What was supposed to be a unique video of a gushing waterfall running underneath a footbridge is now becoming an Internet sensation as it's helping thousands of insomniacs around the world to sleep.
Visual artist Johnnie Lawson, whose home is near the falls, captured an image of a small waterfall found in River Bonet, which is located in Leitrim County in Ireland. The YouTube video uploaded in 2013 in Lawson's official account featured the sound of fast-moving water gushing forth along stones with the sounds of birds in the background. It's a long video, spanning around 8 hours, which interestingly is also the recommended average sleeping time for adults.
According to Lawson's description of the video, it's intended to soothe the mind and improve meditation and relaxation, especially during studying and sleeping.
True enough, more than 6 million people have been using the same video to help them beat insomnia. Confessed by Lawson, he's been receiving e-mails of gratitude from people as far as Central Africa, China, and even North Korea, telling him how the sounds of nature have helped them cope or even beat insomnia.
Insomnia is one of the most common sleeping disorders in the world. It is characterized by either difficulty of falling asleep or the struggle of keeping oneself asleep for the ideal duration. While it's possible to have a primary insomnia, in many cases, the condition is secondary, or a result of an underlying condition such as asthma, depression, medications, and cancer. A person who's under a lot of stress, whether physical, emotional, or mental, can also go through insomnia.
There's no single treatment for insomnia, and the program depends on the severity of the condition. Often, if it's acute and mild, there's no need for any kind of treatment. Otherwise, the patient may be taught how to practice proper sleeping habits or be provided with sleeping pills and other medications.
So far, Lawson has already uploaded almost 200 videos of a similar kind, featuring other bodies of water such as lakes. He has also extended the length of some of the videos for those who suddenly wake up because they cannot hear any more sound.
