Sleep Deficit Why We Sleep 13 of our

Sleep Deficit

Why We Sleep • 1/3 of our lives we spend sleeping = 25 years! • Most people need 8 -9 hours of sleep to function • Americans sleep 7 -7. 5 hours. Almost 1/3 of Americans get less than 6 hours. • 74% women sleep less than 8 hours a night. • Most teens need 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night. • Average teenager's biological clock doesn't prepare them to awaken until 8 or 9 AM. • This can interfere with memory and learning. Students with most sleep did better on grades and exams. • Getting less sleep than you need can cause harmful changes in metabolic and endocrine functioning. • After only one week of sleep restriction of 4 hours of sleep a night, subjects had glucose levels that were no longer normal. • When deprived of NREM or REM sleep, people will have NREM or REM rebound in which they spend more time in NREM or REM sleep in an effort "catch up. "

Sleep Deprivation Effects The Story of Randy Gardner – high school student who stayed awake for 11 days! • Hurts performance on simple, boring tasks more than challenging ones • After one night of sleep deprivation, people have episodes of sleep lasting a few seconds called microsleeps • See NBC Report on Sleeplessness in America (2 min) • See NBC Report on Sleep Study (3 min)

Sleep Deprivation (National Transportation Safety Board, 1995)

Coping with the Night Shift • Avoid frequent shift changes • Easier to lengthen your days than shorten them. – Progress morning to evening to night shifts. • If working at night use bright lights especially early on in the shift to adjust your circadian rhythm. • Take melatonin in the daytime to help you sleep & sleep in a dark room.

Sleep Deprivation Studies • Play “Catching Catnaps” (11: 45) – Episode 5 online – start at 35: 35 – Segment #13 from Scientific American Frontiers: Video Collection for Introductory Psychology (2 nd edition). • Which stages of sleep are most important? • Can a person survive on naps alone? • How does lack of sleep or “bonus” sleep affect mood?

Improving the Quality of Your Sleep • Don't drink or eat caffeine-containing drinks or foods. See table 4. 7 on pg. 175 for common sources of caffeine. • Don't go to bed very hungry or full • Moderate exercise during the day helps but not just before sleep. • Raise your core body temperature with a warm bath or shower. • Develop a consistent bedtime routine. • Relax & be in dim light • Don’t watch the clock/phone – hide it if you can’t help yourself • Avoid depressant drugs which promote sleep but reduce REM sleep. • Write down concerns and why you plan to do about them the next day or redirect your thoughts to something relaxing to deal with stress. • Add 15 minutes per night to your sleep to gain back lost sleep.

Individual Differences in Sleep Drive • Some individuals need more and some less than the typical 8 hours per night • Nonsomniacs—sleep far less than most, but do not feel tired during the day • Insomniacs—has a normal desire for sleep, but is unable to and feels tired during the day

Sleep Disorders Quick List • Insomnia—inability to fall asleep or stay asleep • REM sleep disorder—sleeper acts out his or her dreams • Night terrors—sudden arousal from sleep and intense fear accompanied by physiological reactions (e. g. , rapid heart rate, perspiration) that occur during slowwave sleep • Narcolepsy—overpowering urge to fall asleep that may occur while talking or standing up • Sleep apnea—failure to breathe when asleep • Parasomnias – any disorder involving movement in deep sleep stage 4.

Insomnia • Recurring problems falling asleep or staying asleep • Sleeping pills tend to inhibit or suppress REM sleep; worsen the problem • Alcohol suppresses REM sleep; also worsens the problem • Studies show most people overestimate how long it took them to get to sleep & underestimate how much actual sleep they’ve gotten

Sleep Apnea • A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and consequent momentary reawakenings. • Tend to be loud snorers • Treated with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine • See a clip of someone with it HERE

Narcolepsy • • • A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks Person goes directly into REM sleep Nervous system getting aroused tends to trigger the sleep attack May be caused by a lack of NT Orexin – linked to alertness Narcolepsy has a genetic link and runs in some breeds of dogs. • • • Rusty the Narcoleptic Dog Other Dogs with Narcolepsy Dobermans with Narcolepsy Skeeter the Narcoleptic Poodle Teenagers living with Narcolepsy

Somnambulism • Formal name for sleepwalking • Occurs in NREM-3 sleep • Person can walk or talk but remembers nothing of the experience • Lasts 2 -10 minutes • Occurs mostly in children • CNN Report on Sleep Deprivation & Sleep Walking (2 min)

Night Terrors • Sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and appearance of being terrified • Happens during NREM-3 sleep • Mostly occurs in children • Seldom remember the event.

Other Sleep Disorders • Bruxism – teeth grinding • Enuresis – bed wetting • Myoclonus – sudden jerk of a body part occurring during stage 1 sleep – Everyone has occasional episodes of myoclonus • Fatal Familial Insomnia – Stop sleeping then die! • Sleeping Beauty Syndrome - Ever feel like you could sleep for a week? This girl does! (5 min)