Sleep

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

SLEEP IS IMPORTANT FOR MENTAL HEALTH!

• Getting enough sleep is very important to ensure positive mental health.

• Sleep deprivation has a negative affect on psychological state, and people with
existing mental health disorder are more likely to have insomnia or other sleep
disorders.

• About 40-50% of people with insomnia (inability to get to sleep and/or stay
asleep) also have a mental health disorder.

• If you are not getting the recommended 8-10 hours sleep per night as year 12
students and think you can survive on 7 hours or less as a teenager, its time to
consider the research that suggests that sleeping is essential.
 Circadian Rhythms

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

 SLEEP/WAKE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

• Humans level of alertness at lowest in early hours of the morning

and peak in the late afternoon.

• However does depend on factors such as sleep debt, sunlight, shift

work and interest level in tasks called zeitgebers.

• Circadian rhythms are controlled by areas in the brain.

• The most obvious zeitgeber is daylight. When daylight hits your

eyes, cells in the retinas signal your brain.

• Other zeitgebers are sleep, social contact and even regular meal
times.
SLEEP/WAKE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
• The sleep/wake cycle is controlled by the suprachiasmatic
nucleus (SCN), which is a small cluster of nerve cells located
in the hypothalamus in the brain.

• SCN is a ‘biological clock’ that keeps track of time of day. Light

is the main external cue that syncs this clock.

• There are receptors in the back of the retinas of our eyes that
detect the level of light.

• Converted into an electrical impulse that travels from the

retina to the SCN, which responds to changes in light.

• SCN sends messages to brain and body that help them adapt
to whether it is day or night.
SLEEP/WAKE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
• SCN controls the sleep/wake cycle by sending messages to the
pineal gland in the brain which adjust melatonin levels.

• Melatonin: hormone that tells the body whether it should be

awake or asleep.

• Melatonin levels are at their highest at night and at their

lowest during the day.

• Light inhibits the secretion of melatonin.

 Sleep Stages
Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing
SLEEP STAGES

• Sleep is made up of 5 stages, each with different

characteristics.

• The first four stages are generalised as non-REM sleep,

and the fifth stage is REM sleep.

• Humans have around 4-6 sleep cycles each night, and

each cycle last around 90-110 minutes.

• The first sleep cycle, humans only get approximately 10

minutes of REM sleep. This then increases to 30-60
minutes by the last cycle.
 SLEEP STAGES

Sleep is objectively measured using various

methods:

• Electroencephalograph (EEG) which

measures brain wave patterns during sleep.

• Electrooculogram (EOG) which measures eye

movement during sleep.

• Electromyogram (EMG) which measures the

activity of muscles during sleep.
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRA
PH (EEG)

• Electroencephalograph (EEG) which

measures brain wave patterns
during sleep.

• Can tell what stage of sleep, how much

a person gets etc.
ELECTROOCULARGRAM
(EOG)

• Electrooculogram (EOG) which

measures eye movement during
sleep.

• Can tell is someone is in NREM or REM

by their eye movements.
 ELECTROMYOGRAM
(EMG)

• Electromyogram (EMG) which

measures the activity of muscles
during sleep.

• Can tell which stage of sleep a person

is in by measuring their muscle
movement.
Stage 1 (Awake) Stage 2 (Light) Stage 3 (SWS) Stage 4 (SWS) Stage 5 (Dreams)
Described as ‘relaxed Sleep spindles and K-complexes Slow waves appear called Delta Deepest stage of sleep Sleep ‘lightens’ and moves
wakefulness on EEG waves back through stages 4-3-2 to a
(slower brain wave activity) unique stage (REM)

Alpha and Theta brain Medium amplitude in muscle Delta waves make up 20 – 50% of Delta waves account for more than ‘Rapid eye movement’ > eyes
waves present on EEG movement brainwave activity 50% of brain wave activity moving around

