Sleep...

Know What You Do the Most...

What is Sleep...?
Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is an altered state of consciousness in which the individuals perception of and reaction to the environment are decreased.It is more easily reversible than being in hibernation or a coma .

Sleep is also a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It is observed in all mammals, all birds, and many reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Why is sleep needed?

A number of tasks vital to health and quality of life are linked to sleep.

Sleep plays an important part in brain development, sustain normal levels of cognitive skills such as speech, memory, and innovative and flexible thinking.

Sleep gives your heart and vascular system a much-needed rest.

Sleep is important to maintain the normal release and function of various Hormones in body.

Sufficient Sleep enhances the wound Healing Process and also is needed for the functioning of Immune System.

What if we don't Sleep?

After just one sleepless night, concentration becomes more difficult; language, memory, planning, sense of time and attention span shortens a great deal. A 17 hours of continuous sleeplessness leads to a decrease in performance that is equivalent to a blood alcohol level of two glasses of wine(0.05%). Sleep deprivation also has a major impact on emotional and physical health like Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Stress.

The Sleep Cycle

Sleep occurs in a recurring cycle of 90 to 110 minutes and is divided into two broad types:

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM or non-REM) sleep. NREM is furthur divided into four stages: N1, N2, N3,

and N4.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep.

Each type has a distinct set of associated physiological, neurological, and psychological features. Sleep proceeds in cycles of REM and NREM, the order normally being N1 N2 N3 N2 REM.

Non-REM sleep
Stage 1 : This lasts for about 10min. Our muscle activity slows down and slight twitching may occur. This is a period of light sleep, meaning we can be awakened easily at this stage.
Stage 2 : This lasts for about 20min. The breathing pattern and heart rate start to slow down. This period accounts for the largest part of human sleep. Stage 3 : The brain begins to produce delta waves, a type of wave that is large (high amplitude) and slow (low frequency). Breathing and heart rate are at their lowest levels. Stage 4 : This is characterized by rhythmic breathing and

limited muscle activity. If we are awakened during deep sleep we do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes after waking up.

REM Sleep
The first REM period usually begins about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. We have around three to five REM occurrences a night.

The brain is very active - often more so than when we are awake. This is the period when most dreams occur. Our eyes dart around, and our Heart rate and blood pressure rise.

Our bodies are effectively paralyzed to protect us from selfdamage and to prevent us from acting out our vivid-dreams. The Rebound Phenomenon means that a night's sleep will be composed of more than it's normal REM Sleep if the previous night's sleep didn't involve enough.

Sleep Timing
Sleep timing is controlled by the Circadian Clock, sleepwake hoemostasis, and willed behavior (within certain bounds). To most part, it is the circadian rhythm that determines the ideal timing of a correctly structured and restorative sleep episode.

The circadian clock works in tandem with adenosine, a neurotransmitter that inhibits many of the bodily processes associated with wakefulness. Adenosine is created over the course of the day; high levels of adenosine lead to sleepiness. Also, the circadian element causes the release of the hormone melatonin.
Sleep offset (awakening) is primarily determined by circadian rhythm. A person who regularly awakens at an early hour will generally not be able to sleep much later than his/her normal waking time, even if moderately sleep-deprived.

Are You Sleep Deprived...?

Some Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation are

Difficulty waking up in the morning;

Poor performance and Difficulty in making decisions;

Increased clumsiness, Memory Loss and Bad Concentration; Strange Appetite Changes; Falling asleep during work or class; Feeling especially moody or irritated.

Sleep deprivation can be dangerous not only to you but others, since it affects motor skills like driving. Chronic sleep deprivation is also thought to cause long term changes to the body.

How much sleep is required?

There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep. A person's major sleep episode is relatively inefficient and inadequate when it occurs at the "wrong" time of day. one should be asleep at least 6hrs before the lowest body temperature. The timing is correct when,

Maximum concentration of the hormone melatonin, and

Minimum core body temperature occur after the middle of the sleep episode and before awakening.

Human sleep needs can vary by age and among individuals, and sleep is considered to be adequate when there is no daytime sleepiness or dysfunction.

How long people sleep a day on average:

Sleep and Diseases

Sleep and sleep-related problems play a role in a large number of human disorders and affect almost every field of medicine.

Problems like stroke and asthma attacks tend to occur more frequently during the night and early morning.

REM sleep seems to help prevent seizures from spreading to other brain regions, while deep sleep may promote the spread of these seizures.

Sleep deprivation also triggers seizures in people with some types of epilepsy.

Sleeping problems occur in almost all people with mental disorders.

Sleep Problems
There are many reasons for poor sleep. Excessive exposure to bright light within hours of bedtime; Simply resisting the urge to fall asleep can trigger a "Second Wind", which then can temporarily make it difficult to fall asleep afterwards. General pain, illness, drugs, or stress.

Sleep Disorders like Sleep Apneas, Narcolepsy, Primary insomnia, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and theCircadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders, Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI), a genetic disease .
Older people are more easily awakened by disturbances in the environment and may to some degree lose the ability to consolidate sleep.

