Psychology ATAR: Sleep

restorative purpose of sleep

• restore energy reserves of body

• allows repairs of body, muscles and cells

evolutionary purpose of sleep

• sleep to avoid harm from nocturnal predators

• conserve energy after exerting from hunting and gathering during day

sleep

refers to periods of altered/loss of consciousness

Stage 1 NREM

lasts around 5 to 10 minutes, very light sleep which we can be easily awakened from. hypnogogic state where involuntary muscle twitches are common

Stage 2 NREM

lasts around 20 minutes, eyes stop rolling, muscles become relaxed and breathing and heart rate continue to decrease

Stage 3 NREM

less responsive to external stimuli and more difficult to awaken. eyes do not move, and breathing rate and heart rate slows down.

Stage 4 REM

heart rate increases and becomes variable, eye movement is rapid and jerky, initially 10 minutes but can subsequently increase up to 1 hour total

partial sleep deprivation

partial sleep deprivation can result when a person gets some sleep but not enough to support their normal waking alertness, performance and health

effects of partial sleep deprivation

• health problems such as obesity and diabetes

• difficulty concentrating for long time

• impairs learning and memory

shift work

involves hours of paid employment that are outside the period of a normal working day.

effects of shift work

• sleep disorders

• obesity

• headaches and diabetes

chronic sleep deprivation

not enough sleep over an extended period of time

chronic sleep deprivation effects

• anxiety

• lower self-esteem

• increased blood pressure

• obesity