Reduced brain activity No eye movement Medium to low amplitude in Little to no muscle movement People report ‘dreaming’
muscle tension

Rolling eye movements Temperature, heart rate, No eye movement No eye movement EEG in REM similar to an
breathing and blood pressure awake person
continue to drop

Slowed breathing and Last about 20 minutes Heart rate, breathing, blood Breathing at its slowest and deepest Beta and some alpha waves
heart rate pressure and temperature present
continue to drop

Reduced muscle activity Lasts about 15 minutes Hard to wake someone from this Pulse, breathing, blood
stage. If awoken person is confused pressure quicken
and disorientated

Hypnic jerks Amount of SWS > how restored a Eyes move around very quickly
person feels

Last approximately 10 Stage 3 and 4 combined lasts about 30

minutes mins
STAGES OF SLEEP

• Stages 1,2,3,4,3,2,REM,1 = one sleep cycle

• Most of us go through the above process 4-6

times a night.

• Humans get most of their restorative sleep

(SWS) in the first sleep cycle, and most of their
dreaming sleep in the last sleep cycle as REM
increases.
 SLEEP NEEDS – AGE

Sleep duration recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation

 Theories of Sleep

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

REPAIR AND RESTORATION
THEORY
• Sleep repairs and restores basic body functions and
strengthen your immune system. Substantial cell repair
and protein synthesis occurs during sleep.

• Research from several universities and technology

institutions through experiments with mice show that
signals in the brain that modulate the sleep/wake state
also act as a ‘switch’ that turns the immune system off
and on.

• Therefore during periods of sleep, the immune system

strengthens, which is why when you are sick, your body
needs and wants to sleep when it would not be typical.
 CLEAN-UP THEORY

• Similar to repair and restoration theory, research from 2013 shows

that the brain uses periods of sleep to flush waste and toxins from
the body.

• The brain has two functional states: awake and alert, or asleep and
‘cleaning up.’

• This clean up works like a waste disposal system, clearing out waste
products that brain cells generate.

• The 2013 research also suggests that issues with clearing out brain
waste might be a factor in the development of certain brain
disorders such as Dementia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
EVOLUTIONARY THEORY
• This theory hypothesises that one reason for sleep is to conserve
energy with periods of inactivity.

• All animals (including humans) have adapted over time to sleep

during periods of time when being awake is dangerous.

• Humans are most productive during the day, and able to rest at
night. In prehistoric times, it was harder to get food, so by sleeping
for some of the day (i.e. naps) humans could conserve energy.

• Predatory animals such as lions and bears can sleep 12-15 hours a
day to lack of threats, whereas other animals with many predators
can only sleep in short bursts.
 EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

Large animals such as elephants need to consume a lot of calories to obtain the energy they need to live
whereas small animals like bats and possums need fewer waking hours to survive
INFORMATION CONSOLIDATION
THEORY
• REM sleep plays a vital role in memory retention and
consolidation, removal of unwanted information and
storge of important data from memory.

• Sleep ensures the consolidation and sorting of important

information into short and long term memory. This takes
place during slow wave sleep (SWS – deep sleep).

• Several researchers have concluded that a lack of sleep has

a serious impact on the ability to recall and remember
information.
Sleep Debt and Deprivation

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

SLEEP DEBT
• Accumulation of the difference between the amount of
sleep that a person needs to function at an optimal level
and the amount they actually have.

• E.g. if a person needs 8 hours each night but only gets 7,

they have a sleep debt of 1 hour.

• Our desire to sleep during the day increases the more

sleep debt we have.

• However sleep debt does not continue to build up over a

SLEEP DEPRIVATION
• When a person does not get the required amount of sleep to
function at the optimal level.

• Common symptoms include: increased daytime sleepiness,

irritability, hand tremors, slower reaction time, poorer
memory and microsleeps.

• In todays society, the average individual is getting just over 6

hours sleep.

