|
To summarize:
• Sleep Hygiene
Poor sleep habits (referred to as poor sleep hygiene) are linked to many of the sleep problems encountered in North America.
• Do and Don’t
Refer to the chart in the lesson to make sure that you know all of your do's and don'ts.
• Sleep is a Dynamic Process
Sleep is not a passive event, but rather an active process involving characteristic physiological changes in the organs of the body. Scientists study sleep by measuring the electrical changes in the brain using electroencephalograms (EEGs).
• Sleep is a Cyclical Process
During sleep, people experience repeated cycles of NREM and REM sleep.
• Sleep Patterns
Sleep patterns change during an individual’s life. In fact, age affects sleep more than any other natural factor. Newborns sleep an average of 16 to 18 hours per day. By the time a child is three to five years old, total sleep time averages 10 to 12 hours, and then it further decreases to 7 to 8 hours per night by adulthood.
• Biological Clocks
An internal biological clock regulates the timing for sleep in humans. The activity of this clock makes us sleepy at night and awake during the day.
• Functions of Sleep
Animal studies have demonstrated that sleep is essential for survival.
• Specific Sleep Disorders
Problems with sleep can be due to lifestyle choices and can result in problem sleepiness—that is, feeling sleepy at inappropriate times. Environmental noise, temperature changes, changes in sleeping surroundings, and other factors may affect our ability to get sufficient restful sleep. Short-term problem sleepiness may be corrected by getting additional sleep to overcome the sleep deficit. In other cases, problem sleepiness may indicate a sleep disorder requiring medical intervention.
• Kleine-Levin Syndrome - An Uncommon Sleep Disorder
Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare disorder that results in recurring episodes of excessive drowsiness and sleep (up to 20 hours per day). Symptoms that may last for days to weeks include an increase in appetite, irritability, confusion, lack of energy, and hypersensitivity to noise.
|