Body Rhythms and Sleep Learning Target: Analyze how sleep deprivation affects behavior.

Circadian Rhythms Any rhythmic change that occurs approximately once in a 24-hour cycle body temperature sleep and wakefulness Many of your processes like blood pressure, hormones, pain sensitivity along with sleep and wake cycles vary over the day

Are You Sleep Deprived? Task: Set up a small mirror next star and see if you can copy the star using your non-dominant hand while watching your hand in the mirror…the task is difficult, and sleep deprived people typically make more mistakes/errors than non-sleep deprived. ;

Sleep Deprivation Effects Hurts performance on simple, boring tasks more than challenging ones Decreases efficiency of immune system functioning Raises the levels of stress hormone cortisol which is linked to damage of the brain cells responsible for learning & memory Safety and accident issues Contributes to hypertension, impaired concentration, irritability, premature aging, etc. After one night of sleep deprivation, people have episodes of sleep lasting a few seconds called microsleeps

What is longest amount of time you have gone without sleep? 1.24 hours 2.36 hours 3.48 hours 4.48 hours+ 15

Why Do We Sleep? Most people need hours of sleep to function Most Americans sleep hours Almost 1/3 of Americans get less than 6 hours 74% women sleep less than 8 hours a night Most teens need 9.5 hours of sleep a night Average teenager's biological clock doesn't prepare them to awaken until 8 or 9am Students with most amount of sleep did better on grades and exams. Repair Theory- Activities during the day deplete our energy resources and sleep helps to replenish that energy

Sleep Stages

Pre-Sleep As you lay down and close your eyes, your brain's electrical activity slowly lessens You may have some sensory awareness but your thought are loosely organized During the drowsy pre-sleep stage you may experience vivid sensory phenomena called hypnagogic hallucinations –Most common hallucination is that of falling which can produce a myoclonic jerk or sleep starts Myoclonic jerk - involuntary muscle spasm of the whole body that jolts the person completely awake

Stage 1 Sleep A brief period of time in which it is easy to wake the person, who will insist they are not asleep “I was just shutting my eyes” Familiar sounds fade away but you can regain alertness quickly if something interrupts you

A Myoclonic Jerk is the experience of…? 1.The feeling of drowning 2.The sensation of flying 3.The sensation of falling 4.A person who is REALLY annoying

Stage 2 Sleep Brain activity slows considerably and breathing becomes rhythmic Slight muscle twitches occur What we consider “sleep”

Stages 3 and 4 Sleep “Slow Wave Sleep” The first time through stage 4 is about 30 minutes and is where one gets rejuvenated –During the first stage 4 of sleep: heart rate, blood pressure and breathing drop to their lowest levels and it is very hard to wake up –Sleepwalking occurs here –People can "wake up" during stage 4 and do a simple task and completely not remember any of it

Have you ever had a sleepwalking/talking experience? 1.Yes, on many occasions! 2.Not sure! 3.Definitely NOT!

REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) Stages is considered N-REM –non-REM sleep Rapid Eye Movement (REM Sleep) as eyes move quickly back and forth –Most dreaming occurs in REM sleep but muscle activity is suppressed to keep you from acting them out Sleep Paralysis

Sleep Paralysis Experiment Step One: Lie on your back in a quiet room: Find a comfortable place where you can lie flat on your back. Make sure that the room is free of excessive noise. The only exception should be a white noise machine or one with sound effects that can help you relax. Step Two: Focus on your breathing: As the body falls asleep, your breathing becomes more regulated. By inducing sleep paralysis, you are in essence attempting to "trick" the body into an REM state. Take several deep breaths, until you have achieved a relatively slow, yet comfortable rhythm. Step Three: Relax your body: This is perhaps the most important step in the entire process. As the experience involves "paralyzing" your body, it is crucial that you are acutely aware of each body part. The purpose of this experiment is to separate the body from the mind; in order to do that your limbs must be loose and free. Start with either your head or toes, and begin relaxing the muscle groups one by one until you can no longer "feel" them. Your regulated breathing should accompany this step. Step Four: Become aware: One of the reasons why inducing sleep paralysis is so tricky is because people tend to fall asleep even if they weren't already tired. Relaxing your muscles groups, clearing your brain, and regulating your breathing tend to mimic the sleeping process. But it is at this point that you must be completely aware of your surroundings. Pay close attention to the sensation of weightlessness. It will even help if you imagine yourself light as a feather. It is also during this stage, that some people report hearing or feeling a buzzing sensation throughout their bodies. Try to tune in to this sensation; it will help your brain to remain "conscious."

REM BEHAVIOR DISORDER

Symptoms REM Behavior Disorder is described as a parasomnia (undesired events while sleeping) –Includes: Kicking, Punching, Swearing, Leaping, Jumping, and Flailing while asleep Sufferers have a clear recollection of the dream and often act them out

Why Does It Occur?: Men are more likely than women to develop this and usually they are over the age of 50 During REM sleep you are temporarily paralyzed to ensure that you do NOT act out your dreams REM disorder disables the paralysis causing the person to act out their dreams

Precautions and Treatment People who feel they may have this disorder should undergo sleep study Objects that could harm the individual should be removed from the bedroom and windows should be blocked Sufferers should avoid drinking alcohol and other mind altering substances