Non Rem Sleep Into Four Stages example essay topic

INTRODUCTION Stephen King's Number One Best-Seller, Insomnia, is a book about an elderly man named Ralph Roberts who begins to suffer from early waking. This form of insomnia grows into a terrible problem for Ralph as he begins to awaken earlier and earlier each morning. People begin to comment about his health and sickly appearance. Many take it upon themselves to recommend old-fashioned home remedies that aren't supposed to fail. Ralph attempted everything from staying up all night (much to his dismay, he found himself growing more and more awake as the early morning hours passed) to sucking on honeycomb. None of the-tried-and true remedies work and by the time Ralph is getting only about an hour of sleep each night, Ralph begins to see auras around people.

Naturally, Ralph begins to think that he is becoming senile because of his old age of 70, even one of his best friends tells him that he has lost it. When Ralph meets two little men from another realm of consciousness and they reveal that they caused him to lose sleep. They explained to him that losing sleep enable him to see the auras that he had begun to see, he is quite relieved to find that he isn't insane. This story progresses to its climax in which Ralph must take on a man who is unknowingly helping the king of the dark side, known as the Random in this thriller, kill two thousand people. There is a little boy amongst these people who will save two men in the future, these men are destined to help the light side, known as the Purpose. During the fight, Ralph takes on the king of the Random himself and wins.

This saves the little boy and according to the two little men, the universe is balanced once again. As promised by the two little otherworldly men, life returns to normal for Ralph and he can once again sleep. What happened to Ralph in this work is a very imaginative look at what happens to a person suffering from insomnia. In scientific reports, there isn't evidence of the patient seeing auras, being capable of rising to other levels of consciousness at will, or even entering levels which make them invisible to the human eye, as Ralph did in the book. Sufferers of insomnia in the real world will experience difficulties such as: daytime sleepiness, impaired performance, impaired memory, impaired alertness, impaired concentration, anxiety, irritability, irregular sleep schedules, depression, poor appetite, chronic stress, and disrupted social schedules. THE DEFINITION Insomnia is defined as the "perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, and un-refreshing sleep", according to the National Institutes of Health.

Insomnia disrupts social schedules, which help maintain the body's natural rhythms. In other words, insomnia disrupts normal daily patterns, which can sustain depression or lead to a relapse after recovery. Insomnia is one of at least eighty four distinct sleep disorders that affect Americans. It is the most common sleep disorder. Insomnia varies from restless or disturbed sleep to a reduction in the usual time spent sleeping. In extreme conditions, insomnia includes complete wakefulness; this extremity seems to be the stereotype that is most thought of when the subject of insomnia is mentioned.

There are many different types of insomnia. Transient insomnia only lasts for a few nights, in this case, the sufferer's biological clock will often get back to normal on its own. When two to four weeks consist of poor sleep, this is called short-term insomnia. As with transient insomnia, a sufferer of short-term insomnia will usually just wait for their biological clock to get back on track.

Medical treatment is usually important when a person suffers from chronic insomnia. In the case of chronic insomnia, a person will be lacking in sleep on most nights for a month or longer. SLEEP PATTERNS To best understand why insomnia is such a problem for those who suffer from it, the role of sleep must be understood. Everyone requires a different amount of sleep. Most adults require about seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Some adults can perform perfectly normal on only three hours of sleep, these people are known as "short sleepers".

The role of sleep is a bit complex to explain on paper. The mechanism that induces sleep is unknown. The pineal gland in the brain releases a hormone called melatonin, in the dark, this is thought to be instrumental in sleep onset induction. It is also unknown what happens to mind and body during sleep, that makes it necessary for good health and efficient mental functioning. However, it is known that sleep consists of two very different states. In one state, rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, the eyelids move under the closed lids, the heartbeat quickens and all body processes speed up.

REM is the most active part of sleep, in which the brain waves have a pattern that is the most similar to the brain waves of person who is awake. REM sleep and dreaming, which occurs mainly during REM, are triggered by the pons, which are a bridge that connects the brain stem with the cerebellum, and neighboring structures of the brain stem. During dreams, sexual arousal is common, even if the dreams, themselves, are not sexual in content. When researchers woke people up during REM sleep and asked them about their dreams; they found that almost all who awakened during REM sleep could remember their dreams.

They realized that people who claim they do not dream really do not remember their dreams the next morning. Also, scientists found that, rather than being fleeting events, dreams vary in length according to the length of REM period. Periods of REM sleep last about 20 minutes and occur four or five times during the night. REM periods alternate with longer periods of non-REM (REM) sleep, when the body functions slow down.

In later studies, scientists divided non-REM sleep into four stages, accounting for about 75 percent of total sleep. In each stage, brain waves become progressively larger and slower, and sleep becomes deeper. During the cycle of the phases each lasts for a different period of time during the time we are sleeping. The first stage is the lightest stage of sleep and is characterized by drifting in and out of sleep and slow muscle and eye activity. When people are awakened during this phase they usually have fragmented visual memory of what they were experiencing while asleep.

