Chapter 9: WHY DO WE SLEEP?

Question 1

What would be a general answer to Why do we sleep?

Answer 1

• universal phenomenon among vertebrates
• mental activity occurs during sleep, it is not a state of unconsciousness
• SWS and REM sleep promote different types of learning
• REM sleep appears to promote brain development

Question 2

What was the general finding of sleep deprivation studies?

Answer 2

• No persuasive evidence that sleep is needed for normal body function but it is important for the brain.
• sleep deprivation is detrimental for cognitive abilities

Question 3

How do the bottlenose dolphin and the porpoise sleep?

Answer 3

-With one hemisphere at a time

Question 4

What are the functions of SWS?

Answer 4

• essential for survival
• reduces free radicals
• evidence of sleep deprivation from individuals with fatal familial insomnia, they die of sleep deprivation

Question 5

What diseases is Fatal Familial Insomnia related to?

Answer 5

• Creuzfeldt-Jacob disease

- bovine spongiform encephalopathy: mad cow disease.

Question 6

What are the symptoms of Fatal Familial Insomnia?

Answer 6

• Deficits in attention and memory, dreamlike confused state.
• Loss of control of ANS and endocrine system
• Increased body temperature
• Insomnia (caused by the brain damage)
• Death

Question 7

What are the functions of REM sleep?

Answer 7

• promote brain development
• facilitate learning
• supports REM rebound phenomenon

Question 8

What is the REM rebound phenomenon?

Answer 8

-After several days of REM sleep deprivation, more REM sleep occurs once able to sleep normally

Question 9

How does sleep help in learning?

Answer 9

• Aids in consolidation of LTM

- Different roles in memory consolidation

Question 10

What happens learning wise when you take a nap after doing a declarative learning task and a non-declarative learning task?

Answer 10

• Slow-wave sleep made you integrate better the declarative learning task
• REM sleep made you integrate better the non-declarative learning task

Question 11

How does exercise influence sleep?

Answer 11

-relationship between sleep and exercise not very compelling

Question 12

What did Ryback and Lewis find in their study about sleep and exercise?

Answer 12

Found no changes in slow-wave or REM sleep among healthy subjects who spent six weeks resting in bed
-If sleep repairs wear and tear, we would expect these people to sleep less.