobbed my T-Shirt wet with her water-works. “Fine I deserve it! I am evil, mean, grotesque, proud, unfeeling! I’m Sorry! Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry! You are always so nice and everyone likes you and I wasn’t used to be the center of attention. I am so Sorry Reena!” she sniffled between great burst of tears. I realized something then. Hurting Sussanah didn’t give me any pleasure or relief. It gave me a feeling to cry out loud that I was no good than a piece of moldy cheese so I learned two lessons that day. One, you should always forgive and forget and Second, you can never fight fire, with fire. By Amn Zain-12 years old, LGS 55 Main, Lahore
Winning Story
L
The Magic Camera
ast week on a dreary October night my family, my cousins and I were reading a mysterious legend of a magical futuristic camera. This camera could tell the person what is going to happen when you take the picture of him! This camera be found in the creepiest and the most suspicious house where so many haunted ghost lived and the house was right next to ours. All of us decided to go in the house and find that mysterious camera without any fear. When we entered the house, the door closed with a creepy sound. There was no light so we took our torches and tried to find the lost camera.
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We searched the entire suspicious house to find it but couldn’t. All of a sudden I saw a red button and pressed it, and then a path to the basement opened so we went down from the old wooden stairs and finally I found the magical camera. I took the picture of my family and in the photo a clown was behind them. When I saw there actually wasn’t a clown but when I blinked I saw that there was a scary clown so we ran as fast as we could out of the house and returned home. After all that I still have the camera uptil now. It was a very mysterious day. By Sauban Naveed, 9 years old, Aitchison College, Lahore
Winning Story
Giggles
L
ast night I looked under my bed and a little critter said,”Hello! My name is Giggles and I’m going to be your best friend!” The next Morning I woke up and Giggles was gone. I ran to the kitchen and I saw Giggles trying to reach the handle of fridge. I asked him “How tall are you?” He replied “One foot and three inches”. I told him that he should not make that much noise. “If you are this noisy then my mom will kick you out!” I exclaimed. We went to the park near my house and ate yummy ice-cream. While eating the ice-cream I asked him, “Where did you come from?” He communicated, “I came from the moon.”
He cried, “Can you help me go back to the moon?” I replied, “Of course why not!” I whispered in his ear that my friend’s dad is an astronaut. “We should get help from him,” I said. We walked to my friend’s house. I told them the whole story. They showed him how they could fix his spaceship. “Tomorrow I will explore to the moon maybe you can come with me” Giggles said. In the morning Giggles woke me up. “Wake up! Wake up!” I woke up and said good bye to Giggles. I said, “Please visit me soon”. And he left for home, giving me a wide smile. By Mehreen Waqas, 8 years old, LGS, Lahore
The School Story By Andrew Clements Have you ever heard of two sixth graders starting an agency? Pretending to be adults? Hiding their own identity from their parents? Giving $500 in cash to pay for an office? Pairing up with their literature teacher and starting a publishing club? The Reason for this was that Natalie Nelson aka Cassandra Day, and Zoe Riesman aka Zee Zee Raceman were publishing Cassandra Day’s new novel!!!
Book Review By Amn Zain
The School Story is an amazing novel by Andrew Clements and teaches us many valuable lessons along the way. Funny, emotional and strong, it tells us that anything is possible, even if you are only a 12 yr old sixth grader in New York City, and even if your Mom is an editor. Teachers should be strong, kids should be fearless and as human beings we all should never say never! This story teaches us the true power of friendship, where your wacky, chatterbox BFF can turn into the best literary agent ever. Natalie lives alone with her Mom after her father’s demise, and four years later, her Mom is a top editor, and is editing Natalie’s first novel, without knowing it’s her daughters piece of work. This is a true masterpiece and I would definitely recommend it. So what are you waiting for?
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Credit: Freepik.com
Natural Lavender
Insect Repellent Things that you will need: 1. A 3-ounce spray bottle 2. 10-20 drops of Pure Lavender Oil 3. 3 ounce distilled water Method: Fill up the spray bottle with 3 ounce of distilled water. Add lavender oil into the water, close the bottle and shake the bottle vigorously. Spray away! Tips: -You can use this mixture as an inspect repellent, pillow mist or as an airfreshener. -You can use a few drops of lemon juice to help lavender oil mix with the water better. -You can use substitute tea tree oil with lavender oil to help soothe the mosquito bites. Since its natural so that means no allergens for you!
Bookmark Mania
Variations and uses of unicorn bookmarks. Template of book mark is on page 17.