The second stage is the one in which the most time is spent, close to fifty percent, during this stage three electrical activity, measured by electrodes, slows down except for infrequent bouts of rapid waves called sleep spindles. Stage three and four are considered stages of deep sleep, delta wave appear during phase three and are produced almost exclusively during phase four. Delta waves are extremely slow brain waves. Though there is no consistent eye movement or muscle activity during these two periods.

After reaching stage 4, the deepest period, it is also found that it is harder to arouse the sleeper. Stage 4 sleep is felt to be restorative, and it is during this time that the body repairs itself, utilizing a hormone called. Deficient stage 4 sleep is felt to be an important factor in chronically painful conditions, such as fibro myalgia. As the night goes on, the pattern reverses, and sleep becomes progressively lighter until REM sleep, the most active period occurs. This cycle typically occurs about once every 90 minutes in humans.

In a Star Trek episode, the theory that a person will lose sanity if they cannot dream was proposed. Though nothing states this exactly, it seems that sleep deprivation will lead a person to become irritable and irrational. Sleep deprivation impairs alertness, cognitive performance, and mood. Sleep loss can cause myriad pernicious consequences including illness, ongoing sleep problems, emotional problems, and memory loss, according to Cornell University professor James Mass Ph. D. According to studies, after each twenty-four hour period, the ability to do useful mental work declines by another twenty-five percent. THE CAUSES OF INSOMNIA There are many different conditions that contribute to insomnia. As in King's book, age is one of the causes for insomnia.

It tends to occur more frequently in those over the age of sixty. There are other certain conditions that are more likely to cause individuals to experience insomnia, some examples of this are: the female gender, which seems more likely to experience insomnia than the male gender, and if one has a history of depression, insomnia is more likely. Transient and short-term insomnia generally occur in people who are temporarily experiencing one or more of the following: stress, environmental noise, extreme temperatures, change in the surrounding environment, sleep / wake schedule problems such as those due to jet lag, medication side effects. Chronic insomnia is more complex and often results from a combination of factors, including hidden physical or mental disorders.

Some of these hidden causes include arthritis, kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, in which one feels andover-whelming need to move the legs (no pain is present), Parkinson's disease, and hyperthyroidism. Behavioral factors can contribute to the equation in which the final answer is chronic insomnia, these include the misuse of caffeine, alcohol, or other substances; disrupted sleep and wake cycles due to work shifts or other nighttime activities; chronic stress is also a big factor that contributes to insomnia. People who go to bed expecting difficulty sleeping and worrying about it, those who ingest excessive amounts of caffeine, drinking alcohol before bedtime, smoking before bedtime, excessive napping in the afternoon or evening, irregular or interrupted sleep cycles are other behaviors that contribute to insomnia. Stopping these behaviors could eliminate insomnia.

WHO GETS INSOMNIA In the United States, over fifty million adults report trouble sleeping, according to Eml in E. North of the Menninger Perspective, but only about one fifth of those who report their troubles receive medical attention for their problems. Insomnia is found in both males and females of all age groups. Insomnia appears to be more prominent amongst women, especially after menopause and amongst the elderly. According to some, the ability to sleep decreases with age, others believe that the need for sleep decreases with age. It has also been theorized that if a person is depressed, he or she is more likely to suffer from insomnia.

It is unclear though, if depression causes insomnia or if insomnia causes depression. Because the lack of sleep causes loss of concentration, a person can not perform as well and failure can lead to depression. Others who suffer from insomnia suffer because of their before-bed practices. People who ingest alcohol, a lot of caffeine, such as tea, coffee, and some sodas; smoke, watch exciting programs on television late at night, arguing with family members, consuming a large meal close to bedtime or exercise just before going to bed; excessively worry about work, children, or even difficulty sleeping; excessively nap in the afternoon or evening; or have poor sleep hygiene in general are likely to suffer from insomnia. Some factors that contribute to insomnia cannot be controlled.

Sleeplessness is common among pregnant women, especially in the later months. Insomnia is usually only temporary in cases such as jet lag, environmental noise, extreme temperatures, change in the surrounding environment, some forms of stress, and side effects from different medications. Physical conditions such as arthritis, restless legs syndrome, which can interfere with both sleep onset and sleep maintenance, asthma, sleep apnea, kidney disease, Parkinson's disease, heart failure, and hyperthyroidism can often not be helped and these can contribute to sleep loss. However, in a majority of cases, the core problem is emotional.

