Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Final Thoughts
This is the end of the blog "catching Z's-Easier Said Then Done". Lets recap. Sleep loss can create lots of problems. For example it can cause memory loss, impaired judgement and thinking, and can shorten a person's life span. Also sleep medication can be useful but also harmful. It can be addicting and if not can cause a dependency problem in the people who are taking it. Another thing car accidents on roads can be a result of losing sleep.
Driving While Being Drowsy
Losing sleep and driving do not mix. Driving while you're sleepy is an accident waiting to happen. This is visible especially in teen drivers and in those who have to drive to work.
According to healthcentral.com,an astonishing number of Americans are not getting enough sleep. Some push their bodies to the limits and beyond because they?re holding down two or three jobs. Others stay up late to do email, surf the Web or watch TV. New research suggests that lack of sleep can be just as dangerous as too much alcohol. A recent study of interns and residents underscores the impact of sleep on performance. Because of this people drive thinking that their up to the task of driving. As result car accendents occur on roads. The people who are likely to have these sorts of accedents are teen drivers, because teens are most likely to stay up during the night doing homework, watching TV, working late, or talking on the phone. Some tips that can prevent this are going to sleep earlier, tie up any lose ends at the end of the day, or be prepared to do everything you need to do before its due.
According to healthcentral.com,an astonishing number of Americans are not getting enough sleep. Some push their bodies to the limits and beyond because they?re holding down two or three jobs. Others stay up late to do email, surf the Web or watch TV. New research suggests that lack of sleep can be just as dangerous as too much alcohol. A recent study of interns and residents underscores the impact of sleep on performance. Because of this people drive thinking that their up to the task of driving. As result car accendents occur on roads. The people who are likely to have these sorts of accedents are teen drivers, because teens are most likely to stay up during the night doing homework, watching TV, working late, or talking on the phone. Some tips that can prevent this are going to sleep earlier, tie up any lose ends at the end of the day, or be prepared to do everything you need to do before its due.
Behavior Problems in Children
Children with persistent sleep problems are more likely to have also a behavioral problem. Furthermore, children with poor sleep habits do not do as well academically in school.Sleep behaviors are among the most common concerns that parents of young children bring to their physicians. A child who goes to bed unwillingly or wakes frequently during the night can be highly disruptive to a family. Sleep disorders in children, if confirmed by reproducible findings in a sleep laboratory, are not appreciably different from those occurring in adults.
Finding disordered sleep behavior is difficult because of differences in sleep patterns that occur at different stages. Thus, it is not considered abnormal when a two-month-old babies wakes frequently in the night, but it is considered abnormal in a two-year-old child. To make the definition of sleep problems even more difficult, families vary greatly in their tolerance of their children's sleeping habits; what one family finds problematic, another family takes as a matter of course.
Finding disordered sleep behavior is difficult because of differences in sleep patterns that occur at different stages. Thus, it is not considered abnormal when a two-month-old babies wakes frequently in the night, but it is considered abnormal in a two-year-old child. To make the definition of sleep problems even more difficult, families vary greatly in their tolerance of their children's sleeping habits; what one family finds problematic, another family takes as a matter of course.
Sleep Medication
For most problems there are always answers,but some of those answers just create more problems. What I'm talking about are sleep disorders and sleep medication. The sleep disorders are the problem, and the medication is the so called answer. Even though its helpful, sleep medication can be addicting, and if not they can cause a dependency problem.
You may have to take more and more of the sleep aid for it to work, which can lead to more side effects. You may come to rely on the medication to sleep, and will be unable to sleep or have even worse sleep without it. If you stop the medication abruptly, you may have withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating and shaking.
There are several side effects to sleep medications, such as drowsiness the next day, confusion, forgetfulness and dry mouth. These side effects can be severe.
If you are taking other medications, sleeping medications can interact with them. Thi
s can worsen side effects and be dangerous with medications like prescription painkillers and other sedatives.If you need to stop the medication, sometimes the insomni
a can become even worse than before. There may be an underlying medical or mental disorder, or even a sleep disorder, that if treated would provide more relief from insomnia.
You may have to take more and more of the sleep aid for it to work, which can lead to more side effects. You may come to rely on the medication to sleep, and will be unable to sleep or have even worse sleep without it. If you stop the medication abruptly, you may have withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating and shaking.
There are several side effects to sleep medications, such as drowsiness the next day, confusion, forgetfulness and dry mouth. These side effects can be severe.
