Sleeping Psychology

This investigation examines is it possible for light pulses to alter the motor skills, and cardiac movements of biological life forms. Is it possible to change how biological lifeforms functions if we were to shine a light on them every hour at night? Knowing how most animals work, and from that of human experience I can say that light is what makes us stay awake; therefore if we have a light shined on us every hour would we lose sleep? These are the type of questions I will be answering throughout my extended essay. I will talk about how our sleep is affected by light, and monitor this so I can then record the data. I will also be discussing why we sleep. Which you may be wondering how this ties into light, however light does damage our skin

Purpose: To inform the audience about what sleep is and how it helps the body.

In a laboratory study of sleep deprivation, researchers employed a variety of techniques to keep volunteers awake for variable amounts of time. One group of participants was kept awake for 24 hours, and the other was kept awake for 48 hours. During periods of forced wakefulness, participants were required to engage verbal learning tasks such as memorizing the definitions of obscure English words. At the conclusion of the period of forced wakefulness, participants were allowed to sleep for as

There are a few factors that are essential for life such as breathing or eating, but one of the most essential factor is sleep. Even though the amount of sleep people need differs from one individual to another, the fact is that eventually everyone needs to sleep. People know the importance of sleep, but due to the increased workload and the pressure of society people are getting less sleep. As a result, there has been an increase interest on the effects lack of sleep has on the mind especially the memory of a person. Many questions arose about the relationship between sleep and memory due to the fact most high school and college students have become sleep deprived. For example, does more sleep mean higher grades?

An article in Nature Neuroscience from February 2009 describes an experiment which was conducted regarding sleep and its correlation to memory. Memory was impaired after 35 hours of sleep deprivation weekly and constant shallow sleep. Regular sleep benefits memory as newly stored information is easily encoded. Proper sleep is crucial for processing and retaining new information. Those who suffer from sleep deprivation struggle to maintain new information and with comprehension skills. In order for students to maximize their learning capabilities, they need the proper sleep to be mentally prepared for

Considering the restoration model, the concept explains, “Sleep recharges our run-down bodies and allows us to recover from physical and mental fatigue” (187). Considering this, days that I work especially hard in the classroom and in the gym I will follow up with a good night’s rest. In addition, because I am bombarded with information every day, from studying and homework assignments, I will be sure to create my sleep schedule while considering the memory consolidation theory, which states that during sleep the brain begins a gradual process by transferring information into the long-term memory (188). In light of these two reasons, my sleep and circadian rhythm management becomes even more essential. Experiencing this better sleep, my body and mind will refresh and my ability to pay attention and encode material in class will

This article explains the importance of getting the perfect amount of sleep at night. The idea that sleeping for less than five hours or more than nine hours proves to have a negative effect on the human body. Sleep deprivation has a closely related link to memory retention and can cause a person to have trouble with daily task. The author continues to explain that not only is the brain effected by too little or too much sleep, but the rest of the body is also effected. Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even depression have links to not getting the perfect amount of sleep. The article concludes with listing tips to get the ideal amount of sleep at night, such as, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day and limiting the amount of caffeine that is consumed throughout the day.

It is no secret that, similar to other animals, sleep is one of the most important things for a human being’s overall health. According to Watson and Breedlove, there are four main biological/neurological functions of sleep: energy conservation—the body uses less energy when it is asleep through what is called slow-wave sleep (SWS) by doing things such as reducing body temperature and slowing respiration; niche adaptation—the environmental happenings to which organisms are adapted to; body restoration—it restores materials used during awake hours; and memory consolidation—SWS and REM sleep help the brain consolidate memories from the previous day (2012).

