Sleep and Psychology



Sleep and Psychology

Introduction

One has often heard their elders recommend getting a good night's rest. The advice goes a long way in determining the mental, and physical, well being of an individual. Sleep is the body's way of resting and recuperating after a long day of hard work. It must be noted that the even during sleep, the brain still remains active (Pace-Schott et al, 2003). A good night's rest has often been said to be helpful in reducing stress levels, helping an individual solve problems and even recover from illness. As an individual sleeps, the brain cycles between two modes referred to as rapid eye movement sleep, REM, and non rapid eye movement sleep, Non REM. Non REM is further divided into four stages (Mallick et al, 2011).

The first of these stages exhibit decreases in polysomnography readings. It is said to be the stage between being awake and just about to fall asleep. Often, an individual can be awakened easily and if done so, the individual might feel that they have not slept at all. The stage may last for five to ten minutes. The second shows peaks and valleys in polysomnography readings. This stage reflects light sleep. This stage marks a decrease in heart rate and body temperature and the body is deemed ready to enter deeper sleep. Stages three and four are deep sleep stages and are also known as delta or slow wave sleep (Petersen et al, 2001). If awakened from these stages, individuals might feel disoriented for a couple minutes. It is during these stages that the body repairs and regenerates tissues, continues to build bone and strengthens the immune system.

REM sleep is said to occur right after one has acquired stage 4 sleep and usually takes approximately 90 minutes after the onset of proper sleep. The very first period of REM generally lasts for ten minutes and continues to increase in duration with each continuing cycle (Mallick et al, 2011). Brainwave patterns are similar to those seen when an individual is awake. In individuals that do not have sleeping disorders, erratic heart rate and respiration are often seen in addition to the rapid movements of the eyes in different directions (Petersen et al, 2001). Dreaming is also considered to be exhibited because of heightened brain activity. Interestingly enough, despite the heightened brain activity, there is paralysis among the major muscle groups.

Different Sleep Patterns

Sleep patterns work based on a number of factors. The two most important of these factors include the level of fatigue and the timings the body is used to, also referred to as the body's internal clock. Certain cues help an individual to set their internal clock. Cues include daylight, meals and the types and level of activity one generally performs. Thus, the absence or the presence of things like lighting plays a vital role in when an individual falls asleep (Petersen et al, 2001). Patterns in staying up late have recently been changed as compared to that of our ...