Effect of Food and Drinks on Sleep

Hypnotics are commonly used as sleep aids, though found to decrease Antihistamines cause Drowsiness and thus, may help to sleep. Alcohol and Barbiturates initially cause Somnolence but, addiction

REM Sleep, hence cause Rebound effect.

leads to disturbed sleep as they have Rebound Effect.

Tryptophan is a building block of proteins. It has been claimed to

Caffeine is a Stimulant that decreases the action of the hormones that Cocaine causes Hypersomnia in regard to "cocaine-induced sleep

contribute to sleepiness.

cause Somnolence. It causes a rapid reduction in alertness as it wears off.

disorder."

Tobacco has been found not only to disrupt but also to reduce total

sleep time.

Tips for a Good Night's Sleep

Set a schedule; Exercise; caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol;

Avoid

Relax before bed; Sleep until sunlight; Don't lie in bed awake. Keep your bedroom simple; Control your room temperature;

See a doctor if you have sleeping problem.

A well spent day brings happy sleep.

Sleep records
The current world record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days, set by Randy Gardner in 1965. Four days into the research, he began hallucinating. This was followed by a delusion where he thought he was a famous football player. Surprisingly, Randy was actually functioning quite well at the end of his research; he could still beat a scientist at pinball. After completing his record, Gardner slept 14 hours and 40 minutes, awoke naturally around 10:00 p.m., stayed awake 24 hours, then slept a normal eight hours.

The World of Dreams

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood. The scientific study of dreams is called Oneirology. Dreams mainly occur in the REM stage of sleep, when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. Dreams are a connection to the human subconscious. They can range from normal and ordinary to the overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can at times make a creative thought occur to the person or give a sense of inspiration.

Dreamers are usually not self-aware in their dreams; thus the dreams seem as reality.

Why do we Dream...?
To answer this, we should first understand the functioning of the two parts of Brain The Conscious mind and the Sunconscious mind. We percieve and respond to the world through the Conscious mind. We entertain DESIRES at the Conscious state of mind.

The Subconscious mind is the subtle layer of the mind. Any desire entertined but not fulfilled is pushed into the subconscious mind as an incomplete Cycle and craves for fulfilment.
Dream is the mechanism, which releases many of these incomplete cycles everytime one sleeps by SIMULATING their fulfilment.

Dreams do mean something...

The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious interest throughout recorded history. The process of understanding what a dream means is called Dream Interpretation. One of the successful Theories to explain Dreams was given by

Freud.

According to Freud...
Dreams were disguised, hallucinatory fulfilment of repressed wishes. As these unfulfilled wishes (incomplete cycles) are generally unacceptable and potentially disturbing, they are censored and disguised.

The mental processes called dream-work, which modifies the dream and renders it less disturbing. The process includes -

Condensation, the fusing together of different ideas and images into a single image;

Displacement, in which a potentially disturbing image or idea is replaced by something connected but less disturbing;

Representation, the process by which thoughts are converted into visual images;

Symbolization, in which some neutral object stands for some aspects like sexual life or those persons connected with it which the dreamer would prefer not to recognize.

In Dream Interpretation...
Manifest content is what the dreamer recalled and Latent content was the hidden, true meaning of the dream. This latent content could be ascertained only when the dreamers associations to the images in the dream had been subjected to psychoanalytical scrutiny and interpretation. It should be understood that Although everything which was repressed was Subconscious, but not everything Subconscious was repressed. Thus, what is Subconscious is not exclusively the consequence of repression, including the fact that some dreams are clearly creative or provide answers to problems.

Strange facts about Dreaming...

Negative Emotions like Fear, Anger are most common in dreams.

Most people have on average 4-7 dreams every night. If you are SNORING, you CAN NOT be Dreaming.

When LUCID DREAMING, you can control the dream and can do anything...

You forget 90% of your dreams within 10min of waking up. WE ONLY DREAM WHAT WE KNOW Scientists may soon be able to RECORD dreams...

Some Statements about Sleep...

To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep. Joan Klempner
Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. Thomas Dekker The best of all medicines is resting and fasting. Benjamin Franklin

There is more refreshment and stimulation in a nap, even of the briefest, than in all the alcohol ever distilled. Edward Lucas A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. Irish Proverb

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. E. Joseph Cossman

Conclusions
Sleeping is, with no doubt, a phenomenon of today's scientific world. It is a topic that is undergoing Intense Scientific Research.

Researchers now know that sleep is an active and dynamic state that greatly influences our waking hours.
Understanding the factors that affect sleep in health and disease also may lead to revolutionary new therapies for sleep disorders. Yet, Many more years are to pass until we unlock the true meaning of Sleep and Dreams... Finally, Take the sleep profile test to know your Sleeping efficiency here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/profiler/ .

References,
Wikipedia; Images.google.com; BBC explorer.com; http://www.ninds.nih.gov; etc...

By,

Chandra Teja U,
K. V. S. R. S. C. O. P. S

Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.

May sleep envelop you as a bed sheet floating gently down, tickling your skin and removing every worry. Reminding you