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Effects of sleep on memory
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Effects of sleep on memory
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The elderly population has been increasing over the past decade and now with the baby boomers entering into this population it only applies more pressure to an ever increasing dilemma on how to improve their health. Sleep is essential to a person’s well being and cognitive function. Research studies have shown that there is significant decline in a person’s cognitive function when they do not receive an adequate night’s sleep. The secret to aging healthfully is getting enough sleep to allow the body to heal and rejuvenate from the day’s experiences and traumas. This paper is a review of the literature in response to sleep and its effects on cognitive function in the elderly population with a brief discussion on nursing implications.
Sleep is defined according to Bombois et al, 2010 as a “psychological process characterized by several cycles of different sleep states within a twenty-four hour period.”( Bombois et al, 2010) The article describes that people with these disturbances are at an increase risk for “mortality, cardiovascular changes and neurobehavioral co-morbities as well.” This article describes dementia patients and also lists the different reasons elderly people may have that cause sleep disturbances.
The cyclical process of sleep is moving through four phases, according to Hall, 1998 Rapid Eye Movement (REM) being the most important of these. A person enters REM sleep every ninety to one hundred twenty minutes in their sleeping cycle depending on what article one may read. REM is where the brain processes the day’s events and the body heals. Interestingly this is also where the skeletal muscles of the body become paralyzed and the only functioning muscle is the pharyngeal ones holding the airway open. “A perso...
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...ation: A cross sectional study in 2947 community dwelling older adults. American Aging Association. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/content/p87v1v3304253172/fulltext.pdf
Vance, D., Eagerton, G., Harnish, b., McKie, P., & Fazeli, P. (2011). Cognitive prescriptions: A Nursing approach to increasing cognitive reserve. Journal of Gerontological Nursing. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/docview/859768514/fulltextPDF?accountid=10559#
Yaffe, K., Laffan, A., Stephanie Litwack Harrison, Redline, S., Ensrud, K., Sonia Ancoli Israel, & Stone, K. (2011, August 10). Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Hypoxia, and Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older Women (Vol 306, No. 6 ed., pp. 613-619). JAMA. Retrieved from http://jama.ama-assn.org.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/content/306/6/613.full.pdf
Touhy, T. A., Jett, K. F., Boscart, V., & McCleary, L. (october 2011). Ebersole and Hess Gerontological Nursing and Healthy Aging (1st canadian edition ed.). Retrieved from
Chronic sleep loss is becoming more common in modern culture and less restricted to sleep-deprived diseases such as insomnia. Suggested to be the result of a number car, industrial, medical, and other occupational accidents, sleep deprivation is beginning to be recognized as a public concern. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false (1). Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of "quiet readiness" (2). Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.
So for an average sleep time of eight to ten hours, we go through this sleep cycle four to five times a night. In stage one of the sleep phases, we are in a light sleep that lasts anywhere from five to ten minutes. In this stage, our eyes are still moving slowly and our muscles are slowing down, but may still have sudden muscle contractions like as if we were being startled or as if we were falling down. People in this phase may not feel rested if they are awakened, and might not of felt like they were even asleep at all. In stage two of the sleep cycle, you have successfully fallen into a light sleep. During this cycle your heart rate has slowed down, and your body temperature has dropped. You no longer have eye movement, and your body is finally resting the parts it has used through out the day. The next stage, which is stage three is also combined with stage four of the sleep cycle. These two cycles together are known as the delta sleep or the deep sleep stage, and is a very important part of the sleep cycle. During these cycles your body repairs and re-grows tissue, strengthens the immune system and builds bone and muscle. In these cycle it may be very hard to wake a person up, and if woken they may feel droggy or “out of it” for several minutes. In these stages is when most people have night terrors, experience sleep walking, or sleep talking occurs. In an adults average time of sleep this takes up about fifteen to twenty five percent of the time of sleep. Lastly, there is the REM cycle, which is also known as paradoxical sleep. During this cycle is when most of your muscles are paralyzed, your eyes are moving rapidly, and your breathing, heart rate and body temperature are not regulated. Vital signs show that during this stage, the arousal and oxygen levels
"Sleep disorders appear to be a global epidemic, affecting up to 45% of the world's population" (Noor, et al n.p.). That’s leaving a 55% chunk of the world’s population not affected. More than 70 million people in our nation experience sleep disorders, most of whom are unaware of the impact on their daily life (Wells,Vaughn 234). Due to a large portion of people being unaware of sleep disorders’ impaction, the number continuously increases. Major sleep disorders are known to be Rapid Eye Movement(REM), Insomnia, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA). Over 80 medically recognized sleep disorders exist with insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, jet lag, shift work, sleepwalking and restless legs syndrome being some of the most common (Wells, Vaughn 234). "Poor sleep in the general population has been shown to have a significant impact on daily function, including considerable daytime cognition dysfunction, decreased ability to accomplish daily tasks, diminished sense of success and achievement, depressed mood, and reduced enjoyment of interpersonal relationships" (Andrews, Strong n.p. 500). Sleep disorders affect a large portion of society, leading people to have a daily lifestyle of drowsiness, stress and poor productivity; treatment has increased as more people become aware of sleep disorders.
