OPTA 204 (sleep)
Facts
-Most people need 7 - 9 hours of sleep per night
-7 hours tends to be optimal for most people
-Circadian rhythms can be influenced by environmental cues such as light/dark and by factors such as food and exercise
-Without external cues, our circadian rhythms actually synchronize with a 25 hour clock
-Naps can be helpful at the right time and right duration
Sleep Stages
Stage 1: thoughts wander and awareness to outside world is decreased
Stage 2: relatively light stage of sleep, easy to awaken. More than half of night spent in stage 2.
Stage 3/4 (REM): Deep sleep. Early stages of REM sleep are only about 10 minutes but increase in length so by early morning REM sleep might be as long as 1 hour.
Note: Different resources report different stages
Sleep across the life span
-It is normal that teenagers usually stay up later and that adults go to bed earlier and get up earlier
-Circadian rhythms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtCQ9jzC-Ek
Napping
-Naps are common up to toddler age and for older adults
-Some people nap throughout their lifespan
-Napping is only recommended if you don’t have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night time
-What is the optimal length of time for a nap?
Lack of Sleep Health Conditions
-Obesity
-Diabetes
-Heart conditions
-Mood disorders
-Life expectancy decreased by 15% in people who sleep less than 5 hours a night
Night Shift Workers
-Difficult for night shift workers to get as much sleep during the day as they would at night
-Melatonin acts at night, cortisol acts during the day which doesn’t work in favor of night shifts
-As people age it becomes harder and harder to sleep during the day Note:Some people do not have difficulty sleeping during the day
- Night shift workers are at higher risk for all comorbid conditions discussed in previous slide