Sleep Cycle

Wright asserts, " The association between sleep apnea and a range of poor health outcomes is generally weak with the exception of daytime sleepiness and possibly vehicle accidents for which the evidence are more convincing(p. 856). " It also causes acid reflux due to diaphragm creating negative pressure to move air into the upper airway. Since the person is tired and deprived of sleep, they may fall asleep while watching television or any time where there is lower stimulation. Some people have to wear a special mask connected to Continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) machines to ensure that they breathe normally throughout the night, and the threat of breathing problem can cause severe anxiety. There can be decreased opportunities for intimacy and increased relationship dissatisfaction contributing mental stress to both parties.

School starting times has been an ongoing debate with no end in sight. Due to early mornings, adolescents have been found to sleep less, and with a hefty majority of young people not getting the necessary amount of sleep, there are many damaging side effects. I believe that the school start time should be pushed back because learning capabilities can be compromised, the body does not respond well on limited sleep, and danger on the road is greatly increased. Many studies have been piloted that demonstrate the benefits of delaying school starting times.

Sleep Disorder Research Project-Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder due to overwhelming downiness and sudden attacks of sleep. The word narcolepsy comes from two Greek words translated as “seized by numbers”. The cause of narcolepsy is unknown. Most people with narcolepsy have low levels of the chemical hypocretin. It is first describes by doctors in the 1870s.

Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to give the body the signal to inhale; breathing becomes shallow and eventually stops, causing a patient to wake suddenly. Complex sleep apnea is developed from treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with the use of the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine (CPAP). This form of the disorder is difficult to diagnose as it is newly recognized, but there are new forms of CPAP machines being developed to treat complex sleep apnea. The most common form of the disorder is obstructive- where the throat muscles relax and block the airway. The restriction of air to the body causes lack of blood flow to the brain, which often results with brain injury.

It also tells about common problems children face when growing up. The title of this page is ¨Sleep in Adolescents (13-18 years)¨ There is no listed author. “As a result, most adolescents are very sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation will impact on many aspects of your teenagers functioning” (Nationwide Children’s) Lack of sleep can affect a teen’s ability to perform academically, as well as cognitive ability.

According to Emily Richmond from The Atlantic, adolescents’ circadian rhythms, also known as the “internal clocks” works differently than other age groups. The circadian rhythm controls a human’s responses to stimuli and regulates sleeping patterns. She asserts that it is hard for adolescent to fall asleep earlier in the evening than other age groups (Richmond). According to the Sleep Center of the University of California Los Angeles, most teens in general do not get enough (CDC). Teens are at their important stage of growth and development, therefore they require more sleep than adults.

In this phase individual experience airway collapse which results in a brief pause in breathing along with a loud snore followed by a cough or chocking which then help resume breathing. It is generally caught by another family member who witness this cycle of breath-pause-breath. Literature reviews suggest that most individuals suffering from OSA simply are unaware that they have a problem and therefore go undiagnosed for years before they get help. Consequently, health care providers fail to recognize the problem due to lack of information. This phenomenon is mainly common and prevalent among the aging population, male, individual with large neck size or tonsils, and family history of sleep apnea.

According to the constant data on shelter use year round, approximately 0.51% of the general populace lived in shelters or transitional housing for at least one night throughout a complete 12-month period. About 4% of poor people lived in a shelter or transitional house for at least one night during the full year. Even though newscast reports that state the present slump has caused a great enlargement in homelessness, homeless shelter use, in general, has not amplified throughout the existing economic

Unlike adults, they have a more immature nervous system. (Ben-Joseph) The immaturity of their nervous system’s causes the brain to have some un normal dysfunctions. A very rare condition, called Narcolepsy, is a lifetime nervous system that causes abnormal sleep. (Lights) Night terrors are caused by over- arousal of the central nervous system during sleep.

There are up to seventy types of sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. The most prevalent is insomnia because most victims do not sleep because they simply cannot. Sleep apnea in which breathing stops and starts must have treatment to participate in one’s daily routine. Restless leg syndrome is a condition that causes an irresistible urge to move one’s leg and prevent sleep. These are three of the seventy types of sleep disorders that affect one’s sleep (Stoppler).

Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last for several seconds to several minutes, and may occur at least 5 times in an hour. There are two types of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common of the two forms of apnea, and it is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. Sleep apnea has substantial impact on general health. Not only does the poor and fragmented sleep caused by obstructive sleep apnea result in daytime sleepiness and consequent increased risk of motor vehicle and occupational accidents, but neurocognitive function, mood, and quality of life can be impaired as well.

15-20 percent of US adults have a chronic condition that effects sleep. A recent study in sleep health showed that a good nights sleep or lack of sleep is related to maintaining brain health and cognitive function and overall improves your well-being. The

Stage 3 typically only takes up 4% to 6% of sleep time, but is thought of as the most important stage. Stage 4 is very similar to stage 3 and even sometimes the two stages are combined because of their extreme similarity. It is the deepest part of sleep and is the point where night terrors or sleepwalking may occur. It takes up about 12% to 15% of total sleep time. Finally there is REM sleep.

Stage two is the second stage of sleep and lasts for twenty minutes. The brain begins to produce bursts of rapid rhythmic brain activity known as sleep spindles. The body temperature starts to decrease and heart rate begins to slow. Stage three was previously divided into stages three and four. Delta waves are deep slow brain waves that begin to emerge during stage three sleep.

One consequence, not much discussed, is an increased attraction for coffee. If you don’t get enough sleep you’ll most likely be drowsy which is negated by caffeine. Surprising enough, caffeine can cause insomnia and insomnia is the inability to sleep at times. If teens don’t get enough sleep, then they are at a higher risk of consuming more caffeine - possibly causing health issues along with the effects of sleep