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| http://www.dreamstime.com/ |
Nearly everyone I know carries around a cell phone or an iPod with them all day long. When the battery power on these devices run low, all a person has to do is plug it into a device so that it can charge and prevent the battery from dying. People work in a similar way. Our busy lives constantly wear us down physically, mentally and emotionally, thus depleting our "battery." So, at the end of the day, we climb into bed and let ourselves recharge, in order to feel refreshed for the challenges of tomorrow. But how exactly do our bodies know when to begin recharging without completely turning off?
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| http://www.watchmojo.com/blog/children/tag/Crying/ |
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that help communicate signals between nerves in the brain. Two neurotransmitters, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid, are responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle by altering their concentrations in the body. The circadian clock is the body's internal biological clock. When the retina of the eye perceives prolonged darkness, it sends a message to the circadian clock to produce melatonin, a hormone which also has been shown to trigger sleep.
Many things may throw neurotransmitters or the circadian clock off balance (examples: irregular schedule, a significant time zone change, taking a night shift, illness, trauma, stress, drugs). If any of these things happen for an extended amount of time, a person may develop a sleep disorder, which will be discussed later on.
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| http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/index_i.html |
Neurotransmitters and the circadian clock help communicate to the body that it is time to sleep, but there is still a great deal of activity going on in the brain during the sleep cycle. The cycle usually lasts 90-100 minutes and can be broken down into five stages that repeat between 4 and 6 times per night. The combination of the first four stages is known as nREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. As the stages progress, a person will experience deeper sleep, and activities in the nervous system, cardiovascular system and respiratory system will continually slow down. If a person is awoken in the middle of stages three or four, they will feel groggy and disoriented. It is ideal to wake up between cycles in order to feel fully refreshed.
The fifth stage is called REM sleep, and it is characterized by intense brain activity, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased respiration, and paralysis of the limbs. The brain processes information acquried throughout the day and forms memories. The length of REM sleep increases each time that the cycle is repeated. REM sleep is most notable for being the stage in which dreaming occurs. Scientists are still trying to discover the exact function of dreaming in humans. There are many religious and spiritual connections to dreams, particularly among some Native-American tribes. The 2010 movie Inception portrayed dreams as a complex representation of our subconscious desires, and even explored dreams within dreams. While there are certainly many artistic and mysterious things to say about dreaming, a common theory states that dreaming helps us use newly learned techniques to confront a previous stressor if it came up again. This may explain why people sometimes have reoccurring dreams, as their mind figures out how to triumph over the anxiety.
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| http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/sleep/basics/sleep1.htm |
As mentioned earlier, there are a variety of sleep disorders that people have been diagnosed with. They include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy.
Insomnia is the most commonly reported sleep disorder. It can be caused by elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which increases activity in the brain and central nervous system. Other contributers include poor sleep hygiene or mental health troubles. Insomniacs have trouble falling asleep, or they may wake up repeatedly through the night. There are medications used to treat insomnia, but they are highly addictive. To combat insomnia, it is preferable to improve sleep hygiene through healthier lifestyle habits, such as relaxing more, not consuming caffeine or alcohol before bed, and abstaining from the usage of television, computers and video games.
Sleep apnea is a rather terrifying disorder typically found in obese individuals with excess body fat around the pharynx. This restricts their air supply, making it dangerous for them to sleep unmonitored because they may stop breathing. Many people don't know they have sleep apnea, but dramatic snoring and/or gasping may be a warning sign. Sleep apnea can be treated by using a CPAP device to keep airways open, or better yet, improving ones health to promote healthy air flow.
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| http://snoringstopsnow.com/pros-cons-sleep-apnea-machine/ |
Restless Legs Syndrome is classified by the sudden urge to move ones legs. The legs may twitch on their own, causing difficulty in falling asleep. It can be cured by medication.
Narcolepsy is the sensation of extreme sleepiness during the day which causes people to suddenly fall into REM sleep without progressing through nREM sleep prior to it. While it may seem refreshing to some to be able to spontaneously sleep, it is also highly debilitating as it affects job performance as well as the ability to concentrate while driving. People with narcolepsy may experience hallucinations and paralysis upon waking. It is treated with medication.
Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night, and it is recommended that teenagers get 8.5 to 10 hours. Unfortunately, due to excessive work loads and the stress of high school, very few teenagers report getting the recommended amount of sleep. Getting the proper amount of sleep is essential to performing to one's fullest potential. Even losing just one hour of the recommended sleep length can be detrimental to concentration. While daytime drowsiness is certainly an unpleasant consequence of losing sleep, there are many serious risks as well. These risks include: car accidents, relationship troubles, poor job performance, job-related injuries, memory problems, mood disorders, reduced creativity, hindered immune response, and inability to cope with stress. Recent studies also suggest sleep disorders may contribute to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. To enjoy longer and deeper sleep, stick to a routine time to wake up and go to bed, even on weekends. Try to prepare for bed by doing nighttime rituals that involve relaxing activities, such as drinking warm milk or taking a bath.
Sleep is one of the most peaceful and essential things we need to sustain life. In fact, the average person will spend one-third of his or her life asleep. It is important to help our bodies be as refreshed as possible so that we can have the energy to make the world a better place tomorrow. And, last but not least...
NEVER WAKE A SLEEPWALKER! EVER!
Good night and sweet dreams!
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| http://wopico.blogspot.com/2009/02/flying-man.html |
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