Disturbed Sleep Pattern
This is an excerpt from the paper...
Circadian rhythms are changes in mental and physical characteristics that are regular and occur in the course of a day. The word circadian is from the Latin circa diem and it means about a day. However, circadian rhythms may not be daily, they may take place in multiple periods of a day or period which last longer than a day (circannual rhythms). Most circadian rhythms are controlled by a circadian pacemaker or the body's biological clock or the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Physiologic parameters are influenced by the body's circadian clock. The most commonly noted circadian rhythm is sleep. Other examples of circadian rhythms, governed by the SCN and synchronized with the sleep/wake cycle, include body temperature, blood pressure, urine production, digestive secretions, and hormone production. These rhythms are controlled by internal and environmental factors. Light and temperature are the most common environmental factors (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS], 2003). Signals from the SCN travel to several brain regions, including the pineal gland, which responds to light-induced signals. The body's level of melatonin increases after darkness falls, causing drowsiness. Studies have shown that since sunlight or other bright lights reset the SCN, the biological cycles normally follow the 24-hour cycle of the sun, rather than the innate cycle. Circadian rhythms can be
. . .
REM sleep increases only 50%. For adults there is no significant change in the amount of sleep; elderly individuals have less slow wave deep sleep and more Stage 2 light sleep. Changes in sleep with increasing age vary (Lee, 1997).
Factors Affecting Sleep
Nutrition influences sleep patterns: starvation or hyperthyroidism, tissue damage results in an increased need for slow wave sleep; and foods high in protein induce sleep more rapidly. Exercise or physical activity may affect sleep patterns by increasing body temperature, increasing deep sleep and total sleep time, and decreasing REM sleep. The environment or a change in the environment can affect sleep. Adults are more sensitive to their sleep environment than children. Certain noises and temperatures can disrupt sleep. Exposure to light and dark at appropriate times during the 24hour day is important for maintaining wake-sleep cycles. Sedative-hypnotics lower the arousal threshold by decreasing the activity of the reticular activating system, which allows a more rapid onset of sleep with fewer awakenings. Suppression of REM sleep can occur with other drugs. Stress can alter sleep patterns (Lee, 1997).
IV. Common Sleep Disorders
Primary Disorders
Insomnia. Ins
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Sleep/Sleep Cycles, Signals SCN, Sleep Nutrition, Life Cycle, Physical Exam, Studies Diagnostic, Parasomnias Somnambulism, Depression Psychiatric, SCN Physiologic, Frequency Studies, rem sleep, ninds 2003, circadian rhythms, sleep patterns, sleep disorders, beers berkow 1999, affect sleep, beers berkow, berkow 1999, deep sleep, diagnosis 2003, wrong diagnosis 2003, ninds 2003 stage, circadian rhythm sleep, diagnosing sleep disorders,
Approximate Word count = 2233
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)
More Essays on Disturbed Sleep Pattern
|
Customer Service
to Over
32,000 Professionally Written Papers!!!