If you are taking other medications, sleeping medications can interact with them. Thi
s can worsen side effects and be dangerous with medications like prescription painkillers and other sedatives.If you need to stop the medication, sometimes the insomni
a can become even worse than before. There may be an underlying medical or mental disorder, or even a sleep disorder, that if treated would provide more relief from insomnia. 5 Stages of Sleep
Sleep is divided into five individual stages. The first stage is the lightest stage of sleep(light sleep). Stage one is the drifting stage (as I like to call), which is the part of sleeping in which you would feel yourself falling out of conciseness. This stage lasts for about five to ten minutes.
According to my research stage two is still light sleep. In this stage brain activity starts to slow down, and the heart rate and breathing starts to become slower and more steady. Also body temperature starts to decrease a little as you start relaxing and preparing to go into a deeper sleep.
Stage three is the start of deep sleep or slow wave sleep. During stage 3, brain waves are slow waves(also known as delta waves), although there may still be short bursts of faster waves of brain activity (also known as beta-waves). If a person is woken up while in this stage they are likely to feel confused and would find it hard to focus. This is also similar in stage four.
Stage four is the deepest and there are no more beta or fast brain activity,only slow brain activity or delta waves. In this stage it is hard to be woken up and lasts for about an hour. It is during this stage that the body starts to repair itself, for example fixing worn out muscles. I call this stage the healing process.
Stage five is the dreaming stage. This stage is the only REM sleep we get in the entire sleeping process. Blood flow, breathing and brain activity increases in this stage. Another aspect of REM sleep, is that the muscles in your arms a
nd legs will go through periods of paralysis.The first period of REM sleep of the night usually begins around 90 minutes after you start drifting off, and lasts for about 10 minutes. As the night passes, the periods of REM sleep become longer, with the final episode lasting an hour or so.
According to my research stage two is still light sleep. In this stage brain activity starts to slow down, and the heart rate and breathing starts to become slower and more steady. Also body temperature starts to decrease a little as you start relaxing and preparing to go into a deeper sleep.
Stage three is the start of deep sleep or slow wave sleep. During stage 3, brain waves are slow waves(also known as delta waves), although there may still be short bursts of faster waves of brain activity (also known as beta-waves). If a person is woken up while in this stage they are likely to feel confused and would find it hard to focus. This is also similar in stage four.
Stage four is the deepest and there are no more beta or fast brain activity,only slow brain activity or delta waves. In this stage it is hard to be woken up and lasts for about an hour. It is during this stage that the body starts to repair itself, for example fixing worn out muscles. I call this stage the healing process.
Stage five is the dreaming stage. This stage is the only REM sleep we get in the entire sleeping process. Blood flow, breathing and brain activity increases in this stage. Another aspect of REM sleep, is that the muscles in your arms a
nd legs will go through periods of paralysis.The first period of REM sleep of the night usually begins around 90 minutes after you start drifting off, and lasts for about 10 minutes. As the night passes, the periods of REM sleep become longer, with the final episode lasting an hour or so.Soldiers
The U.S. military is the force that protects our country. But what happens when the soldiers who are responsible for our nation's safety aren't getting enough sleep. In a 2007 edition of the Stars and Stripes, it talks about how the troops who were helping to carry out the new Baghdad security plan were finding sleep even harder to come by. The reason for this was that there were more patrols being conducted and when they returned from patrol they had to guard their outpost as well. By time they were done with their guard duty the soldiers did not have time to sleep, because they had other things to do such as conducting vehicle maintenance, getting their laundry, showering and e-mailing their families.
In order to carry out their duties without being too tired to work, U.S. soldiers are taking modafinil, a stimulant that allows them to work 40 hours straight without suffering from any side effects .This is good and bad. It is good that U.S. soldiers are taking modafinil because they will be less tired and more focused on what they are doing and are less likely to make mistakes. Also U.S. military studies found that soldiers can stay awake for 40 hours, get eight hours of sleep, and then stay awake for 40 more hours, all without the impaired judgment of old-fashion uppers.
It is bad that these soldiers are taking modafinil because the soldiers may be dependent on the drug so that they can stay awake for no reason. This will make soldiers reduce the amount of sleep they will get because they will replace sleep with pills. Modafinil was originally used to treat people with narcolepsy and multiple sclerosis, and now
it is used to keep soldiers awake. We are one step away from creating machine like soldiers who do nothing but work and fight. 
