SLEEP

SLEEP
Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings.
Sleep comes on one naturally when one is tired, exhausted or at night. Doing calming activities before bedtime such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques might promote better sleep. Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too.
Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Stress management might help. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks.

Different types of sleep
Sleep occurs in repeating periods or cycles, in which the body alternates between two distinct modes:
 Non-REM sleep
 Rapid Eye Mode (REM) sleep
Although REM stands for “rapid eye movement”, this mode of sleep has many other aspects, including virtual paralysis of the body. A well-known feature of sleep is dream( which occurs during REM sleep), an experience typically recounted in narrative form, which resembles waking life while in progress, but which usually can later be distinguished as fantasy. During sleep, most of the body’s systems are in an anabolic state, helping to restore the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems; these are vital processes that maintain mood, memory, and cognitive function, and play a large role in the function of the endocrine and immune systems.

What Happens to the Body/Brain When One Sleeps?
Virtually every part of the body experiences notable changes during sleep. Upon falling asleep, thousands of neurons in the brain switch from waking to sleeping state, sending signals throughout the body. Sleep reinforces the cardiovascular and immune systems and helps regulate metabolism. What happens during sleep can be seen in notable changes in core body processes.

• Breathing slows during non-REM sleep with respiration reaching its lowest rates during deep sleep. Breathing ramps up and may become irregular during REM sleep.
• Heart rate begins to slow during early stage, and reaches its slowest pace during later stage of non-REM sleep. On the other hand, during REM sleep, which follows non REM sleep, the pulse quickens to nearly the same rate as when awake.
• One commences sleeping with non-REM before lapsing into REM sleep. The cycle is repeated several times during a period of sleep.
• Muscles gradually relax during each stage of non-REM sleep, and the body’s total energy expenditure drops. During the REM stage, most muscles are paralyzed in a condition known as atonia. This keeps the legs and arms from flailing in response to dream content. Respiratory and eye muscles stay active, though, and the darting of the eyes behind closed eyelids is the inspiration for the name rapid eye movement sleep.
• Brain Activity when measured during sleep( brain waves) show clear patterns associated with each sleep stage. In the early parts of non-REM sleep, brain waves slow down considerably; In REM sleep, brain activity accelerates, showing markedly different types of brain waves.
• Dreaming is most prevalent and intense during REM sleep, but it can occur during any sleep stage. That said, dreams that happen during non-REM and REM sleep tend to show different patterns with REM dreams often being more fanciful, immersive, or bizarre.
• Hormone levels fluctuate during different sleep stages, and quality of sleep may also affect daytime hormone production.

Benefits of Sleep
 May help you maintain or lose weight. So, prioritizing sleep may support healthy body weight.
 Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function to improve cognition, concentration and productivity; Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function.
 Getting enough sleep has been shown to improve many aspects of athletic and physical performance.
 Having enough sleep as recommended may and can strengthen one’s heart.
 Good sleep supports a healthy immune system.
 Sleep affects emotions and social interactions. Prioritizing sleep may be a key way to improve your relationships with others and help you become more social.

Effect of Sleep Deprivation

 Lack of sleep gives many negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain, inflammation, and sickness.
 Severe sleep deprivation increases lack of concentration and focus on tasks and reflexes. It can greatly affect your ability to make critical decisions.
 Sleep deprivation may reduce your social skills and ability to process emotions.
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Insomnia

Insomnia is inability to sleep adequately. A person with insomnia has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. They may consistently wake up too early.This can lead to issues such as:
• Daytime sleepiness and lethargy
• A general feeling of being mentally and physically unwell
• Mood changes
• Irritability, and anxiety.
• Insomnia may play a role in the development of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression.
• It can also undermine school and work performance and limit a person’s ability to do daily activities.

Causes of insomnia
Insomnia can result from a range of physical and psychological factors. Often, the cause is a temporary problem, such as short-term stress. In some other instances, insomnia stems from an underlying medical condition.Common causes include:
o Having jet lag
o Switching shifts at work
o Dealing with any other changes to the body’s internal clock
o The room being too hot, cold, or noisy
o The bed being uncomfortable
o Getting too little physical exercise
o Having night terrors or bad dreams
o Using recreational drugs, such as cocaine or ecstasy
In some people, stress or a mental health issue is responsible for insomnia.
A person may be experiencing:depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia,
an overactive thyroid, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal reflux disease, commonly called GERD.

Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is a condition in which you feel extreme daytime sleepiness despite getting sleep that should be adequate (or more than adequate). If you have hypersomnia, you fall asleep several times during the day. Hypersomnia affects your ability to function at work and socially, affects your quality of life and increases your chance of accidents.
Hypersomnia is more common in females than males. It is thought to affect about 5% of the population. It’s usually diagnosed in adolescence or young adulthood (mean age is 17 to 24 years).

