“Lullaby during the Night Terrors” is a segment taken from a live audiovisual performance that seeks to address the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation, which has been widely regarded as a form of torture. The use of this technique has been documented in various instances, including instances where russian government subjected their own citizens in prisons to sleep deprivation tortures.
During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, russians employed night terrors as a psychological tactic to prevent Ukrainian citizens from getting adequate sleep, with the aim of demoralizing them. Bombings that occurred late at night between 02:00 – 05:00 were intentionally carried out to inflict harm and disturb the sleep of the civilians.
At some point due to nighttime terror, it was impossible to sleep at night.
I had always had problems with sleep, but since February 2022, it became impossible to sleep without being disturbed by the sounds of air-raid sirens or explosions. The nightmares that we saw during the daytime would flow smoothly into my night dreams.
The inability to fall asleep is a major issue for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), who often struggle with concentration and focus during the day. Sleep is an essential need, and without it, it is impossible to maintain focus or concentrate on anything, particularly for individuals with ADHD.
“Lullaby during the Night Terrors” was created in response to these issues as a means of calming my mind during russian night terrors. The performance served as an attempt to switch my brain away from the anxiety caused by the war and to focus on something else for at least ten minutes during the day. It was a kind of lullaby that served to calmed down my mind during the russian night terrors.