Psychology: Sleeping

Sleep Deprivation / Sleep Loss
- Being prevented from getting the desired or needed amounts of sleep
- Typically causes trembling hands, dropping eyelids, inattention, irritability, staring, increase pain sensitivity and general discomfort (Doran, Van Dongen and Dinges, 2001)
- If you lose just one hour of sleep at night, it can affect your mood, memory, ability to pay attention and even your health (Mass, 1999)

Normal range of sleep
- Majority of us sleep on a 7 to 8 hour per night schedule

Sleep hormone
- A sleep-promoting substance found in the brain and spinal cord

Beta Waves
- Small, fast brain waves associated with being awake and alert

Alpha waves
- Large, slow brain waves associated with relaxation and falling asleep; also occur when you are relaxed and allow your thoughts to drift

Non-REM sleep function
- Increases after physical exertion and may help us recover from body fatigue

REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement sleep)
- Day-time stress tends to increase REM sleep
- REM sleep totals only about 90minutes per night
- Time of high emotion
- Heart beats irregularly
- Blood pressure and breathing waver
- Both males and females appear to be sexually aroused – male usually have erection, genital blood flow increases in women – this occurs for all REM sleep (Jouvet, 1999)

REM behavior disorder
- Failure of normal muscle paralysis, leading to violent actions during REM sleep

Hypersomnia
- Excessive daytime sleepiness

Insomnia
- Difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep
- also not feeling rested after sleeping

Narcolepsy
- sudden, irresistible, daytime sleep attacks that may last anywhere from few minutes to a half hour
- victims may fall asleep while standing, talking or driving