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Sleep affects health essay
Sleep impact on health essay
Sleep impact on health essay
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Imagine you have come home from a long night of work. You have not been sleeping well lately, so you practically collapse into the bed. In an instant, the world has changed into a world of wonder and magic. Suddenly, the sky darkens and your worst fears, snakes, spiders, your loved ones being hurt, begin to appear right before you.
You bolt upright in your bed and scream. As you calm down, you realize that it was only a nightmare.
This phenomenon happens to many people every night. In fact, it is one of the most common occurrences of sleep. These visions, these dreams, appear to everyone each time they sleep, yet few understand the science of their sleep and the meaning of their dreams.
Webster's Dictionary defines sleep as “the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored.” Brynie writes that the human body is controlled by a cycle known as the Circadian Clock. It corresponds to a twenty-four hour day and coordinates all biological activities in a life.(74-75).
The sleep cycle is one of the most complex biological cycles the body carries out. It goes through five stages. Stages one through four last for around seventy minutes(Brynie 14). In stage one, the senses begin to shut down(Kallen 14) and the brain begins “to send slow amplitude signals,” . A person's eyes still move, and any disruption will cause the sleeper to become startled.(Brynie 12). In stage two of sleep “brain waves slow and become theta waves,” which cycle 4-8 times per second. The sleeper in this stage is still easily startled.(Brynie 12). In stage three, the sleeper begins to become harder to wake. Delta rhythms occur.(Byrnie 13). In stage four, delta waves take over entirely and the sleeper is in the deepest...
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...acterized by very distinct waves. These waves also reflect actions within the dream. Climbing a ladder or staircase is reflected in sharp vertical waves and walking across plains are characterized by long wavelength waves with low amplitude(Kallen 24).
Researchers believe that dreams serve a very distinct purpose. They are necessary to the brains process of “housecleaning.” It is through dreams that researchers believe that the brain sorts, disposes of, and stores memories. Experts say that it is not harmful to remember some dreams, but the majority of dreams are often forgotten by morning(Byrnie 16).
In fact, those vivid images that are remembered have sparked incredible folklore about dreams. There are three overwhelming beliefs about dreams in popular culture. Most dreams seen in stories today are represented as either telepathic, prophetic,or inspirational.
sleep is when your muscle become paralyzed. Your brain and other body systems are the most
The history of dreaming began in the early centuries. “Dreams were often considered prophetic” (Comptons by Britannica). That means that dreams were seen as a message from the gods. Thousands of years ago, “Greek sick people slept in temples in order to receive dreams that would heal them” (Kantrowitz, Babara; Springen Karen). Current dream science started at the end of the 19th century. Dreams were seen as a kind of “desires” (Kantrowitz; Springen) stemming from childhood. Scientists still don’t know for sure why we are dreaming and what are dreams made of; howe...
Sleep occurs in a series of recurring stages (Smith et al, 2013). These stages can be separated into NREM sleep, and REM sleep (Smith et al, 2013). NREM (non rapid eye movement)...
Dreams are series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. Dreams occur during a certain stage of sleep known as REM. Several different psychologists, including Freud and Hobson, have studied dreams. Psychologists have provided many theories as to what dreams are and the meanings behind them.
Freud’s theory however, is only one of many such as Francis Crick’s. He believed that dreams were a way of mental “house cleaning” or getting rid of unneeded memories. He thought them useful because you don’t have to remember every small minute detail of your life.
Freud also discusses the beliefs of early man, as dreams were connected to demons, gods and mythical deities. Dreams were perceived to be of a supernatural nature in primitive times and dreams were believed to portend the future.
Sleep is a behavioral state characterized by little physical activity and almost no awareness of the outside world. Sleep is actually made up of two separate and distinctly different states called REM sleep (rapid eye movement) and NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement). With NREM sleep it is further divided into stage 1-4 based on the size and the speed of the brain waves. Step one is the stage when you drift off to sleep or doze off. For example people doze off in class because you are bored and have nothing to do but listen to the teacher talk. Some parents may call it a cat nape when their kids go to sleep for about ten minutes or so. The second stage is called an intermediate stage of sleep. That is when
Many people choose to believe their dreams provide an unknown meaning awaiting discovery. Many trusted and credited theorist provide persuasive arguments that seem reasonable and enticing. The brain is such a complex organ that the theories regarding the unknown workings of it seem reasonable. There are many functions of the brain that remain unknown especially during the sleep cycles. It would be much more perplexing if dreams provided insight to the future or were attempts from the brain to work through our inner personal distress.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, dream is defined by a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring involuntarily in a person’s mind during certain stages of sleep. Dreams have fascinated humans since the beginning of time. The recorded history of dream interpretation dates back to 3000-4000 B.C. with the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. They documented their dreams on clay tablets. People back then saw the dream world as an extension of reality, but that it was a more powerful realm. Furthermore, they believed that when they dream, their souls would leave their body during sleep and travel to the dream world.
What goes through our mind before we go to sleep may affect what we dream about. However, we may not remember our dreams. Researchers estimate that five minutes after a dream, people have forgotten 50% , increasing to 90% five minutes later. Most
Many people dream, but most do not know what they mean and why. One dictionary definition says dreams are a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. But there is more to dreams than one phrase. Some studies have shown that
The Psychodynamic view of dreaming suggests that the content in our dream is symbolic of something. Also, that the content in our dreams are based on unconscious desires as well as internal conflict.
During prescientific days, dreams were interpreted as ‘manifestations’ of a ‘higher power’. Since the introduction of psychology, dreams have had 4 distinct interpretations. The first interprets dreams as a “liberation of the spirit from the pressure of external nature”. The second interprets dreams as “accidental disturbances from ‘internal organs’. The third interprets dreams as a foretelling of the future. The last interpretation is Freud’s. He interprets dream as an expression of subconscious desires.
Despite the large amount of time we spend asleep, surprisingly little is actually known about sleeping and dreaming. Much has been imagined, however. Over history, sleep has been conceived as the space of the soul, as a state of absence akin to death, as a virtual or alternate reality, and more recently, as a form of (sub)consciousness in which memories are built and erased. The significance attributed to dreams has varied widely as well. The Ancient Greeks had surprise dream encounters with their gods. Native Americans turned to their dreams for guidance in life. Shamans dreamed in order to gather information from the spirits.
There are many perceptions of what a dream actually is. Some view dreams as the subconscious trying to speak to people, and others see it as religious visions of the future. Over the years, physicians and psychologists have collected countless amounts of research and evidence to support their viewpoints on dreams. I have always believed that dreaming is a time when the brain develops and analyzes important information (Bernstein 149). Dreams do not mean anything specific, and everyone has their own cultural perspectives of dreams. In reality, no one has the power to analyze and tell people the meanings of their dreams. According to Bernstein’s psychology book, dreaming is a time when the brain experiences story-like perceptions and sensations.