Internalized, unexpressed anger and anxiety are common causes of sleeplessness. Depression is also implicated in producing some forms of insomnia; waking in the early morning is common in some depressed individuals. HOW INSOMNIA IS DIAGNOSED Because different people require different amounts of sleep, insomnia can not be diagnosed by the amount of sleep a person gets. Usual symptoms include the complaint of inadequate sleep or sleep loss. With the help of medical history and a sleep history, patients are evaluated. A sleep diary, filled out by either the patient or by an interview with the patient's "bed partner" about the quality and the quantity of sleep the patient acquired, is how the sleep history is obtained.

If a primary sleep disorder, such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea, is suspected, a specialized sleep study may be recommended. TREATING INSOMNIA There are many ways to treat insomnia. Some are old tried-and-true remedies, but unlike in Ralph's situation in King's novel, these methods are highly likely to help in causing one to fall asleep with ease. Transient and short-term insomnia may not require treatment because the episodes usually last only a few days at a time.

If insomnia is due to a change that is only temporary, such as jet lag, treatment is unnecessary because a person's biological clock will go back to normal on its own. Refraining from activities such as drinking large amounts of caffeinated drinks, strenuous workouts before bed, smoking, watching exciting programs on television late at night, arguing with family members, consuming a large meal close to bedtime, excessively worrying about work, children, or even difficulty sleeping; excessively napping in the afternoon or evening; or having poor sleep hygiene in general will greatly affect one's ability to sleep if practices such as these are the cause of the insomnia. One of the first and easiest of these simple remedies is to establish a bedtime ritual. This should be composed of environmental cues that tell the body that it is time to rest. Some of these cues could include exercising during the day, taking a light stroll about an hour before going to bed, taking a warm bath, drinking a glass of warm milk (there is an amino acid in milk that becomes a sleep-enhancing compound in the brain), for many, sexual intercourse has a relaxing effect. Muscle relaxation techniques and meditation can also be helpful.

If these fail, intentionally staying awake for an entire night often breaks the cycle of insomnia. The use of over-the-counter sleep draughts are not often recommended for insomnia because of the potential side effects. If insomnia is persistent, consult a doctor. Often, reassurance that the problem results from normal anxieties or from a treatable physical disorder relieves distress and helps restore a normal sleeping pattern.

Elderly people, for example, due to their advancing years, who are experiencing the normal change in sleeping patterns, might find similar reassurance helpful. Treatment of any underlying emotional problem or change of living habits is necessary if one or the other is causing insomnia; most importantly, it is to create a situation that is appropriate for sound sleep. In cases of chronic insomnia, underlying medical or psychological problems should be identified and diagnosed. After diagnosis, the identified behaviors should be stopped or at least reduced.

Use of sleeping pills is possible although long-term use is controversial. If a patient is to take a sleeping pill, he or she should be under the supervision of a physician whose role will be to closely evaluate the effectiveness of the pill and to minimize the side effects. Behavioral techniques such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, and reconditioning should be tried to improve sleep. Relaxation therapy includes specific and effective techniques that help in the reduction of body tension and anxiety.

These techniques take a lot of practice to achieve effective relaxation. The end result is that the person's mind is able to slow down, the muscles relax and restful sleep can be achieved. The problem of some sufferers of insomnia may lie in the fact that they spend too much time in bed, unsuccessfully trying to sleep. Sleep restriction may help to solve this problem. This program first only allows a few hours of sleep during the night. The time is increased gradually until a more-than-normal-night's sleep is achieved.

It helps some people to be reconditioned all together. Some people need to be conditioned to associate the bed and bedtime with sleep. One way to do this is to not use the bed for anything but sleep. The person is advised to stay out of bed until they are sleepy and then to go to bed.

If the person is unable to fall asleep, they are told to get up and stay up until sleepy again, then return to bed. During this process, a person should avoid naps. They should also keep a regular schedule of waking up and going to bed at the same time each night. Eventually, the person's body will associate the bed and bedtime with sleep. CONCLUSION Insomnia is a difficulty with sleep that affects over fifty million people in the United States. Many different people suffer from this loss of sleep each year but very few actually receive help for it.

Insomnia can lead to depression, inefficiency on the job, at home and in simple day-to-day life because of impaired concentration; stress, anxiety, irritability, sleepiness. This loss of sleep comes in many different flavours such as difficulty falling asleep, not having a problem falling asleep but a problem staying asleep (many awakenings), and waking up too early. This can lead to many problems in a person's life. Of the three forms of insomnia, chronic insomnia is the most serious and can last for a month or longer. This form is usually more complex and may be caused by a number of factors, including underlying physical or mental disorders. One of the most common causes of chronic insomnia is depression.

Physical causes include arthritis and sleep apnea. Other causes are related to behaviors such as the misuse of caffeine. Insomnia can be cured with proper treatments. Popular treatments for this difficulty sleeping include relaxation therapy and reconditioning. Though insomnia may be glamorized by some authors, this problem is nothing to fantasize about, it is a serious problem if it is chronic and should be attended to if it lasts as long as a month.