acetycholine - a neurotransmitter involved in REM sleep
Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome
- This is a condition in which a patient wakes up too early in the morning and
gets sleepy early in the evening. It is common in older people.
alpha waves - brain waves with a frequency of
8-13 cycles per second that are produced when a person is relaxed but awake.
antidepressant - a type of medication used
to treat depression and related conditions. It tends to cause either insomnia
or sleepiness it patients
Amphetamine - A colorless, volatile liquid, C9H13N,
used primarily as a central nervous system stimulant.
apnea - a gap or pause in breathing
apnea index - the number of apneas per hour
of sleep
atonia - lack of normal muscular tension or tonus
benzodiazepines - drugs that are used to
relieve anxiety and to relax muscles, tending to cause sleepiness
beta waves - brain waves with a frequency of
greater than 12 cycles per second that are produced when a person is awake and
alert.
brain waves - electrical signals sent in the
brain. They can be detected by electrodes placed on the scalp.
bright-light therapy - the use of
bright lights for certain periods of time at a certain time of day to reset one's
biological clock.
Bruxism - teeth grinding during sleep
cataplexy - a muscle weakness or paralysis. It is a symptom of Narcolepsy. It is often triggered by strong emotion.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) - a type of sleep apnea in which the brain briefly stops sending messages to the muscles to continue breathing, causing a pause in breath during sleep.
chronobiology - the study of the timing of biological systems
circannual rhythm - an internal biological clock that runs on a yearly cycle.
circadian rhythm - an internal biological clock that runs approximately on a 24 hour cycle.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) - A mask worn by patients with sleep apnea that blows air from a tube to keep the airway open when the patient is sleeping.
crepuscular - twilight active. Some animals that are crepuscular are rodents, fish, and certain birds.
cytokines - compounds from the immune system, some of which are involved with the level of sleepiness. (pp. 103)
deep sleep - stages 3 and 4 of NREM sleep during which delta waves are produced.
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome - This is a condition in which a patient doesn't get sleepy until early in the morning the next day and sleeps late into the morning. It is common in older teens.
delta sleep - slow wave sleep, stages 3 and 4 of NREM sleep.
Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide (DSIP) - a small protein that causes deed sleep when injected into animals
delta waves - brain waves with a high amplitude and a frequency of less than 4 cycles per second that are produced during deep sleep
diurnal - active during the day, asleep during the night
dormancy - a state of non activity during which sleep brain waves cannot be detected.
electroencephalogram (EEG) - a measurement of brain wave activity. This data is collected through sensors on the scalp.
electromyogram (EMG) - A measurement of muscle tension. The data is collected through sensors.
electrooculogram (EOG) - a measurement of eye movement. This data is collected through sensors.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) - the symptom of being overly sleepy
fibromyalgia - A disorder characterised by muscle pain, stiffness and easy fatigability. The cause is unknown and an estimated 3 million are affected in the USA.
free-runing - a condition in which a subject is cut off from zeitgebers, allowing it to adjust to an individualized cycle.
hibernation - the state in which some animals spend the winter, with extremely low temperatures and metabolic rates. During this state, the brain shows no activity.
hypernyctohemeral syndrome - a condition in which the patient's sleep - wake cycle is one of 25-27 hours. (p. 104 encycl.)
hypersomnia - sleeping too much or being too sleepy during the day.
hypnagogic hallucination - vivid dreamlike visions experienced by some patients of narcolepsy.
hypnic jerk - when feeling a falling sensation when going to sleep, one jerks to stop from falling.
hypothalamus - a small structure at the base of a human brain that serves as a biological clock, regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
insomnia - the inability to fall asleep, to maintain sleep, or to get back to sleep at night.
interleukin-1 - a chemical in the body involved in the immune system that may cause sleepiness. (p. 104 encycl.)
jet lag - experienced when the biological clock is not synchronized with its surroundings because of a change in time zones.
lucid dreaming - being aware during a dream that one is dreaming
Medulla Oblongata - The lowermost portion of the vertebrate brain, continuous with the spinal cord, responsible for the control of respiration, circulation, and certain other bodily functions.
Melatonin - a natural hormone of the pineal gland. It is only released during the night.
microsleeps - occurrences of sleep during wakefulness lasting a few seconds.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) - a standardized procedure used to measure daytime sleepiness. During the test, the patient is asked to stay awake for certain lengths of time and then to take short-duration naps when requested.
