Sleep: The Four Theories Of Sleep

One of the question that will be answer in my essay is why we sleep? Is it because of an ancient survival instinct we have? It very well could be however another explanation for why we sleep is based on the belief that sleep is for our bodies to restore what we lost in the body while we were awake. It is thought to provide the body with the rest it needs in order to repair itself. We have been able to gather information about sleep due to human and animal study and research alike. One of the things we have learned from animal research is that the animals who are deprived of sleep start to have their immune system deteriorate. We can support this claim because of the findings of the hormones that are released. One of the other positive aspects of sleep is that when we

Sleep is a state of altered consciousness, characterized by certain patterns of the brains activity and inactivity. An altered state of consciousness is when a person is not completely aware of their surroundings. Some researchers believe that we sleep to clear our minds of useless information. Other people believe that it is a type of primitive hibernation: we sleep to conserve energy.

Introduction: I’m sure everyone likes sleep. Everyone needs sleep to keep the least bit active through out there day. Sleep is an important factor for your body to restore energy. Sleeping is a time to rest your body from all the hard work you have done. It is relaxing so deeply that you lose consciousness of your surroundings.

The question “why do we sleep?” is a very difficult question to answer. One way to think about why sleep is important is looking at sleep as if it was food. Food helps us feel better and also helps the human body function properly.There are many different assumptions on why we sleep.The first is that sleeping allows the body to repair cells damaged by metabolic

The two general approaches taken by theories of sleep is both restoration and evolutionary theories. Restoration theories suggest that sleep exists in order to repair and restore the body. While the evolutionary theories that relate sleep ability to survive in a hostile environment.

The average human spends about 25 years of their life sleeping. That is equal to one-third of a person’s life. So if sleep is vital and common among every single human, what do you know about it? What happens when we sleep (Attention Grabber)? Before the 1950s, scientists believed that the brain would just “shut off” when we would go to sleep. It wasn’t until the discovery of the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) state that scientists really looked into what happens in the brain while we are asleep. Studies have found that we go through a cycle of stages during sleep, and it is important for our health (Orientation to Topic). Today, I am going to inform you about what really happens when we sleep, and some issues that are found among it (Specific Purpose). In order to really understand this worldwide commonality, you need to know some background on sleep, the stages in the cycle, and some common disorders (Central Idea). I have taken a year long psychology course that went into depth on sleep psychology, and I have done extensive research on the topic to better grasp it (Statement of Credibility). I want to inform you on sleep so you can understand what happens when you close your eyes every night, and so you can detect any irregularities in your sleep pattern (Statement of Goodwill). First, I will give a background of why and how we know to sleep, then I will explain the stages in the sleep cycle, and finally I will tell you about some common disorders (Preview).

There are four main reasons why we sleep. The first is for cardiovascular relaxation which lower blood pressure, lowers heart rate, and lowers metabolic rate. The second reason is for mental and physical restorative properties. Lack of sleep will then manifest itself with physical and cognitive side effects such as fatigue, difficulty focusing, slower response times, memory problems, decreased balance, and decreased ability to perform tasks. The third reason we sleep is to help with learning. Studies have shown that good sleep prior to taking tests increases performance. Finally sleep is the only cure for sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness can cause a person to fall asleep while reading, watching television, talking to others, or even driving. Not getting enough sleep puts people at risk for hypertension and coronary events. It also increases morbidity and mortality.

Sleep is undoubtedly one of the most essential requirements for the human body to function properly. It plays a very important role in ensuring the wellness of the human body both physically as well as mentally. In fact, the importance of sleep is clear from the fact that it helps you in maintaining a good lifestyle throughout our entire lifetime. Not only does it help maintain our physical and mental health; rather it also helps in maintaining a decent and healthy lifestyle along with ensuring safety from a number of fatal diseases. It is usually said that the mood in which you wake up is largely dependent on the type of sleep you have been in. This in itself is a big proof of the importance of sleep in our lives. While sleeping, our body finally gets its share of rest and it also gets ample time in rejuvenating from all the wear and tear that it went through during the entire day. Not only this, the body is in its own working condition when we are sleeping as this is the time when it supports the healthy functioning of the brain as well as physical attributes of our body.

The Inactivity Theory is one of the earliest theories on why we may sleep, it suggests that you sleep at night to keep you out of harm’s way from predators. It gives us an advantage to save energy

Sleep is the resting period so the body can eliminate muscle waste, repair cells, strengthen immune system, and recover mental flexibility, attention and creativity. There are four stages we go through while we sleep. In stage 1 , brain waves become small/irregular and drift to edge of consciousness (light sleep) where it proceeds to start stage 2 where the brain emits short bursts of rapid and high-peak waves (sleep spindles). In Stage 3 Brain waves stage 2 + some high peak slow delta waves (slow breath/hard to wake) and last stage, is when the brain emits delta waves and is in deep sleep.

The evolutionary reason is for protection. Sleep deprivation, or lack of sleep, is extremely stressful. When one does not get enough sleep, it affects one’s ability to pay attention, make decisions, and solve problems. Also, the brain activity decreases.

Sleeping is extremely important for all mammals, but humans especially. Without sleep we are unable to function properly and at our fullest abilities. When we sleep we grow, and it is an opportunity for us to dream which has many benefits. Sleep is also a way for us to relieve ourselves of stress.

 A most popular theory on why we sleep is the restorative theory of sleep:

There is no clear reason for sleep. According to page 171 of Pearson’s Introduction to Psychology, there are many different beliefs of why our bodies must sleep; sleep might play a critical role in storing memories and remembering emotional information (Payne & Kesinger, 2010), sleep could be important in keeping the immune system healthy, sleep may help promote insight and problem solving (Wagner, et al., 2004), or sleep might even contribute to our survival by conserving our energy, taking us out of circulation at times when we might be most vulnerable to unseen predators, and restoring our strength to fend them off (Siegel, 2005). The only idea that is for sure is that sleep is of central importance to our health and daily functions.

Why is sleep so important to us? There have been studies done that suggest that sleep deprivation can be detrimental to or decrease the function of our immune systems. Just think, how often was it that after many days of continual sleep deprivation did you start to think that you had a cold? Sleep deprivation can also result in a decrease in core body temperature, decrease in the release of growth hormone, and possible cause an increase in heart rate variability. Sleep also seems to be important in order for our nervous system to work properly. Without sufficient amount of sleep, our behavior and our ability to do things are impaired. We feel drowsy and are unable to concentrate after not getting enough sleep. With enough sleep deprivation, it has been found that some begin to hallucinate and develop mood swings. Higher-ordered cognitive task become more difficult to do where it has been shown that tests that require speed and accuracy have lower results compared to those that are not sleep deprived. Judgment is also impaired; it has been tested that riskier behavior is more likely to occur when sleep deprived. (2).This is part of the reason why you should not drive when you are sleep deprived. Aside from the risk of falling asleep at the wheel, since judgment is