This paper will discuss whether Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) is or is not induced by our sleep patterns and quality of sleep. Per the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM), Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) is defined as “a temporary memory loss characterized by an abrupt onset of anterograde (AGA) and retrograde amnesia (RA).” In other words, TGA occurs when there is a sudden occurrence of both Anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia at the same time. As defined by the JCSM, anterograde amnesia is “the acute inability to retain new information” and retrograde amnesia is “the significant reduction in the ability to recall past events. ” TGA has been known to last up to twenty-four hours. During the acute

Both nocturnal and diurnal sleep enhances memory consolidation. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep enhances procedural memory traces, whereas non-REM (NREM) sleep, particularly slow wave sleep (SWS), enhances declarative memory aspects. It is speculated whether an increase in time spent in the NREM stage would provide additional memory benefits. The goal of this research design is to establish whether declarative memory is dose-dependent on the length of the NREM episode achieved during sleep. First, a visuospatial object recognition task and a procedural finger sequence

During states of arousal and wakefulness, information is encoded in the neocortical and hippocampal networks in the form of memories (Frankland et al., 2005). The networks that are activated during wakefulness are subsequently reactivated during SWS via SWA, which leads to synaptic downscaling and memory consolidation. A study conducted by Peigneux and colleagues (2004) provided evidence that presents a positive association between improvement in post-sleep retrieval activity performance and the amount of hippocampal SWA that an individual experiences during SWS. This study suggests a correlation between the reactivation of wake-active neuronal networks via SWA and memory improvement during SWS. In addition to the overnight evaluation of memory consolidation, short-term evaluation of memory across the first day, which included a 90 minute sleep period between training and performance of the retrieval activity, also demonstrated a positive correlation between the amount of SWA that occurred during the sleep period and the success of the retrieval activity performance (Peigneux et al., 2004). Moreover, a study conducted by Marshall and colleagues (2004), also examined the manipulation of memory consolidation during sleep and found a positive association between hippocampal SWA and the performance of a

Sleep is essential for optimal human function. In fact, a lack of sleep can actually affect important cognitive functions, like memory. A 2007 study added to the already substantial evidence that even acute total sleep deprivation impairs attentiveness, working memory, and reaction time in various tasks (Alhola, Polo-Kantola). One such way to further this investigation of the effects of sleep deprivation on memory is through the Memory Interference Test, or MIT. MIT is a program designed by Gaston Pfluegl, Ph.D., and Enrique Lopez, Psy. D., at UCLA to test the memory of students. Along with a memory test, the MIT also anonymously collected the physical states, mental states, and demographics of each student test subject, providing a substantial database through which students can test hypotheses, such as the connection between sleep deprivation and memory. Since the MIT requires short-term memory recall, the hours of sleep a student had before taking the test could have a noticeable effect on his or her performance. An unprecedented study this year found that sleep deprivation may actually even induce false memories, which would certainly impact a student taking the MIT because the test requires the subject to recognize images that have been previously presented to them (Frenda, et al). The hypothesis is that students who slept 8 hours before the test will perform better on the MIT than students who only slept 4 hours. The null hypothesis is that students who had adequate

“The specific loss of REM (rapid eye movement) phase sleep also results in memory loss (Poriel

Sleep is one of the unavoidable daily-living activities and it is one of the most important factors contributing to a person’s health. A quality sleep is essential for the physical, cognitive and psychological well-being of a person. Learning, memory processing and maintenance of the brain are among the most important functions of sleep. In addition to maintaining the brain, sleep has important roles in controlling the

It is important to try to get as much sleep as possible for a healthier life. Good rest causes a boost in energy, mental clarity, and improved health (Helvig). Along with all of these benefits, sleep affects the brain in many positive ways too. Rest plays a major role in strengthening memories, also. Memories that are forged during the day are fortified during sleep (Nere 12). An experiment was conducted in the University of Notre Dame that showed that test subjects could recognize different parts of a picture of a dead cat after experiencing different sections of sleep. “After a night of sleep the subjects could accurately recognize the image of a dead cat, but they had forgotten the background street scene” (Stickgold). The subjects did not, however, accurately remember pictures that were not so gruesome. For example, they could recognize the dead cat but not a cat walking across the road. Another experiment was conducted that had subjects tap out a rhythm with their fingers. Only over a period of non-REM sleep was this ability to remember the rhythm enhanced. “The inescapable conclusion: the brain strengthens different types of memories during different stages of sleep” (Stickgold). While sleep can have many constructive effects,