Sleep Pages Valbona Driza, Lauren Erdman, Jamie Kuder

Sleep A natural state of rest for the body and mind that involves the reversible loss of consciousness. -consumes ⅓ of our lives

Sleep & Biological Rhythms Biological rhythms: Periodic physiological fluctuations in the body that can influence behavior -rise and fall of hormones -accelerated and decelerated cycles of the brain activity -controlled by biological clocks EXs: Birds migrating & 24-hr cycles b/w being asleep and awake

Circadian Rhythms Circadian rhythms: Daily behavioral or psychological cycles. -sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar level Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN): A small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light & dark (monitors day to night). -communicates w/ the hypothalamus, pineal gland & the reticular formation to regulate daily rhythms (sleep, temp., hunger, release of hormones)

Desynchronizing & Resetting Throwing your biological clock off is caused by jet traveling, changing work shifts, & insomnia -Adrenal glands release large doses of hormone cortisols to help you wake up, but they may release the wrong time Reset the biological clock by spending time outside in daylight

Theories on the need for Sleep 1)Evolutionary perspective: Animals need sleep for protection because it helps them avoid being other animals’ prey and injuring themselves due to poor visibility 2)Way to conserve energy 3)Restoration - replenishes and rebuilds brain and body 4)Brain plasticity - plays a role in brain’s capacity for change -sleeping consolidates memory

Effects of Chronic Sleep Deprivation 8 hours of sleep is best Lack of sleep: -Effects on body and brain (Ex: trouble paying attention & solving problems) -Deceased activity in thalamus & prefrontal cortex and reduces complexity in brain activity A tired brain compensates by using different pathways or alternate neural networks when thinking -The Institute of Medicine declared that sleep deprivation is a growing health problem in the United States due to social obligations, work, school, etc.

Stages of Wakefulness EEG patterns consist of Beta Waves ● reflect concentration and alertness ● highest in frequency ● lowest in amplitude ● desynchronous (inconsistent) Alpha Waves ● reflect relaxing while awake ● lower in frequency ● higher in amplitude ● synchronous (consistent)

Stages of Sleep Stage 1 ● drowsy sleep ● sudden muscle movements (myoclonic jerks) ● include theta waves; are slower in frequency and greater in amplitude than alpha waves Stage 2 ● muscle activity decreases ● no longer consciously aware of environment ● theta waves now have sleep spindles (sudden increases of wave frequency) Stage 3 ● includes delta waves (slowest frequency and highest amplitude) ● delta waves occurring less than 50 percent of the time Stage 4 ● delta waves occurring more than 50 percent of the time REM (rapid eye movement) ● Active stage during sleep when dreaming occurs ● 5th sleep stag e

Sleep Cycling through the night ● 60% of sleep in a normal night is in light sleep ● 20% in delta sleep ● 20% in REM sleep ● REM becomes progressively longer as the night goes on ●

Sleep throughout life & the brain ● sleep benefits growth and brain development of infants and children ● best for children to avoid caffeine and have regular bedtimes ● Older adolescents sleepier during the day than younger adolescents ● Middle aged persons spend less time in REM sleep than beforehand The brain ● reticular formation key role in sleep and arousal ● acetylcholine initiates REM sleep, and at its end serotonin and norepinephrine rise, making forebrain activity almost as active as that while awake

Sleep Disorders ● Many people have undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders o Insomnia o Sleepwalking and sleep talking o Nightmares and night terrors o Narcolepsy o Sleep Apnea

Insomnia ● Insomnia - The inability to sleep ●One in five adults have insomnia ●Common in women, adults, those who are stressed, thin, or depressed ●Short term insomnia ○ Sleeping pills ●Mild insomnia ○ Practicing good sleep ○ Going to bed at the same time ○ Sleeping in a dark, quiet place ●Long term insomnia ○ Researchers are experimenting with light therapy ○ Melatonin supplements

Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking ●Somnambulism- the formal term for sleepwalking ○ Occurs during the deepest stages of sleep, stages 3 and 4 ○ Most likely to occur when people are sleep deprived or under the influence of alcohol ○ Theres nothing abnormal about it ●Somniloquy- sleep talking ○ Their statements are not accurate

Nightmares and Night Terrors ● Nightmare - is a frightening dream that awakens a dreamer from REM sleep o Involves danger o Peaks at 3-6 years of age, then declines o Nightmares increase or worsen when there’s an increase in life stressors ● Night terror- features sudden arousal from sleep and intense fear o Followed by rapid heart rate and breathing, loud screams, heavy perspiration, and movement o Peaks at 5-7 years of age, less common than nightmares o Occurs during slow wave stage 4, non-REM sleep

Narcolepsy Narcolepsy- Involves the sudden, overlapping urge to sleep. ●The person might fall asleep while talking or standing up ●Immediately enter REM sleep ●They are often very tired during the day ●Can be triggered by extreme emotional reactions ●Involves problems with the hippocampus and amygdala ●Emerges in adulthood

Sleep Apnea Sleep Apnea- Sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or because brain processes involved in respiration fail to work properly ● Wake up many times during the night to breath better ● Signs of Sleep Apnea is loud snoring ● Affects 12 million Americans ● Untreated Sleep Apnea: o High blood pressure o Stroke o Sexual dysfunction

Videos How much sleep you need n/yt/watch?v=SVQlcxiQlzI n/yt/watch?v=SVQlcxiQlzI The snooze button n/yt/watch?v=P6zcSFA7ymo