The Functions of Sleep

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The Functions of Sleep

FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP:

 Sleep has not one main function but many.

 A most popular theory on why we sleep is the restorative theory of sleep:

 Restorative Theory: the theory of sleep that states that we sleep in order to replenish the processes of our minds and bodies that are depleted during the coarse of everyday life.

 Increases in low wave sleep correlate with increases in physical activity

 During REM sleep, proteins and other cellular components are returned to body

 But is the restorative theory valid?

 "Second Wind Phenomenon," the fact that people's sleepiness disappears when they have not slept counters the restorative theory.

 Studies have shown that napping or just resting in bed are equally capable of improving mood.

 During Sleep: blood flow in the cerebral arteries is elevated, heart and respiration become irregular, brain activity is elevated in certain areas.

 Another function of sleep is the Adaptive Non-responding Theory:

 Adaptive Non-responding Theory: the evolutionary theory of sleep that suggests that sleep and inactivity at night have survival value.

 Most recently (1988) Wilse Webb, one of the leading researchers on sleep for over 30 years has suggested a theory that combines the best explanatory features of the restorative and adaptive Non-responding theory.

 Webb suggests that sleep is a function of sleep demand, circadian tendencies, & behaviors that promote or inhibit sleep.

BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS AND ALERTNESS:

 Our biological clocks allow us to keep time in a changing world.

 Circadian Rhythm: internal biological rhyth...

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... (1) sleep attacks; (2) cataplexy-sudden loss of muscle tone; (3) sleep paralysis; & (4) auditory, visual, or tactile hallucinations.

 SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome): during sleep, a sudden inexplicable death of an infant who has been in perfectly good health.

 Sleep Apnea: a rare sleeping disorder in which the person stops breathing momentarily.

 Characteristically sufferers of sleep apnea are male, overweight, have high blood pressure and will experience fatigue, morning headaches, sleepiness and loss of memory but mainly FEAR of death in the night.

 Somnambulism: sleep walking occurring during stage 4 sleep that usually involves repetitive acts performed while asleep that are not recalled once the person wakes.

 Sleep Talking: talking occurring stage 1 of sleep, when a person is "half asleep and half awake."

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