Understanding Sleep: Stages, Disorders, and Importance, Thesis of Management Accounting

Download Understanding Sleep: Stages, Disorders, and Importance and more Thesis Management Accounting in PDF only on Docsity! 1 PSYC8226 Stages of Sleep and Sleep Disorders Doctor of Clinical Psychology PSYC8226: Biopsychology Stages of Sleep and Sleep Disorders Sleep is important for everyday psychological and physiological functioning. While sleep this allows the brain to form new pathways and process the information received during hours you were awake. Having adequate sleep helps improve memory, learning, attention, and decision making skills that are needed for overall daily functioning (Smith & Pharm, 2018) Physically sleep allows the body to heal and repair cells, maintain the balance of hormones, and is needed for overall growth and development of the body (Smith & Pharm, 2018) Sleep consist of two distinct cycles NREM sleep which has three stages and REM sleep and these cycles are repeating throughout the night and are between 90-110 minutes long (Breedlove & Watson, 2019) NREM Sleep NREM stands for non-rapid eye movement and this is the stage that begins the sleep cycles. According to the definition given by Medicine.net NREM sleep is dreamless sleep that is defined by the brain waves becoming slow and high voltage, breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, and blood pressure is low (Shiel, 2018). NREM sleep the sleeper is relatively still and consist of 4 stages. According to EEG’s a distinctive rhythm appears as NREM begins. Alpha rhythms decrease and EEG’s shows events of much smaller amplitude and irregular frequencies as well as vertex spikes and this is the beginning of NREM’s first stage of sleep 2 (Breedlove & Watson, 2019). Approximately 80% of the sleep people receive if they sleep 7-8 hours a night is NREM and this is a non-dreamless state of sleep (Shiel, 2018) Stage 1 NREM Sleep Stage 1 sleep usually last several minutes eyes may roll around slowly heart rate decreases and there is a reduction of muscle tension (Breedlove & Watson, 2019). Stage 1 sleep is the changeover process from wakefulness to sleep and is a relatively a light sleep cycle (Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n.d.) If you are wakened from a stage 1 sleep cycle you may feel like you have not slept at all and sometimes you may even have the sense of falling and then experience muscle contraction this motion is called hypnic myoclonic (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). Stage 1 sleep is basically the dozing off period and although the brain activities begin to decrease the body has not fully relaxed (REM Sleep Behavior Disorder – Causes & Treatment, 2021) Stage 2 NREM Sleep Stage 2 is defined by waves of 12-14 Hz that are called sleep spindles (Breedlove & Watson, 2019). Brain waves become slower in stage two with occasional rapid waves or sleep spindles and there is a mixed period that consist of muscle contractions and muscle relaxation (Cleveland Clinic n.d.). During stage 2 your eye movement stops, and your heart rate continues to slow and body temperature decreases (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.) Stage 2 sleep can last anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes however the first stage 2 cycle is only 10-25 minutes but can increase as the sleep stages reoccur throughout the sleep cycles (REM Sleep Behavior Disorder – Causes & Treatment, 2021). The short burst of activity or sleep spindle in stage 2 help resist being woken up by external stimuli and collectively a person spends about half their sleep time in stage 2 5 consistent daily routines or habits that promote the sleep cycle this is a central part of health (Watson & Cherney, 2020). Having good sleep hygiene which includes both environment and habits is the key to a higher quality sleep and better overall health (Watson & Cherney, 2020). Many things in society and daily events can interfere with the sleep cycle and make it difficult for people to drift off to sleep. Often people resort to help going to sleep in the form of some sort of sleep aid or medication that affect the brain mechanisms that initiate sleep. Hypnotic benzodiazepines and Z-drugs such as Ambien and Lunesta enhance signaling of GABA via the type A receptor (Rihel & Shier, 2013). Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs potentiate GABAa receptor signaling via a modulatory binding site found in a subunit, with Z-drugs selective for the a1 subtype (Rihel & Shier, 2013). However, drugs used to help induce sleep are not always a suitable remedy many times sleeping pills lose their effectiveness (Breedlove & Watson, 2019). One of the dangers of sleeping pills losing their effectiveness is that this may cause the individual to self-medicate by increasing the dosages which can be dangerous for the individual (Breedlove & Watson, 2019). Another downfall of sleeping pills is they produce marked changes in the sleep pattern while the drug is being used and for days after (Breedlove & Watson, 2019). According to Breedlove & Watson (2019) consistent use of sleeping pills can also cause sleep drunkenness coupled with drowsiness that impairs the ability to wake and could result in memory gaps. REM Sleep Disorder There are numerous reasons that an individual may have difficulty sleeping along with various sleep disorders. During REM sleep the body experiences a form of paralysis for most of the muscles in the body although the brain is active and dreaming (Pacheco, 2020). However, during REM sleep Disorder the individual does not experience this form of paralysis instead 6 their body and voice perform their dreams while they remain asleep (Pacheco, 2020). REM sleep disorder is only prevalent in less than one percent of the population and usually begins after the age of 50 (Pacheco, 2020). REM sleep disorder is associated with other neurological disorders and symptoms often worsen over time this disorder requires treatment because of an increased risk of injuring themselves or others (Pacheco, 2020). Causes of REM sleep Disorder are still somewhat undetermined however, animal studies suggest that it is do to certain neural pathways is the brain (Pacheco, 2020). Certain neural pathways inhibit muscle activity and produce a temporary paralysis during REM sleep. Disruption of these neural pathways can cause the disruption and the temporary paralysis does not occur leaving the individual able to act out their dreams. Treatment for REM sleep Disorder is tailored to the individual and can be a combination of lifestyle changes and medications. Lifestyle changes consist of avoiding things that may trigger the symptoms of REM sleep Disorder. Alcohol and certain medications can contribute to REM sleep behavior so one may have to change some of their lifestyle choices. Melatonin is a preferred form of medication treatment since it has fewer side effects (Pacheco, 2020). Clonazepam is a medication that has proven effective in reducing symptoms for 50-80% of individuals however it does have some side effects including sleepiness, forgetfulness, and impaired balance in the morning (Pacheco, 2020). 7 References Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (n.d.). NIH. Retrieved January 31, 2021, from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-sleep Breedlove, S. M., & Watson, N. V. (2019). Behavioral neuroscience (9th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Cleveland clinic. (n.d.). Sleep Basics: REM & NREM, Sleep Stages, Good Sleep Habits & More. Retrieved January 31, 2021, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12148- sleep-basics Leonard, J. (2017, September 1). What is REM sleep? MedicalNewsToday. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247927 Pocheco, D. (2021, January 25). REM Sleep Behavior Disorder – Causes & Treatment. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder REM Sleep Behavior Disorder – Causes & Treatment. (2021, January 25). Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder Rihel, J., & Schier, A. (2013, October) “Sites of Action of Sleep and Wake Drugs: Insights from Model Organisms.” Current Opinion in Neurobiology 23, no. 5: 831–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2013.04.010. Shiel, W. (2018, December 27). Definition of NREM sleep. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/nrem_sleep/definition.htm Smith, Y., & Pharm, B. (2018, August 23). Function of Sleep. News-Medical.Net. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Function-of-Sleep.aspx#:%7E:text=Brain %20Function,and%20aid%20in%20making%20decisions.