Sleep hygiene

• Sleep


  A set of states of arousal where behaviour and perception of external events is minimized
• Sleep


  • A period of rest
  • Consists of REM and Non-REM sleep, 2 distinct states that alternate in cycles and reflect differing levels of brain nerve cell activity
• Dreaming


  An experience during the REM sleep state
• Non-REM sleep


  • Involves "light" and "deep" sleep
  • Characterized by slow-wave activity and is involved in rest/repair
• REM sleep


  • Rapid eye movement
  • Characterized by waking-like brain activity (fast wave) and is marked by experiences (dreaming)
  • Involved in memory consolidation
• Sleep architecture over a typical night
• It is unclear why sleep was selected despite the many possible adaptive advantages
• Circadian rhythm


  A pattern of physiological activity over a 24 hour cycle
• Circadian rhythm


  1. Light enters the eye, activates the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, and then activates the pineal gland, suppressing melatonin release

  2. Melatonin is actively released between 2-4AM under dark conditions
• Melatonin


  Suppresses seizures and cancer formation
• Arousal fluctuations & Sleep Need by age
• Sleep hygiene


  • Do not watch TV while in bed
  • Do not keep a night-light (unless it is a red photographer light)
  • Develop pre-bed rituals to reduce time-to-sleep
  • Maintain sleep schedule
  • Do not use sleeping pills or sleep-aids
• Irregular sleep schedule


  A strong health hazard
• Anchor sleep


  As a synchronizer of rhythms on abnormal routines
• Consequences of sleep deprivation

  • Without dreaming, memory formation suffers
  • Without rest/deep sleep, tissue fail to repair
  • Your gums will detach from your teeth and your hair will fall out (telogen effluvium)
  • Chronic sleep deprivation accelerates aging, increases stress, degenerates the hippocampus, and induces depression/loss of sense of self
• The brain's lymphatic system activates during sleep
• REM sleep helps consolidate memory