• Consistent reduction of recommended sleep can increase the

risk of cancer, infection, obesity, cardiovascular disease and
diabetes in adults.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION - TYPES

Partial: occurs when people don’t get enough sleep most

days of the week.

Continuous: when people don’t sleep at all for a period of Peter Tripp deprived himself of sleep
time. Often used in training exercises for the army. for 201 hours (8 days)

Research on continuous sleep deprivation shows that on

the second night of deprivation, people fall asleep but deny
it. On the third day they become tense apathetic, irritable,
have mood swings and microsleeps and may experience
hallucinations. By the fourth day people are showing Record holder Randy Gardner deprived
paranoia. himself of sleep for 264 hours (11 days)
 SOCIAL FACTORS THAT
CONTRBUTE TO SLEEP
DEPRIVATION
• Co-sleeping and parenting choices - bed sharing, room
sharing, sleeping with a baby or pet.

• Media use – social media, web surfing, TV, gaming. Excessive

usage leads to insomnia and depression.

• Extracurricular activities – sport, social lives, clubs, part time

work.

• Homework time – adolescence that spend more than 5 hours

on homework per week are more likely not t meet minimum
sleep guidelines. Coupled with the exposure to light from
devices.
 SOCIAL FACTORS THAT
CONTRBUTE TO SLEEP
DEPRIVATION
• School schedule – Consideration to the different age groups sleep
needs is not taken into consideration with school/work starting
times. Majority of students at school at 8:30am and adults at work
by 9:00am.

• Shift work – work that falls outside the hours of 6:00am and
7:00pm. Includes industries such as nursing, medicine, factory work,
vintage, hospitality etc. 1 in 5 shift workers develop shift work
disorder, where they are far more likely to develop insomnia and
other negative health issues.

• Jet lag - The suprachiasmatic nucleus recognises the time of day to

be different from what external cues tell us. Due to travelling
through several time zones. On average, it takes one day of
adjustment for every hour of time zone change i.e. 5 hour time
difference = 5 days for circadian rhythm to adjust.
 PERSONAL FACTORS THAT
CONTRIBUTE TO SLEEP
DEPRIVATION
• Personal choices – driven by voluntary choices i.e. choose to stay up
later to watch TV.

• Sleep disorders – insomnia, sleep apnoea and narcolepsy. All reduce

sleep quality and quantity.

• Medical or health problems – pain, anxiety disorders, substance

misuse, depression, obesity and schizophrenia.

• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome – when a person’s sleep is delayed by

two hours or more of what is considered acceptable. Causes difficulty in
being able to wake up at desired time. Approximately 7-16% of young
people report difficulty with DSPS.

• Stress – heightened state of physiological arousal. The National Sleep

Foundation has found that 43% of people aged between 13-64 have
reported lying awake at night due to stress at lest once in the past
month.
 Sleep Hygiene

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

 SLEEP
HYGIENE
PART 1
A series of sleep habits that
can improve your ability to
fall and stay asleep.
Very important to maintain
overall health and wellbeing.
 Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the
same time each day, give or take half an hour.
 Set a bedtime early enough for you to get at
least 8-10 hours sleep.
 Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
 If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out
of bed. Do an activity without a lot of light (don’t
go on your phone!)
 Establish a bedtime routine i.e. devices away at
9:30pm, brush teeth, water, read book, lights off
at 10:00pm.
 Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
 Avoid sleeping other places that are not your
bed i.e. an armchair.
 SLEEP
HYGIENE
PART 2
A series of sleep habits that
can improve your ability to
fall and stay asleep.
Very important to maintain
overall health and wellbeing.
 Make your room quiet and relaxing. Keep the
room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
 Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
 Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes
before bedtime.
 Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you
are hungry, eat a light healthy snack.
 Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
 Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon or
evening.
 Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
 Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.
 Sleep Disorders

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

INSOMNIA
Sleep disorder which causes a reduction in quality and
amount of sleep, making sufferers unable to function at
their optimal level.