What are the signs and symptoms of hypersomnia?
-Constant, recurrent episodes of extreme sleepiness during the day
-Sleeping longer than average (10 or more hours) yet still being very sleepy during the day and having difficulty remaining awake during the day
-Difficulty waking up in the morning (“sleep drunkenness”) or after daytime naps, sometimes appearing confused or combative.
-Daytime naps don’t lead to improved alertness. They are unrefreshing and nonrestorative
-Anxiety, irritability
-Decreased energy
-Restlessness
-Slow thinking, slow speech, inability to focus/concentrate, memory problems
-Headache
-Loss of appetite
-Hallucinations

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances. Narcolepsy can cause serious disruptions in your daily routine.
Sometimes, narcolepsy can be accompanied by a sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), which can be triggered by strong emotion. Narcolepsy that occurs with cataplexy is called type 1 narcolepsy. Narcolepsy that occurs without cataplexy is known as type 2 narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a chronic condition for which there’s no cure. However, medications and lifestyle changes can help you manage the symptoms. Support from others — family, friends, employers, teachers — can help you cope with narcolepsy.

Recommended Hours of Sleep According to Age

Age Range Recommended Hours of Sleep/day
Newborn 0-3 months old 14-17 hours
Infant 4-11 months old 12-15 hours
Toddler 1-2 years old 11-14 hours
Preschool 3-5 years old 10-13 hours
School-age 6-13 years old 9-11 hours
Teen 14-17 years old 8-10 hours
Young Adult 18-25 years old 7-9 hours
Adult 26-64 years old 7-9 hours
Older Adult 65 or more years old 7-8 hours

What is Sleeping Sickness?
African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness or simply sleeping sickness, is an insect-borne parasitic infection of humans and other animals. It is caused by the species Trypanosoma brucei. Humans are infected by two types, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (TbG) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (TbR). TbG causes over 98% of reported cases. Both are usually transmitted by the bite of an infected tsetse fly and are most common in rural areas.Initially, the first stage of the disease is characterized by fevers, headaches, itchiness, and joint pains, beginning one to three weeks after the bite. Weeks to months later, the second stage begins with confusion, poor coordination, numbness, abnormal sleeping pattern. Diagnosis is by finding the parasite in a blood smear or in the fluid of a lymph node. A lumbar puncture is often needed to tell the difference between first- and second-stage disease. If the disease is not treated quickly it can lead to death.

What is Sleep Walking or Somnambulism?
Sleepwalking — also known as somnambulism — involves getting up and walking around while in a state of sleep. More common in children than adults, sleepwalking is usually outgrown by the teen years. Isolated incidents of sleepwalking often don’t signal any serious problems or require treatment. However, recurrent sleepwalking may suggest an underlying sleep disorder.
Sleepwalking usually occurs early in the night — often one to two hours after falling asleep. It’s unlikely to occur during naps. A sleepwalking episode can occur rarely or often, and an episode generally lasts several minutes, but can last longer.

Someone who is sleepwalking may:
-Get out of bed and walk around
-Sit up in bed and open his or her eyes
-Have a glazed, glassy-eyed expression
-Not responding or communicating with others
-Be difficult to wake up during an episode
-Be disoriented or confused for a short time after being awakened
-Not remember the episode in the morning
-Have problems functioning during the day because of disturbed sleep
-Have sleep terrors in addition to sleepwalking

Sometimes, a person who is sleepwalking will:
-Do routine activities, such as getting dressed, talking or eating
-Leave the house
-Drive a car
-Engage in unusual behaviour, such as urinating in a closet
-Engage in sexual activity without awareness
-Get injured, for example, by falling down the stairs or jumping out of a window
-Become violent during the period of brief confusion immediately after waking or, occasionally, during sleepwalking.

Occasional episodes of sleepwalking aren’t usually a cause for concern and typically resolve on their own. However, consult your doctor if the sleepwalking episodes:
i) Occur often — for example, more than one to two times a week or several times a night
ii) Lead to dangerous behaviour or injury to the person who sleepwalks or to others
iii) Cause significant sleep disruption to household members or the person who sleepwalks
iv) Result in daytime symptoms of excessive sleepiness or problems functioning
v) Start for the first time as an adult
vi) Continue into your child’s teen years

Causes of Sleep Walking
Many factors can contribute to sleepwalking, including:
-Sleep deprivation
-Stress
-Fever
-Sleep schedule disruptions, travel or sleep interruptions
-Sometimes sleepwalking can by triggered by underlying conditions that interfere with sleep, such as:
-Sleep-disordered breathing — a group of disorders featuring abnormal breathing patterns during sleep (for example, obstructive sleep apnea)
-Taking certain medications, such as hypnotics, sedatives or certain medications used for psychiatric disorders
-Substance use, such as alcohol
-Restless legs syndrome
-Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=280241&ecd=mnl_day_072622
https://www.britannica.com/science/sleeping-sickness
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21591-hypersomnia
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works