Cut along the edge of the book mark and paste it on a sturdy paper to use it!
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Making Corner Book Marks
Tips: GLUE THE CUT OUT HER CHOOSE ONE OFTHE OPTIONS OR PASTE ONE OF YOUR CHOICE HERE
You can use stickers, decals or washi tape to decorate your stickers You can add teeth and googly eyes to the bookmark Color as you like or use colored paper Share your ideas with us and get featured!
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Young Poet’s
Corner
“Everything will be different from tomorrow.” Photo Credits: Hashim Sajid Malik 15 years old, Cadet College Hasanabdal, Islamabad
Peace Swans Go Away Far away so green and blue, But really, just dark and untrue, Peace swans go away, Terrors are here to stay, Souls buried, Under layers of darkness, Forever lost, In shallow murkiness. Amn Mubasher,13 years old, LACAS, Lahore
Pakistan! Pakistan! I love you Pakistan! You were born on 14th August 1947, And your resolution was passed on 23 March 1940, Your name means the land of pure, You have five provinces named Punjab, KPK, Sindh, Gilgit, Balochistan, Pakistan Pakistan! I love you Pakistan! Manal Idrees, 7 years old, TNS, Lahore
Does Anyone Care? Does anyone care I am trapped in here? With noises that I can not bear. Sitting on a side blocking my ears. The bombs flying everywhere. People dying every day. It’s a tragedy what can I say? Your life is happy, peaceful and all. But I live in a land where the sun is gone. Everyday and every night we hear people screaming. And as a child myself I am supposed to be beaming. Beaming with joy running around. But I stand here with a big frown. Does anyone care I am hungry? Does anyone care I am scared? Does anyone care I am trapped in here. -Nurae Ali Faisal, 11 years old, Head Start School, Islamabad
Art Gallery
Art Gallery
Leena Alam-15 years old, Glastonbury High School, Connecticut, USA
Aaiza Zafar-13 years old Smith Middle School, Connecticut, USA “Wolf” created in Digital Art
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Nawal Noon, 10 years old, Olive B. Elementary School Delaware, USA
Fun Activities
A Funny Poem!
Just for a Laugh!
My principal is mean, She makes me wanna scream , She makes us work for hours, She calls us putrid flowers, She tells our parents things about us which aren’t true, Like yesterday a yellow ball at her I threw. She doesn’t like us to play games or have any fun If we do she makes us run under the hot sun! My principal is mean, She makes me wanna scream! -Zahra Abbas-8 years old-LGS
GUESS THESE! 1. What can you serve, but not eat? 2. We see it once a year, twice in a week, but never in a day. What’s the letter? 3. What is easy to spot, but hard to find? 4. Why is B so cool? 5. What comes down, but never goes up? 6. People buy me for eating, but never eat me.
Hamza Waqas Learning Alliance Answers on page 22
JOKES A beggar approaches a grandmother at the beach with his hands out. “Please, Señora,” the poor man pleads, “I haven’t eaten all day.” “Good,” says the grandmother. “Now you won’t have to worry about cramps when you go for a swim.” A boy asks his father, “Dad, are bugs good to eat?” “That’s disgusting. Don’t talk about things like that over dinner,” the dad replies. After dinner the father asks, “Now, son, what did you want to ask me?” “Oh, nothing,” the boy says. “There was a bug in your soup, but now it’s gone.” Dad: “Can I see your report card, son?” Son: “I don’t have it.” Dad: “Why?” Son: “I gave it to my friend. He wanted to scare his parents.” Q: What did one egg say to the other? A: You crack me up. Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building? A: Of course. The Empire State Building can’t jump Q: Why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil? A: Because it’s pointless! Q: Why are ghosts such good cheerleaders? A: Because they have a lot of spirit!
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The Creatives|22 Riddles from pg 21 1. A tennis ball 2. Letter “E� 3. Talent 4. Because it is in the middle of A, C 5. Rain
Solutions: www.rayacademics.com/solutions
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Monthly Competitions Monthly Art Competition Theme: Unicorn Guidelines: Age group: 6-16 years old 2 entries per category are allowed Drawing: 1. Medium: Any 2. Size of Art work: Not smaller than 5” x7” and less than 11”x17” 3. Submission is in digital form (JPEG only)
Are you inspied by unicorns? The mythical creatures that have become a favorite for so many! A gorgeous flying horse that can take you to places that are unknown or give you a chance at time travel? Use your imagination and express yourselves through art and poetry.
