The Neurophysiology of Sleep and Dreams Essay

Total sleep deprivation longer than forty hours proves impossible; however, due to brief periods of micro sleep, it is possible to function properly longer (“Sleep”). Micro sleep represents the body's obvious need for sleep. Even though it only lasts for a couple of seconds, it can have some restorative function to the body, but individuals cannot survive on this; they need a full night’s rest (“Sleep”). Losing more than one night's sleep produces a noticeable increase in irritability, lethargy, disinterest, and even paranoia. An individual’s psychomotor performance and concentration are also affected and eventually immunological functions suffer. Newborns sleep as many as seventeen hours a day, whereas five-year-olds average about twelve hours a night (“Sleep and Sleep Disorders”). For some reason, many people experience the best and most satisfying sleep of their lives during the middle teen years (“Sleep and Sleep

Throughout history, numerous people have studied the human body and its many functions. One area of the body that causes much confusion and controversy is the mind. Many parts of the brain baffle scientists, but a specific aspect of the mind that is fascinating and puzzling is dreams and their functions. It is surprising that an average person dreams for at least six years of their life, but scientists still do not know the role of dreaming (Shaw). Several theories have been presented to provide a reason for dreaming, and attempt to explain what most do not understand. Although dream research has been prominent lately, no agreement has been reached on which theory is correct on the purpose of dreams. Some believe that dreams are only

Dreaming, although a substantial component of our nighttime lives, remains somewhat of an enigma due to the fact that it occurs while we are unconscious. The inaccessibility of the unconscious mind weakens full analysis and comprehension of dreaming which researchers have been attempting to accomplish. However, over the years many researchers have elucidated many mysteries about dreams, such as when we dream, why we dream, and what we dream about, in order to bring forth an understanding of dreams as well as identify

To many people, dreams are the thoughts that occur while sleeping, having almost mystic qualities. For millennia the significance of dreams has escaped even the brightest of philosophers and intellectuals. Many people have speculated about why people dream and what meanings the dreams have but in recent times two theories have gained credibility in answering those questions. The first theory is Sigmund Freuds and the other is known as the cognitive theory of dreams also known as biological determinism.

Everyone has a different amount of sleep that they try and get every night. Some can pass off three hours, nevertheless others try and get up to 16 hours. The amount of sleep recommended is seven to eight hours a night, and infants should have 14 to 16 hours of sleep. Scientists are trying to determine what triggers sleep and if the brain can contain information while the body is sleeping, until the body is awakened to recall that same information. Our body needs sleep to function properly, and it could possibly lead to diseases if there is not great deal of sleep.

In the book Introduction to Psychology by Plotnick, and Kouyoumdjian, there were many topics I read about that were interesting, but module 7 was the one that cute my attention. The module is about dreams. According to the definition in the book dreaming is a unique state of consciousness in which we are asleep, but experience a variety of astonishing visual, auditory and tactile images, often connected in strange ways and often in color. People blind from birth has only auditory or tactile dreams. Sleep and dreams play important roles in human life. Sleep is divided into two major categories called non-Rem and REM. According we spend 80percent of our sleep time. Sleep consists of five different stages. I will be discussing three of the stages.

The brain activity during REM sleep is mainly mixed brain waves consisting of theta, alpha and beta waves. This is also the point in a sleep cycle where the body is basically rigid. The brain has shut off all muscle movements other than the ones that keep you alive. This stage is a prime example of how the brain is busy while we are sleeping, “REM sleep begins with signals from an area at the base of the brain called the pons. These signals travel to a brain region called the thalamus, which relays them to the cerebral cortex – the outer layer of the brain that is responsible for learning, thinking, and organizing information. The pons also sends signals that shut off neurons in the spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis of the limb muscles”(Brain Basics). Being that REM sleep deals with learning, scientists believe this is the reason infants sleep a large amount of time and also why they are more susceptible to being woken up by the slightest noises. Since this stage of sleeping has a great deal of dreaming and brain involvement some scientists believe that dreaming is the brain’s way of sorting out information it receives during sleep, creating a “story” out of what it gathers. REM sleep could be considered as a work out for your brain, helping us to make sense of what we experience throughout our

Dreams and the process of sleeping have fascinated mankind since the beginning of recorded history. With this, dreams have become a fundamental aspect of the human experience. We sleep for a number of reasons; behavioral advantages, restoring metabolic natures, development, and for many other evolutionary reasons. However, it has yet to be discovered as to why we dream during sleep. Through time, many have grown curious as to why dreams exist and what the underlying purpose is.

As work hours become longer and people’s lives become more packed, the number of hours of sleep that people are privileged to, also shortens. This leads many to question the importance and meaning of sleep. Grivas, Down, and Carter (1999) defines sleep as a “regularly occurring altered state of consciousness that occurs spontaneously and is characterized by a loss of conscious awareness.” There are four to five sleep cycles per night which consists of a period of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). Non-rapid eye movement is when the body recovers, the neurotransmitters are replenished, and the body tissues are repaired. Rapid eye movement sleep is necessary for the restoration of mental functions. This is known as the repair and restoration theory of sleep. Recent research also points to a variety of other different theories, most notably, the evolutionary theory. The evolutionary or adaptive theory suggests that sleep has evolved to protect animals from danger. In this review, the strengths and limitations of the two theories of sleep will be analysed and evaluated.

Have you ever wondered what is happening while a person is sleeping? “Sleep is the word we use to define both a biological state and a behavioral state in which we are quiet and relatively unresponsive to external stimuli” (Larson 1990). Measured when sleeping, brain waves have been identified into several distinct stages. Everyone experiences four stages of the sleep cycle, including REM (Larson 1990). This topic really interested me because it is something that every human goes through and it cannot be eliminated from a person’s life. This topic really catches my attention because everyone can experience the effects of sleep deprivation and it does not just occur in one specific person. This topic is significant to me because my grandfather has narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.

the NREM sleep stages are Stage 1. You’re drowsy which means you tired, it eventually gets replaced even slower theta brain waves then you enter the first step of sleep which doesn’t last for long you eventually disengage from your surroundings. Hypnagogic experiences can happen in stage 1. Stage 2 is onset sleep, you have brain activity that only last 1 or 2 seconds. You can get K complexes which means it is a high-voltage that spikes of brain activity, eventually

Early civilizations thought they were a medium between the earthly world and that of the Gods. This point of view is more of a religious outlook and it involves a lot of superstitions of what dreams mean. Just searching "dream" in google what immediately pops up is dream dictionaries and tons of them. These dictionaries are said to cover anything from the colors you see to the actions that take place. For example, if you dreamt about kissing it could mean that there are two aspects of your life that are merging together or it may suggest some sort of wish fulfillment. Also, if the color black is a major aspect it could represent mystery. The list goes on and on of what anything could mean. Just like how people listen to their horoscopes, many own dream dictionaries so that they know exactly what it might be that they are dreaming about or what it is that they should be looking for in the near, or maybe even far,

Alternatively, promoting the preservation of critical neurons and brain areas associated with fatal familial insomnia should be a goal. Damage to these areas has severe consequences, as seen in FFI, SFI, and chronic insomnia. They produce environments that are toxic neuronal networks in the brain and thus functionality. Disruption allows for dysregulation of important systems, such as autonomic and endocrine, allowing for extra vulnerability in the patient. Protective therapies directed at certain areas, like the thalamus and limbic system, can be targeted to slow the progress of these

 There are five stages of sleep, REM and NREM stages 1, 2, 3, & 4.

Keywords: Slow-Wave Sleep, REM Sleep, Memory, Learning, Sleep Deprivation, Parasomnia, Night Terrors, and Sleep Walking