In order to carry out their duties without being too tired to work, U.S. soldiers are taking modafinil, a stimulant that allows them to work 40 hours straight without suffering from any side effects .This is good and bad. It is good that U.S. soldiers are taking modafinil because they will be less tired and more focused on what they are doing and are less likely to make mistakes. Also U.S. military studies found that soldiers can stay awake for 40 hours, get eight hours of sleep, and then stay awake for 40 more hours, all without the impaired judgment of old-fashion uppers.
It is bad that these soldiers are taking modafinil because the soldiers may be dependent on the drug so that they can stay awake for no reason. This will make soldiers reduce the amount of sleep they will get because they will replace sleep with pills. Modafinil was originally used to treat people with narcolepsy and multiple sclerosis, and now
it is used to keep soldiers awake. We are one step away from creating machine like soldiers who do nothing but work and fight. 
Stress
Stress is a feeling we all get when we react to certain situations. An example would be final exams. If a student were to decide to study for his/her math final on the same day of the exam, then most likely they will feel stressed because they will have to worry about studying and passing their math final. There is a healthy amount of stress and an unhealthy amount of stress that can be accumulated over time.
Healthy stress is what is needed when a though situation arises because it helps us think about what steps are needed to take care of said situation. Like sleep, stress is also necessary for us to function efficiently and effectively. Healthy stress is can be brought on when someone studies for an exam a few nights before the day of the exam, when someone is working under a deadline, or when playing a sport that deals with a person reacting quickly in the game. Healthy stress also lengthens life.
Unhealthy stress is the kind of stress that people are more inclined to be under. The things that create stress in people are called "stressors". Some stressors can be fear, depression, work, friends, family,or school. Unhealthy stress is the type of stress that affects sleep. When a person is stressed about something like whether or not they passed or failed their exam, they are going to have trouble sleeping because the worry is overpowering the need to sleep.
Healthy stress is what is needed when a though situation arises because it helps us think about what steps are needed to take care of said situation. Like sleep, stress is also necessary for us to function efficiently and effectively. Healthy stress is can be brought on when someone studies for an exam a few nights before the day of the exam, when someone is working under a deadline, or when playing a sport that deals with a person reacting quickly in the game. Healthy stress also lengthens life.
Unhealthy stress is the kind of stress that people are more inclined to be under. The things that create stress in people are called "stressors". Some stressors can be fear, depression, work, friends, family,or school. Unhealthy stress is the type of stress that affects sleep. When a person is stressed about something like whether or not they passed or failed their exam, they are going to have trouble sleeping because the worry is overpowering the need to sleep.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Effects of Losing sleep and The Effects of Smoking Marijuna
In an interview with William Fishbein, a professor and the head of the Laboratory of Neuroscience and Sleep at CCNY, I found that losing sleep can have harsh consequences. Losing sleep can result in fatigue, which can which can interfere with the biological rhythms of the body. For example circadian rhythms, this tells the body that it is time to sleep. Also losing sleep can lead to interference in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Every 90 minutes during a good night’s sleep a dream occurs. Now if you sit a person down at a computer terminal and tell them to press a button every time the letter “J” comes up for 20 hours straight without any sleep, every 90 minutes you will see errors because the person pressing the button was not paying attention because even though said person was awake that person was in a dream state a.k.a day dreaming.
I compared this information with information on the effects of smoking marijuana and with my experience with sleep loss. I found that sleep loss and smoking marijuana have similar
symptoms. For example bloodshot eyes are is a symptom of both losing sleep and smoking marijuana. When a person stays awake for a long time they end up straining their eyes which makes them red. When a person smokes marijuana the bloo
d vessels in their eyes start to expand thus creating the redness in the eyes.Another symptom of both sleep loss and smoking pot is impaired memory. When a person loses sleep, they don't give the brain a rest which means that whatever that person learned will not be remembered. When a person smokes marijuana and gets intoxicated (high) from it, that will mess with that person's memory. I do not smoke marijuana nor do I approve of it. I am just stating how sleep loss and smoking marijuana have similar effects.
