Sleep Physiology

What is the behavioral criteria for sleep

• Stereotyped sleep posture

• Reduced voluntary movement

• Decreased responsiveness to external stimuli

• Elevated arousal threshold (harder to wake)

• Rapid return to sleep if briefly awakened

• Reversibility, distinguishing sleep from coma or anesthesia

What is the physiological criteria for sleep

•Electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns

• Reduced muscle tone in most stages and near paralysis in REM (muscle atonia)

• Reduced metabolic activity in many brain regions

• Autonomic changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing

What are the EEG patterns

What are the components of healthy sleep

What are the consequences of insufficient sleep

• Impaired attention, working memory, and processing speed

• Higher emotional reactivity and reduced impulse control

• Reduced immune function and increased infection risk

• Metabolic dysregulation including altered insulin sensitivity

• Accumulated risk for cardiovascular and

psychiatric conditions

Analyze how social media behaviors influence sleep physiology through light and arousal

pathways. (1st lecture)

-emotional content activates the sympathetic pathway, delaying the sleep onset

-notifications fragment sleep

-screens emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin

-Late exposure increases time awake, early morning fatigue increases caffeine intake, which further delays sleep

What hurts your sleep hygiene

• High evening screen exposure

• Heavy meals, alcohol, or excessive fluid intake close. to bedtime

• Irregular schedules, late or long daytime naps, and using the bed for wake activities

What helps your sleep hygiene

• Create a wind-down period to reduce stress and anxiety

• Exercise regularly, but not immediately before bed

• Limit caffeine within six hours of bedtime

• Cool, quiet, and dark bedroom environment

• Get natural light exposure

• Regular sleep and wake times, even on weekends