Creative & Critical Thinking Paper

Title: Sleep
PT21203 Physiological Psychology
Semester 2: 2019/2020
Name: Nazrul Naeem bin Asmawi
ID: BP18110196
1.0 Introduction

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by

altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity
and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement (REM)
sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished
from wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, but more reactive than
a coma or disorders of consciousness, with sleep displaying very different and active
brain patterns.

Sleep occurs in repeating periods, in which the body alternates between two
distinct modes: REM sleep and non-REM sleep. Although REM stands for "rapid eye
movement", this mode of sleep has many other aspects, including virtual paralysis of
the body. A well-known feature of sleep is the dream, an experience typically
recounted in narrative form, which resembles waking life while in progress, but which
usually can later be distinguished as fantasy.

During sleep, most of the body's systems are in an anabolic state, helping to
restore the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems; these are vital
processes that maintain mood, memory, and cognitive function, and play a large role
in the function of the endocrine and immune systems. The internal circadian
clock promotes sleep daily at night. The diverse purposes and mechanisms of sleep
are the subject of substantial ongoing research. Sleep is a highly conserved behavior
across animal evolution.

Humans may suffer from various sleep disorders, including dyssomnias such
as insomnia, hypersomnia, narcolepsy,and sleep apnea; parasomnias sucha
s sleepwalking and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder; bruxism;
and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. The use of artificial light has substantially
altered humanity's sleep patterns.
2.0 Sleep Disorder

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which they have trouble falling and/or staying
asleep.The condition can be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic).
It may also come and go. Acute insomnia lasts from 1 night to a few weeks.
Insomnia is chronic when it happens at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or
more. There are two types of insomnia: primary and secondary. Primary
insomnia occurs when sleep problems aren’t linked to any other health
condition or problem. Secondary insomnia happens when they have trouble
sleeping because of a health condition such as asthma, depression and more.

Causes of primary insomnia include stress related to big life events, like
a job loss or change, the death of a loved one, divorce, or moving, things
around you like noise, light, or temperature and changes sleep schedule like jet
lag, a new shift at work, or bad habits you picked up when you had other sleep
problems. Causes of secondary insomnia include mental health issues
like depression and anxiety medications for colds, allergies, depression, high
blood pressure, and asthma, pain or discomfort at night, caffeine, tobacco, or
alcohol use and hyperthyroidism and other endocrine problems.

Insomnia affects women more than men and older people more than
younger ones. Young and middle-age African Americans also have a higher risk.
Other risk factors such as long-term illness mental health issues and working
night shifts or shifts that rotate. There are few symptoms of insomnia that can
be observed like sleepiness during the day, fatigue, grumpiness and problems
with concentration or memory.
3.0 Insomnia Treatment

Non-Medical (Cognitive & Behavioral) Treatments for Insomnia

There are psychological and behavioral techniques that can be helpful for treating
insomnia. Relaxation training, stimulus control, sleep restriction, and cognitive behavioral
therapy are some examples. Some of these techniques can be self-taught, while for
others it’s better to enlist the help of a therapist or sleep specialist.

Relaxation training, or progressive muscle relaxation, teaches the person to

systematically tense and relax muscles in different areas of the body. This helps to
calm the body and induce sleep. Other relaxation techniques that help many people
sleep involve breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation techniques, and guided
imagery. Many people listen to audio recordings to guide them in learning these
techniques. They can work to help you fall asleep and also return to sleep in the middle
of the night.

Stimulus control helps to build an association between the bedroom and sleep
by limiting the type of activities allowed in the bedroom. An example of stimulus
control is going to bed only when you are sleepy and getting out of bed if you’ve been
awake for 20 minutes or more. This helps to break an unhealthy association between
the bedroom and wakefulness. Sleep restriction involves a strict schedule of bedtimes
and wake times and limits time in bed to only when a person is sleeping.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) includes behavioral changes (such as

keeping a regular bedtime and wake up time, getting out of bed after being awake for
20 minutes or so, and eliminating afternoon naps) but it adds a cognitive or “thinking”
component. CBT works to challenge unhealthy beliefs and fears around sleep and
teach rational, positive thinking. There is a good amount of research supporting the
use of CBT for insomnia. For example, in one study, patients with insomnia attended
one CBT session via the internet per week for 6 weeks. After the treatment, these
people had improved sleep quality.
Medical Treatments for Insomnia

There are many different types of sleep aids for insomnia, including over-the-counter
(non-prescription) and prescription medications. Determining which medication may be right
for you depends on your insomnia symptoms and many different health factors. This is why
it’s important to consult with a doctor before taking a sleep aid. Major classes of prescription
insomnia medications include benzodiazepine hypnotics, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, and
melatonin receptor agonists.

Alternative Medicine

There are alternative medicines that may help certain people sleep. It’s important to
know that these products are not required to pass through the same safety tests as
medications, so their side effects and effectiveness are not as well understood.

Insomnia Prevention

Good sleep habits, also called sleep hygiene, can help you beat insomnia. There are
few ways to prevent insomnia such as went to sleep at the same time each night and get up
at the same time each morning. Try not to take naps during the day, because they may make
you less sleepy at night. Do not use phones or e-books before bed. Their light can make it
harder to fall asleep. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day. Caffeine and nicotine
are stimulants and can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol can make you wake up in the
middle of the night and hurt your sleep quality. Get regular exercise. Try not to work out close
to bedtime, because it may make it hard to fall asleep. Experts suggest exercising at least 3
to 4 hours before bed. Lastly, do not eat a heavy meal late in the day. But a light snack before
bedtime may help you sleep.