Ultradian Rhythms AO3

• +S / w cycle reduces with age and since growth hormone is produced during s/w, it becomes deficient in older people. Gauter suggests that the reduced sleep may explain impairments in old age. Sleep / wake cycle can be improved using relaxation and medication. This suggests that knowledge of the ultradian rhythms has practical value.
• -Differences in sleep stages -

  Tucker found large differences between participants in the duration of stages 3 and 4. They suggest that these differences are biologically determined. This makes it difficult to describe normal sleep in a meaningful or generalised way.
• + Sleep labs control extraneous variables such as noise or temperature which might affect steep. However, since the participants are attached to complicated machinery, their sleep may not represent their ordinary sleep patterns. Therefore it might be best to conduct some studies in people's own homes and compare patters with recordings made in lab settings.