Ch 7: The Importance of Sleep in Mental Wellbeing

Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD)

a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterised by a shift of the major sleep episode to an earlier time compared to desired or conventional sleep times, resulting in sleep onset and awakening much earlier than desired and excessive sleepiness

affective functioning

the attitude or emotion elicited by a stimulus (such as sleep deprivation)

behavioural functioning

the effects on behaviour elicited by a stimulus (such as sleep deprivation)

blood-alcohol concentration (BAC)

a measure of alcohol in the body expressed as grams of alcohol/100 mL of blood

blue light

a colour in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by human eyes; common sources are sunlight, phone screens, LED lights etc

bright light therapy

a technique for treating circadian rhythm sleep disorders that uses timed exposure of the eyes to light with the aim of shifting an individual's sleep-wake cycle to a desired, more appropriate or conventional schedule

circadian rhythm sleep disorder

a sleep disorder involving sleep disturbance that is primarily due to a mismatch between an individual's sleep-wake pattern and the pattern that is desired or required

cognitive functioning

the effects on cognitive processes elicited by a stimulus (such as sleep deprivation)

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS)

a condition in which the major sleep episode is delayed in relation to the desired sleep time or what is considered a conventional time

eating and drinking pattern

what a person eats or drinks and when

emotional reactivity

the tendency to experience frequent and intense emotional arousal

entrainment

process of adjusting or resetting a biological rhythm to align with external cues or an environmental cycle

fixed shift work schedule

when employees work the same shift on a regular, ongoing basis

microsleep

a very short period (e.g. a few seconds) of involuntary sleep

partial sleep deprivation

involves having less sleep (either quantity or quality) than what is normally required

rotating shift work schedule

when employees change shifts every so often to work a mix of day and/or afternoon and/or night shifts

shift work disorder

a circadian rhythm sleep disorder due to work shifts being regularly scheduled during the usual sleep period; work shifts overlap with all or part of the sleep period, requiring adjustment of sleep and wake times to the work times

sleep debt

the accumulated amount of sleep loss due to insufficient sleep

sleep deprivation

inadequate quantity or quality of sleep

sleep disorder

any sleep disturbance that is persistent and regularly disrupts sleep, causing distress or impairment in important areas of everyday life during normal waking hours

sleep disturbance

any sleep-related problem that disrupts an individual's normal sleep-wake cycle

sleep hygiene

practices that tend to improve and maintain good sleep and full daytime alertness

sleep inertia

a temporary period of reduced alertness and performance impairment that occurs immediately after awakening, especially after a poor night's sleep and if abruptly awakened

sleep quality

how well a person feels they have slept

sleep quantity

to the amount of sleep a person gets

sleep–wake cycle shift

a change (advancement or delay) in the timing of the major sleep episode

temperature (air, core body)

the degree or intensity of heat present in a person, substance or object

total sleep deprivation

not having any sleep at all over a short-term or long-term period

zeitgeber

an environmental time cue