Entry is Free All works must be original. You must fill the following form for us to accept your submission: https://www.rayacademics.com/unicorn Prizes: Various
Monthly Photography Competition Theme: Water You can capture the rhythmic fall of rain or you can take a picture of a lake at sunset. Choose the perspective that you want but remember to be creative.
Guidelines: Age group: 6-16 years old 2 entries per person allowed Only JPEGs will be accepted
This month’s theme is water so the picture must have “water’ as the main part of the composition.
Entry is Free All works must be original. You must fill the following form for us to accept your submission: https://www.rayacademics.com/water Prizes:Various
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Kiddies in the Kitchen No Bake Cookies! Chewy Chocolate Cookies Ingredients: 2 cups white sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 3 cups quick cooking oats Optional: Chocoate chips
Method:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and butter 2. Bring the mixture to a boil. (Make sure that you boil for just one minute) 3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats. 4. Put rounded spoonfuls of the mixture on waxed paper. 5. Let the cookies cool for at least 1 hour (This will help the cookies solidify and become firm) 6. Enjoy them rightaway or store them in an airtight jar.
Extra:
Put these cookies in a jar and decorate the jar with a ribbon and gift it to someone special! Home made cookies make one of the best gifts! Share some pictures with us at info@rayacademics.com.
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An Informational Column for Parents & Teens
Momi Talks! Sleep Over It! Many people remain oblivious to the relationship between dreaming and the inner desires of a person. Deep sleep could also stir up a storm of creative ideas in your mind. It seems like your mind will play with ideas relentlessly as you snooze through the night. Along with all this, a good night’s sleep is vital to the health of an individual. So in order to understand this phenomenal nature of sleep it is important to have a brief understanding about sleep. Sleep can be categorized in 4 stages and we dream for around 2 hours of our sleep. It is during our dreaming state that our learning and memory is improved tremendously and thus our emotional health gets better. It is no secret that sleep is important for health at all ages. Good quality sleep is essential for good health. In fact, sleep can be called in a layman’s term, a medicine. Why is Sleep Important? As your kids go back to the routine of school, a lot of you will have had different sleep schedules during the holidays and now you are challenged with the task to adjust to the new schedule. One of the most useful tips is to keep the same routine schedule even on weekends and holidays as we do during school or work. This will ensure good quality sleep and you will derive maximum benefit from your sleep. It is recommended that we have 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to derive great benefits from sleep
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Benefits of Sleep -Improved memory -Decreased Inflammation -Reduced chances of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and arthritis. -Better blood pressure control -Increased creativity -Increased stamina for athletes -Improved attention and learning in schoo -Reduction in obesity: You feel more hungry and eat more when you sleep less -Decreased stress and depression How to Sleep Better -Set a good daily routine -Reduce screen time at night before going to bed -Eat a light dinner -Avoid caffeine after 2 pm -Meditate/gentle yoga at night -Daily exercise -Cooler temperature at night -For some people taking a hot bath at the end of the day is helpful -Minimize noise, use ear plugs if necessary to block noise Stages of Sleep and Dreaming: Stages of sleep are determined by brain waves which are measured with EEG (electroencephalography) and eye movements. Here are the four stages of sleep: Stage 1 Around 5 to 10 minutes, characterized by slow brain waves
Stage 2 Lasts around 20 minutes, body temperature drops and heart rate and breathing becomes more regular. The brain waves show rapid rhythmic brain activity Stage 3 Muscles relax, blood pressure drops, breathing rate decreases and deepest sleep occurs Stage 4 REM (Rapid Eye movement) sleep: The brain becomes more active, but body becomes relaxed and immobilized. This is when we are dreaming and our eyes move rapidly. Breathing rate also gets faster. The American Sleep Foundation suggests that people spend approximately 20 percent of their total sleep in this stage. But how does dreaming really help with creativity? This is an exciting new area of research and is still requires more studies to be done. The current research shows the following: -One study found that participants scored 40% better on a creativity test after REM sleep.
-REM seems to spark solutions to new creative problems better than any other stage. -Low levels of cortisol (a chemical in the blood that increases during stress) play a role in allowing people to access information from deep memories and make connections they would not otherwise make. -Individuals performed best when they were tested after a full night’s sleep following the learning session (93% correct vs. 70% correct). The science of sleeping and dreaming is rapidly growing field, and I am sure there will be even more studies and information available soon, but until then LET’S SLEEP ON IT!
Momi Talks
An open call to all children around the world! Email us your stories, letters to the editor, jokes, riddles, recipes, artwork, pictures, articles etc. Email us at info@rayacademics.com
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