The importance of sleep is beyond crucial, yet people tend to overlook it. Sleep has many beneficial factors, however the real reason behind sleep is unknown. Scientist do have multiple theories and ideas as to why we sleep. The idea that sleeping and dreaming relate to both learning and memory is nothing new. In fact, according to author Linda Hodgson, it was studied in the nineteenth century by neurologist Hughling Jackson who proposed two main factors for sleep. The first is to wipe away an unnecessary memories from that day. The second is to consolidate the important experiences.(Hodgens 1506) This theory has been backed up by stating that if one tried to learn a new task and gets a good night’s sleep after, they are far more able to remember what they have learned compared to someone who has stayed up all night trying to learn the task and got very little, to no sleep.
Some scientist also believe that the states of sleep serves different functions. They propose that the NREM state aids in restoration of the body in the brain, and REM sleep plays a more complex role in restoring brain processes, “including some higher-level brain processes involved in focusing attention, waking ego mechanisms,
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However, there are many negative side effects to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is usually broken down into three categories: sleep fragmentation, partial sleep deprivation, and total sleep deprivation. In one study, the effects of sleep deprivation on the immune system concluded that the loss of sleep affected both behavioral functions and physiological functions. The conductors of this research then went on to conclude that the “lack of sleep has been linked to emotional and physical health effects including depression, burnout, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and even death.”
3)The REM Sleep-Memory Consolidation Hypothesis," article on Center for Sleep Research's homepage, Interesting site for sleep disorders
Is sleep important for memory consolidation? Past research has found that sleep is an important factor in the consolidation of newly acquired memories; however, this consolidation often depends on the specific memory as well as when (e.g., time after learning) sleep occurs. It is important to note that sleep is not constant, throughout the night. Sleep is a cycle that is broken down into rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep (Stickgold, 2005). Non-REM consists of sleep stages 1 through 4, in which stages 3 and 4 constitute what is known as slow-wave sleep (SWS) (Rasch & Born, 2008). Moreover, the construct of memory is often divided into different types of memories, declarative (e.g., facts and events) and non-declarative (e.g., procedural skills) (Stickgold, 2005). When discussing memory consolidation, research has defined it as a progression of memory stabilization that leads memories to become resistant to interference (Stickgold, 2005). Results from past research indicate that memory consolidation occurs through the reactivation of memories during sleep, which enhances and stabilizes the memory (Diekelmann & Born, 2010).
...ep. There are events in sleep that are associated with synaptic modification, which is the basis of brain rewiring that enhances cognition. There is evidence that sleep accelerated transcription of cortical genes that are associated with protein synthesis9. These newly generated proteins are known to be required for strengthening of existing synapses and building new synapses. Studies have found increase of factors associated with brain-plasticity and enhanced learning during sleep5. These factors include phosphorylated or activated CREB, a transcriptional factor, as well as Arc, BDNF, and NGFI-A. These evidence help explain how sleep can influence brain rewiring through synaptic modification. This mechanism helps explain how sleep can modify the brain and ultimately enhance learning. This is a strong evidence that supports the synaptic downscaling hypothesis.
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.
...t suggests that some of the circuits employed in sensory reception and processing also function to establish and maintain memory, and that both functions cannot be achieved simultaneously. Sleep circumvents this limitation, and is thus a well adapted behavior.
Getting adequate amount of sleep is the basic requirements of every individual. Proper sleep will enable us to function properly and perform our daily activities without feeling lethargic. Sleep is also considered a luxury which you can enjoy after a stressful and hectic day. If you will take proper sleep your body organs will relax and next day they will work properly to fulfil your needs. This is essential to relax your body every day because life is getting tougher with every coming day.
Sleep is an extremely interesting phenomenon in which the mind almost completely departs from the usual realm of consciousness. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness and a decreased ability to react to stimuli where we become less aware of our surroundings. However, it is more easily reversed than being in hibernation or a coma. It is a function that has been extensively researched by many. After all, we would not have evolved a mechanism that forces us to spend one-third of our lives sleeping unless sleep did us some good. What good does it do tough? Over the years, many theories have been proposed as to why we need sleep. The simplest is that it saves energy. An individual’s energy expenditure and demand is reduced during the day, or night, as an animalistic instinct when they are least efficient to search for food. This is also supported by the decrease of body temperature and caloric demand throughout sleep. For example, when NASA sent a robot to mars, it was programmed to shut down at night so exploration would not waste energy. This is like our bodies, as they need time to recuperate and to slow down. In addition, sleep provides an occasion for restorative functions of the brain where the body is allowed sufficient time to repair and rejuvenate itself. For example, animals that are deprived of sleep entirely lose all their immune function and will soon die in a matter of weeks. Other findings have shown that many restorative functions in the body like tissue repair, muscle growth, and growth hormone occur mainly during sleep. When people are deprived of sleep, inhibitory transmitters accumulate in the brain, interfering with attention and learning. People that are well rested will notice when their attention lapses, a...
Sleep is defined as a period of reduced activity in which an individual’s response to his/her environment is decreased (Healthy Sleep, n.d.) The body undergoes fluctuations in brain wave activity, breathing, heart rate and other functions. These changes occur during two main stages of sleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage in which dreaming typically occurs and absorption of newly learned information takes place. The deep restorative sleep known as slow-wave sleep consolidates memories (Healthy Sleep, n.d.) Recent studies have found that some individuals may not experience both stages of sleep. This can contribute to problems in learning, memory and brain restoration.
According to the Oxford Living dictionaries, “Sleep is a condition of body and mind which typically recurs for several hours every night in which nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed and consciousness practically suspended”. Sleep is necessary for all the human kinds be healthy and maintain daily activities. A lot of problems will arise if a person lacks energy or having some sort of disorder while sleeping. There are lots of problems were issued due to the insufficient sleep. John Tesh one of the prominent figures has raised the issue about weight gain because of a lack of sleep.
A most popular theory on why we sleep is the restorative theory of sleep:
Sleep deprivation takes control over your whole body and starts to impact certain areas that can be prone to illnesses or diseases because “sleep plays an important role in your physical health. For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels,” stated by the Harvard Health Institution. Therefore, without the right amount of sleep needed everyday can have a risky affect such as chronic health problems. The whole concept of sleep is for humans to regain their strength and energy which allows all the systems in their body to operate. Although, there is so much that sleep can do to force things on students and lead to all these disastrous pain into hurting their mental health. These effects are seen more in youngsters in which what they do their own bodies. The most common is “that sleep disruption-which affects levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, among other things, wreaks havoc in the brain, imparing thinking and emotional regulation.” This results in their physical health to produce symptoms like insomnia or cause
Another myth is that you can learn complicated things, like a new language, while you are sleep. Personally no, because the only way you can learn something is to be awake. When a person fall to sleep while listening to a cd player or tape player while they are sleeping they are not going to hear what is said when they are in a deep sleep.
“Sleep is increasingly recognized as important to public health”(Brain Basics:Understanding sleep). Going without sleep can really change you cause all you will want to do is sleep throughout the day when you should be doing something else. It makes you not sleepy all day. You will feel great if you get the right amount of sleep needed. “It may be that we can reduce the need at least, because it’s so annoying to waste so much time sleeping.” You must fall asleep when are beginning to feel sleepy so you will feel a lot better. “Unintentionally falling asleep, nodding off while driving, and having difficulty performing daily tasks because of sleepiness all may contribute to these hazardous outcomes”(Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep). Going without sleep will not
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.
Rasch, Björn, and Jan Born. "About Sleep 's Role in Memory." Physiological Reviews. American Physiological Society, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016.