I compared this information with information on the effects of smoking marijuana and with my experience with sleep loss. I found that sleep loss and smoking marijuana have similar
symptoms. For example bloodshot eyes are is a symptom of both losing sleep and smoking marijuana. When a person stays awake for a long time they end up straining their eyes which makes them red. When a person smokes marijuana the bloo
d vessels in their eyes start to expand thus creating the redness in the eyes.Another symptom of both sleep loss and smoking pot is impaired memory. When a person loses sleep, they don't give the brain a rest which means that whatever that person learned will not be remembered. When a person smokes marijuana and gets intoxicated (high) from it, that will mess with that person's memory. I do not smoke marijuana nor do I approve of it. I am just stating how sleep loss and smoking marijuana have similar effects. Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Helpful Hints
http://www.redorbit.com/news/video/science/5/sleep_deprivation_what_it_does_to_the_body/26506/http://
Ever feel like that you are moving in a slow pace, or just feel sluggish? Well this could be the cause of sleep loss. One of the effects of sleep deprivation is feeling sluggish/loss of balance. A perfect example of this is my self. Last Tuesday I only had one class, and before class started I took out my pen and notebook, even though it only took me half a minute, but it felt like it took five minutes just to take out a pen and notebook. This was the result of not getting sleep the night before. The link above is an example of how sleep loss affects coordination.
Now I know that I'm not the only person who has felt sluggish because of doing last minute homework, watching TV till the next day, having late classes, working late hours, or anything else that can cause a person to stay up all night. Sleep loss also affects how the thought process of a person after awhile. Here's another video to see what I'm talking about:
Here some tips that I'm going to try next semester and the years after that, and I also encourge other students/people who are having trouble sleeping:
• Manage your time better
• Pick earlier classes if you feel that you cannot handle late ones
• Do homework and any other assignments at least one week before it’s due
• Try to go to sleep earlier
• Don’t listen to music to try to fall asleep because it really doesn’t work, you’ll only end up getting excited
• If you’re tired but you want to see a show, just go to sleep because you can always stream it on the internet the next day, sleep is important every bit counts
• Study two days before an exam, and three for mid-terms and finals
Ever feel like that you are moving in a slow pace, or just feel sluggish? Well this could be the cause of sleep loss. One of the effects of sleep deprivation is feeling sluggish/loss of balance. A perfect example of this is my self. Last Tuesday I only had one class, and before class started I took out my pen and notebook, even though it only took me half a minute, but it felt like it took five minutes just to take out a pen and notebook. This was the result of not getting sleep the night before. The link above is an example of how sleep loss affects coordination.
Now I know that I'm not the only person who has felt sluggish because of doing last minute homework, watching TV till the next day, having late classes, working late hours, or anything else that can cause a person to stay up all night. Sleep loss also affects how the thought process of a person after awhile. Here's another video to see what I'm talking about:
Here some tips that I'm going to try next semester and the years after that, and I also encourge other students/people who are having trouble sleeping:
• Manage your time better
• Pick earlier classes if you feel that you cannot handle late ones
• Do homework and any other assignments at least one week before it’s due
• Try to go to sleep earlier
• Don’t listen to music to try to fall asleep because it really doesn’t work, you’ll only end up getting excited
• If you’re tired but you want to see a show, just go to sleep because you can always stream it on the internet the next day, sleep is important every bit counts
• Study two days before an exam, and three for mid-terms and finals
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Intro to sleep deprivation
Besides proper nutrition and exercise, proper sleep is necessary for human beings to be healthy. Sleep deprivation and things that may lead to lead to it like working the night-shift, can lead to mental complications. One complication is Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal shifts in insulin levels can increase the risk of Alzheimers disease. These abonormal shifts are common in people who either work really late and those who are sleep-deprived. Insulin helps the brain with learning and memory. A lack of insulin can cause inflammation in the brain which is a main cause of Alzheimer's disease. Another complication is learning problems. Students who spend all night studying instead of getting a good night's sleep are most likely to not retain what they studied. It is better to study during the day because you have more time and have more energy than in the night. A lack of sleep also affects mood. According to the article day workers have more serotonin (important for mood stability) than night workers. This means that if you work the night shift you are most likely to get depressed.
Sleep is a necessary part of life. Without it we cannot function properly. Even though there are people who go for days without sleep, they are barely able to do anything. As a person who does not get enough sleep everyday, I can say that in some of my classes it sometimes difficult to pay attention to the teacher because I zone out from time to time. Other times when I am well rested I pay more attention in class, and I feel more positive about everything. I'm also concerned that I may develop Alheimer's disease at an early age if I don't manage my time better. Also since sleep affects insulin levels, a sleep deprived person can develop diabetes.
In order to help those who lose sleep, I think that there should be a day dedicated to just sleep. Also there should be more funding towards Alzheimer's disease research. If funding goes to Alzheimer's research then a cu
re may be found. Also there should be laws that limit how many hours a person can work overtime, so that they will have a more stable mood. Also parents should encourage their children to do their homework as soon as they come home, so that they will be well rested for the next day. College students should do the same when they have breaks in between classes.
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