Sleeping Habits

SLEEPING HABITS
Ime in priimek: Nika Gomboc Damiš

Razred in oddelek: 4.B Farmacevtski Tehnik
Mentor: Maja Hergan, prof.
oktober 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP ?

STAGES OF SLEEP
DREAMING
HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED ?
TIPS FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
SLEEP MEDICATIONS
INSOMNIA (DISORDER)
SOURCES
2
Sleep is a normal body process that allows your body and brain to rest. At first glance, sleep
is deceptively simple but despite how simple it seems, sleep is one of the most complex and
mysterious body processes known to science.
Decent sleep is vital for our health but can be hard to achieve when life is busy.
WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP ?

If you’re not getting enough sleep or your sleep quality isn’t good, you’ll probably know it
just from how you feel. Without enough quality sleep, your body and brain can’t work as they
should.
Sleep significantly impacts brain function. First, a healthy amount of sleep is vital for the
brain’s ability to adapt to input. If we sleep too little, we become unable to process what
we’ve learned during the day and we have more trouble remembering it in the future.
When people don’t get enough sleep, their health risks rise. Symptoms of depression,
seizures, high blood pressure and migraines worsen.
Some of the key things that happen while you’re asleep include:
- Energy conservation and storage: During the day, cells throughout your body use
stockpiled resources to keep doing their jobs. While you’re asleep, your body uses
less energy. That lets those cells resupply and stock up for the next day.
- Self-repair and recovery: Being less active makes it easier for your body to heal
injuries and repair issues that happened while you were awake.
- Brain maintenance: While you’re asleep, your brain reorganizes and catalogs
memories and learned information.
STAGES OF SLEEP
There are two basic types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep.
You cycle through all stages of non-REM and REM sleep several times during a typical
night.
1. STAGE 1 – non-REM sleep is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep. During

this short period (lasting several minutes) of relatively light sleep, your heartbeat,
breathing and eye movements slow. Your muscles relax with occasional twitches.
Brain waves begin to slow.
2. STAGE 2 – non-REM sleep is a period of light sleep before you enter deeper sleep.
Your heartbeat and breathing slow and muscles relax even further. Your body
temperature drops and eye movements stop. Brain wave activity slows.
3. STAGE 3 – non-REM sleep is the period of deep sleep that you need to feel
refreshed in the morning. It occurs in longer periods during the first half of the night.
Your heartbeat and breathing slow to their lowest levels. Your muscles are relaxed
and it may be difficult to awaken you. Brain waves become even slower.
3
4. REM SLEEP first occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. Your eyes move
rapidly from side to side behind closed eyelids. Your breathing becomes faster and
irregular, your heart rate and blood pressure increase to near waking levels. Most of
your dreaming occurs during REM sleep, although some can also occur in non-REM
sleep. Your arm and leg muscles become temporarily paralyzed, which prevents you
from acting out your dreams. As you age, you sleep less of your time in REM sleep.
DREAMING
We spend about 2 hours each night dreaming but may not remember most of our dreams. Its
exact purpose isn’t known but dreaming may help us process our emotions. Events from the
day often invade our thoughts during sleep and people suffering from stress or anxiety are
more likely to have frightening dreams.
Dreams are most vivid in REM sleep. Some people dream in color, while others only recall
dreams in black and white.
HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED ?
These sleep amounts apply to most people but they aren’t universal. Some people need more
sleep, others need less. Variations in how much sleep you need may even be genetic.
Personal circumstances and your health status can also affect how much sleep you need.
People who are sick, recovering from an injury or medical procedure may need to sleep more.
The same goes for pregnant women.
VIDEO: What would happen if you didn’t sleep ? : https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=dqONk48l5vY
4
TIPS FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
- set and keep a sleep schedule
- make time for sleep
- have a bedtime routine
- don’t go to bed unless you feel sleepy
- avoid bright lights or electronics (especially around bedtime)
- avoid drinking alcohol or eating a meal too close to bedtime
- don’t rely on sleeping medications
- physical activity can help
- reach and maintain a healthy weight
SLEEP MEDICATIONS
Sleep medications can interact with other medications. Those interactions can be dangerous
or deadly. It’s best to talk with a healthcare provider to make sure taking these products is
safe. You should also avoid alcohol use while taking them.
Some examples of prescription sleeping pills and sleep-promoting medications include:

- Z-drugs: their effects and how your body processes them are very similar to
benzodiazepines but have fewer and less-severe side effects.
- Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs): DORAs block orexins, a molecule your
brain uses to keep you awake, so they help you sleep.
- Benzodiazepines: These mainly treat seizures or anxiety-related conditions but have
seen widespread use for treating insomnia or related sleep problems.
INSOMNIA (DISORDER)
Insomnia (the most common sleeping disorder) involves problems getting to sleep or staying
asleep.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Sl8LyI7k8
5
SOURCES
1: The Science of Sleep: Understanding What Happens When You Sleep:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-
understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep
2: Sleep: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/sleep
3: Sleep: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/12148-sleep-basics
4: Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-
education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep
5: What are Sleep Disorders ?: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/sleep-
disorders/what-are-sleep-disorders

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SLEEPING HABITS

Ime in priimek: Nika Gomboc Damiš

WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP ?

WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP ?

1. STAGE 1 – non-REM sleep is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep. During

HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED ?

VIDEO: What would happen if you didn’t sleep ? : https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Some examples of prescription sleeping pills and sleep-promoting medications include:

1: The Science of Sleep: Understanding What Happens When You Sleep:

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