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The Importance of Sleep for Actors
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Lianna Nielsen teaches Nutrition Class for Actors at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York. In this blog and video Lianna talks about the importance of quality sleep and how losing sleep can affect an actor.
Sleep is one of the most undervalued things in our society today which is really unfortunate because it’s as important to our health as exercise and eating healthy foods. As actors and performers, our bodies are our businesses so it’s even more important to us. Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to things like insulin resistance, obesity, heart disease. Even just losing a few hours of sleep every week makes it harder to remember, harder to focus. It compromises our immune system so we get sick more often and then it lands us to feeling more stressed, more sad, more depressed, more anxious.
Imagine you’re someone who gets nervous going into auditions any way or tends to have stage fright. Not sleeping enough before an audition or a performance is going to make you that much more nervous and anxious, that much more in focus and will give you a lot of problems in remembering your lines which is not a good thing at all. I think there are all these ideas out there about actors where you just work really hard and you sleep when you’re dead, and so many poor actors work late night jobs. They bartend, they waitress, and they don’t take the care of their bodies that they need to.
Not only do we need sleep but we need good quality sleep. We need to be dreaming. The cool thing about our dreams — they’re referred to sometimes as our brain belly. It’s where we digest what’s happening in our lives emotionally and really making sense of everything. It also allows us to solidify memories and reduce stress. That’s incredibly important. So many people drink a lot or drink every night. Even going to bed having one or two glasses of wine is going to disrupt the amount of sleep that you have. That’s no good.
Nutrition Classes for Actors – Maggie Flanigan (917) 794-3878
Even taking things like anti-depressants or pills, anything chronically that’s going to be disrupting your microbiome and your digestive system, that’s going to also disrupt your sleep. You’re not going to get a good quality sleep and that’s going to compromise your creativity. This business is hard enough. If you can do something as little as sleeping a few extra hours a night or a week, it can turn things around from you feeling more depressed and more anxious all the time to being more optimistic and positive. You really need to be a self-starter. Your body is your business, you’re your business. The better off you treat it, the better off you’re going to be and the more successful you’re going to be.
To learn more about the acting classes at Maggie Flanigan Studio, and the Nutrition for Actors classes that Lianna teaches at the studio, contact the studio directly by calling (917) 794-3878.
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“I was placed in the intense reigns of Charlie Sandlan. I became a better artist, actor, friend, sibling and daughter because of the studio. Even now, I crave the studio every day. What I learned is present in my work every day. I truly believe in everything they stand for.”
“Maggie taught me that I could control my work, my acting, and to throw all of the bullshit out that I had in my head about ‘what I should be doing’ and to just listen and respond honestly, in the moment. She gave me a craft. She is, quite simply put, THE BEST.”
“Maggie Flanigan taught me the true meaning of artistry, passion, and professionalism. I am certain that I continue to work as an actress because of my training with Maggie. At every audition and every performance, her guiding voice is with me. It is a gift beyond measure.”
“Maggie Flanigan is uncompromising, her instincts as a teacher are razor sharp. She doesn’t miss a beat”
“Maggie Flanigan has been one of the most important people in my artistic life. I want to work with Maggie trained actors. As an actor myself, she is my first source. I do not say this lightly, if you are serious about acting, and willing to work very hard, then go to Maggie.”
“Maggie helped me find my sense of truth, an actors greatest asset. Maggie is an expert at instilling that vital ingredient, which allows an actor’s potential to become limitless. My work will forever be rooted in the clarity and honesty she helped me develop.”
“After working for ten years, I did the 2 year program, and now feel that I have the tools I need to become the actor I’ve always dreamed of being. Maggie Flanigan instilled in me a clear sense of truth and a standard of perfection. I am a better actor because of this studio.”
“As an actor, the core of what you have to rely on is your sense of truth and humanity. Maggie allowed me to discover and embrace mine. Trusting my sense of humanity and truth has given me the ability to take risks in my work and my career decisions.”
“Maggie Flanigan has the unique ability to get an actor to the essence of what is true in a moment. She creates a safe and caring environment in which to work.”
“Maggie Flanigan introduced me to my own spirit and my own sense of Truth. Her passion for teaching and ability to communicate are rare gifts to any actor looking for a technique to set his or her talent free. Maggie’s voice has been the one constant guide in my career.”