Based on the 5 studies above, a modest observation is seen between sleep deprivation and CVD. These study findings are of clinical importance as they suggest the probable usage of sleep duration as an additional risk marker for prevalence of CVD, regardless of ethnicity. Although implication of short sleep duration on CVD is consistent in various populations, it still differs within gender, age groups and race. Future research, using current studies as a framework, is needed to further prove the complex mechanisms underlying the causal relationship between sleep deprivation and CVD. Health authorities should also continuously promote the importance of adequate sleep as it is vital for better physical health and cognitive functioning.
The article "Causes and consequences of sleep deprivation in hospitalized patients" written by Stephanie Pilkington is exploring the causes and consequences of sleep deprivation in hospitalized patients. The author provides a brilliant summary of factors that affect the level of sleep experienced by patients in hospitals and the effects of sleep deprivation on the health and the wellbeing of these individuals. The article goes on to state that for sleep-deprived patients, there were bio-cognitive consequences for their health and recovery, with particular effects on immune functioning, inflammation, parasympathetic equilibrium, carbohydrate metabolism and cognitive performance.
Elderly, 1991. American Journal of Public Health, 84(8), 1265. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Touhy, T.A., Jett, K. F. Boscart, V., & McCleary, L. (2012). Ebersole and Hess’ gerontological nursing and health aging (1st Canadian ed.). Toronto: Elsevier Canada. (Chapter 10 p. 164)
Health is a complex concept, and when we talk about health we refer to body health and to the health of the mind, the health of relationships between us and those around us, the spiritual health. Looking online on one of the additional resources recommended, www.nimh.nih.gov, I have noticed that one of the symptoms of most diseases that affect a person's mental health is lack of sleep. Lack of sleep not only worsens man's mental health, but also causes serious imbalances in metabolism, immunity, general mood, and last but not least, affects the ability of learning and memorizing among students. The sleep fulfills a number of vital functions for both our mind and body. We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, which is a valuable and useful
The authors and scientists from a different study by the U.S National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health on long and short-term sleep deprivation state directly that “in certain jobs, people face sleep restriction. Some professions such as health care… require working at night. In such fields, the effect of acute total sleep deprivation (SD) on performance is crucial” (Alhola & Polo-Kantola, Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance). Depending on their schedule, nurses can often be susceptible to sleep deprivation and are no exception, especially if they are working long hours. The study performed research on how acute and chronic sleep deprivation can affect the brain and how it can slow down or worsen thought process and rationality throughout the day for working adults. The authors also explain that “motor function, rhythm, receptive and expressive speech, and memory ...deteriorated after one night of SD.” (Alhola and Polo-Kantola, Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance) Although everybody is affected by a lack of sleep differently, some might have the ability to handle it a lot better than others, but it is fair to say that no one can perform their jobs perfectly if their brains are being affected by sleep deprivation. This organization concludes this study by explaining that there is still much research that needs to be
Sleeping is something that is an essential part of human nature and is a must in order for one to be a functional human being. Sleep is an idea that is accompanied by many wives’ tales, including the ideas that one needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night and alcohol helps one fall asleep and sleep more soundly. One myth about sleep is that during sleeping, one is in a state of nothingness. In truth, however, it has been discovered that during sleep the brain is active, variations in heartbeat and breathing occur, and the eyes and ears are active throughout the time of sleep. These activities during a person’s sleep are important because they help that person be more aware, awake, and alert during consciousness. If all of these important activities occur during sleep, why is it that people are so willing to short themselves of this vital activity? Although much about sleep still remains a mystery, research and experiments continue to show how important sleep is to each and every person. Throughout this paper, I will discuss sleep and the effects that it has on performance and health, especially in college students. A college student’s sleeping pattern is a reliable indicator to their level of performance in the classroom and other school-affiliated activities, as a lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. Sleep is directly related the level of performance and health in an individual; the more rested a person is, the better that person will perform and feel (Dryer, 2006).
Miller, C. A. & Co., Inc. (2009). The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Nursing for wellness in older adults: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Cleveland, Ohio: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2011).
Sleep is a very important factor in the human function. Our body and brain is able to reset itself and rejuvenate while we sleep. When we do not get the required amount of sleep, we start to feel lethargic and foggy minded, because our mind and body wasn’t able to replenish itself. Sleep is imperative that an insignificant rest deficiency or lack of sleep can affect our ability to remember things; decisions and can affect our temperament. Chronic sleep deficiency can get the body to feel agitated and it could lead to serious health problems such as, heart problems, stress, acne, and obesity.
Wells, M., & Vaughn, B. V. (2012). Poor Sleep Challenging the Health of a Nation. Neurodiagnostic Journal,52(3), 233-249.