Sleep, defined as a naturally recurring state of mind and body characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles, and reduced interactions with surroundings. As humans, we all experience sleep, however, others experience it differently. Although sleep is relatively important for all humans, each human encounters sleep differently. For example, one can sleep through the night without a problem, whereas others will experience insomnia, sleep paralysis, snoring, and other sleeping symptoms. As for the question of why some humans experience these disorders, it varies from inheritance to how one sleeps.
In Brain and Behavior: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective by David Eagleman …show more content…
For example, dreaming would be unlikely to evolve because the muscular shutdown in atonia allows the possibility of the brain “practicing” motor programs without actually moving the body around. Although, some may think REM and non-REM are the main focuses of sleep, it is not. There are a lot of other factors that help us humans sleep. For example, the most important role involved in sleep state, “ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO), a collection of neurons in the hypothalamus. This area promotes sleep when it becomes active; damage to it produces insomnia, an inability to sleep.
Although REM sleep and wakefulness have many similarities, many differences occur, such as the role of the thalamus. The thalamus has been considered the gateway between the sensory organs and the neocortex, a relay station while the body is awake and blockade during sleep. Although, some may think REM and non-REM are the main focuses of sleep, it is not. However, we know that the thalamus plays a key role in organizing behaviors during the different stages of …show more content…
To continue, one of the most common ones are sleep deprivation, sleep paralysis, and insomnia. For those who experience sleep deprivation, they begin to experience irritability, muscle aches, yawning, and difficulty maintaining attention. Although “sleep deprivation is common with 20% of the adult population” (Abrams) when young adults are deprived of 1-1.5 hours of sleep, their alertness decreases up to 32%. On average, humans are supposed to sleep seven to eight hours per night, however, regardless of how much you sleep, sleep deprivation could still occur (Abrams). However, if a human experiences severe sleep deprivation, lasting two or three days longer, one begins to experience microsleeps, brief sleep periods in the second or even subsecond range. The most common microsleep that occurs is, driving. “Driving sleepiness is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes and is responsible for approximately 40,000 injuries and 1500 deaths each year in the US alone” (Knipling). Those who start to experience microsleep will often be unaware that they were just sleeping, they will instead believe they “spaced out” thus leading to more car
In Brain and Behavior: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective by David Eagleman …show more content…
For example, dreaming would be unlikely to evolve because the muscular shutdown in atonia allows the possibility of the brain “practicing” motor programs without actually moving the body around. Although, some may think REM and non-REM are the main focuses of sleep, it is not. There are a lot of other factors that help us humans sleep. For example, the most important role involved in sleep state, “ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO), a collection of neurons in the hypothalamus. This area promotes sleep when it becomes active; damage to it produces insomnia, an inability to sleep.
Although REM sleep and wakefulness have many similarities, many differences occur, such as the role of the thalamus. The thalamus has been considered the gateway between the sensory organs and the neocortex, a relay station while the body is awake and blockade during sleep. Although, some may think REM and non-REM are the main focuses of sleep, it is not. However, we know that the thalamus plays a key role in organizing behaviors during the different stages of …show more content…
To continue, one of the most common ones are sleep deprivation, sleep paralysis, and insomnia. For those who experience sleep deprivation, they begin to experience irritability, muscle aches, yawning, and difficulty maintaining attention. Although “sleep deprivation is common with 20% of the adult population” (Abrams) when young adults are deprived of 1-1.5 hours of sleep, their alertness decreases up to 32%. On average, humans are supposed to sleep seven to eight hours per night, however, regardless of how much you sleep, sleep deprivation could still occur (Abrams). However, if a human experiences severe sleep deprivation, lasting two or three days longer, one begins to experience microsleeps, brief sleep periods in the second or even subsecond range. The most common microsleep that occurs is, driving. “Driving sleepiness is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes and is responsible for approximately 40,000 injuries and 1500 deaths each year in the US alone” (Knipling). Those who start to experience microsleep will often be unaware that they were just sleeping, they will instead believe they “spaced out” thus leading to more car