Symptoms include daytime fatigue, impaired concentration,

irritability and mood swings

Some people most commonly suffer from insomnia that involves

not being able to fall asleep at night, and others have difficulty
staying asleep throughout the night. There are some who wake
up very early in the morning and cant go back to sleep.

Some insomnia sufferers have a combination of the above.

SLEEP APNOEA
Sleep disorder in which a person stops breathing
periodically for a few moments whilst they are
asleep.

Can occur hundreds of times per night. Mild form results in snoring,
whereas severe form results in cessation of breathing

Defense mechanism > body to arouse > restore breathing

Most common in overweight men around 40 years old, however can

affect other people, such as those who have an underdeveloped or
receding jaw including children) and smokers
TREATMENTS FOR SLEEP APNOEA

• Oral mouthguards to keep airways open.

• CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)
machine – oxygen mask worn during sleep
- most common therapy used.
• In extreme cases, surgery to correct the jaw
placement of upper and/or lower jaw.
• Losing weight
• Quitting smoking
• Avoiding depressants i.e., alcohol and
drowsy medication
NARCOLEPSY
Sleep disorder in which people experience irresistible and
unpredictable daytime attacks of sleepiness, lasting 5 – 30
minutes.

• Sufferers can also experience a loss in muscle tension which adds to

sleepiness called cataplexy.

• Attacks most frequently occur when sufferer is in a heightened state of

arousal such as laughing or angry > goes straight into REM sleep

• Very dangerous as these attacks can occur at work or whilst driving.

• Cause not known however evidence suggests it may be genetic.

• Problem is in hypothalamus of brain.

PARASOMNIAS

Include a range of sleep ‘phenomena's’ including sleep

walking, sleep talking, nightmares and night terrors.

• Very common in children due to more hours of sleep

• Night terrors and sleepwalking occur during SWS

• Sleep talking and nightmares occur during REM

• Typically reduce with age however can reoccur following periods of

stress
 Fatigue

Stage 2 Psychology - Psychological Health and Wellbeing

FATIGUE AND ITS AFFECTS
ROAD TOLL
Fatigue: sleepiness which causes someone to have more
chance of falling asleep and have impaired performance on a
task.

• Symptoms include excessive yawning, sore heavy eyes, blurred vision and
microsleeps.

• Fatigue is a major factor in the increase in the road toll.

• Can cause people to fall asleep, or have slowed reaction time on the road.
Most common in long distance truck drivers however can affect everyone.

• Most likely time to have an accident in the early hours of the morning
(most sleepy) and early afternoon between 1:00pm and 4:00pm.
FATIGUE AND ITS AFFECTS
ROAD TOLL
• Government bodies have taken measures to reduce accidents
caused by fatigue, such as rumble strips and rest areas on the side
of roads.

• Advertisements about microsleeps make people more aware of

signs of fatigue.

• Microsleep: a brief, unintended loss of attention which most often

occurs when a tired person is performing a monotonous task, such
as driving.

• Ways to reduce the impact of fatigue include: getting enough sleep

the night before, arranging overnight accommodation, avoiding
alcohol and medications which induce drowsiness and taking 15
minute breaks every two hours.
SHIFTWORK AND WORKPLACE
ACCIDENTS
• Shiftwork is a common example of something
that can affect peoples sleep/wake circadian
rhythm.

• People who have constantly different shift times

are most affected.

• Typically suffer from poor sleep quality and

reduced night alertness and are more likely to
have accidents on the road or in the workplace.
SHIFTWORK AND WORKPLACE
ACCIDENTS

Ways to minimise negative impact of shift work

 Change shifts as infrequently as possible
 Use bright lights to wake themselves up
 Wearing dark glasses to bed to block sunlight
 Taking melatonin supplements (long term affects not
known)
 Taking short naps
 Drink caffeinated drinks (but not too much)
 During the day, sleep in dark, quiet environment