Muramyl Dipeptide (MDP) - a substance that raises body temperature, activates the immune system, and increases the amount of NREM sleep sleep when injected into animals
myuoclonus - unintentional twitching or tightening
of a muscle
myoclonus index - the number of leg jerks
per hour of sleep
narcolepsy - a sleep disorder in which the patient
has an irresistible need to sleep during the day. A patient may also experience
cataplexy sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and or sleep working.
Neural Gerbage Collection - a
theory that dreaming is used to discharge unwanted information from one's memory
neuroscience - the scientific study of the
nervous system.
neurons - cells that pass electrical signals to,
from, and within the brain
neurotransmitters - chemicals that carry
electrical signals between neurons
nightmares - frightening and vivid dreams that
occur during REM sleep
night terrors - (pavor nocturnous) episodes
in which a sleeper wakes up suddenly and screams. The person is panicked, frightened,
and confused, and returns to sleep within half an hour. The patient has no memory
of the event in the morning.
nocturnal - active at night time.
nocturnal myoclonus - periodic limb
movements in sleep
Non - Rapid Eye Movement (NonREM, NREM) Sleep - A type
of sleep that is divided into four stages. Usually about 75% of the night is spent
in NREM Sleep.
norepinephrine - a neurotransmitter involved
in the muscle paralysis during REM sleep
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - A type of sleep apnea
in which the muscles in the throat collapse, blocking the airway.
parasomnias - physical events that occur during
sleep
Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS) - a sleeping
disorder in which the patient's arms or legs jerk during sleep, causing brief
arousals
pharynx - part of the back of the throat. Its muscles'
relaxation can cause snoring.
phisostigmine - a drug that acts like acetylcholine,
inducing REM sleep (p. 105 encyc.)
Physiology - The biological study of the functions
of living organisms and their parts.
pituitary gland - a control system for many
hormones. It is located in the brain.
polysomnography (PSG) - the recording of different biological
factors during sleep, such as brain waves, muscle tension, and eye movement.
pons - the part of the brain that controls REM and
NREM sleep. (p. 105 encycl.)
prostaglandin D2 - a cytokine that enhances
sleep
Psychology - The science that deals with mental
processes and behavior.
psychotherapy - The treatment of mental and
emotional disorders through the use of psychological techniques designed to encourage
communication of conflicts and insight into problems, with the goal being personality
growth and behavior modification.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep - A type of sleep during
which the body is paralyzed and the eyes move. Dreaming occurs during this sleep.
Rapid Eye Movement
(REM) Sleep Behavior Disorder - a sleep disorder in which the person's body
is not paralyzed during REM sleep and so the patient acts out his or her dream,
which can have dangerous consequences.
Restless Legs Syndrome - A disorder
in which the patient experiences and uncomfortable sensation in the legs eased
only by moving them. These sensations occur when the patient is relaxed.
retina - the portion of the eye that receives light
Sentinel Hypothesis - the theory that
the brain gathers external stimuli during REM sleep to look out for danger. Any
sounds or other stimuli gathered are then incorperated into the dream.
serotonin - a neurotransmitter that affects how
alert one is
shallow torpor - a state of inactivity and
little breathing
Sleep Apnea - a sleep disorder in which the
sleeper has many pauses in breathing during the night, causing a brief arousal.
sleep efficiency - the parcentage of time
in bed that one is actually asleep.
Sleep Hygiene - good sleep habits, such as
going to bed and waking up on time, eating and exercising appropriately, etc.
sleep latency - the amount of time it takes
one to fall asleep.
sleep paralysis - the inability to move
in sleep during REM sleep and when wakening from REM sleep. Narcoleptics often
experience this when falling asleep.
sleeptalking - a parasomnia in which the sleeper
talks or mumbles words or nonsense while sleeping and has no memory of it in the
morning. This is a normal behavior.
sleepwalking - a parasomnia in which the sleeper
gets out of bed during sleep and walks around, perhaps even performing routine
tasks. The sleeper has no memory of the occurrence in the morning.
slow-wave sleep - stages 3 and 4 of NREM
sleep, during which the brain waves are large and slow. These are usually the
deeper stages of sleep.
snoring - a phenomena that occurs during sleep when
the sleeper's airway is narrowed, disturbing the airflow.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- unexplained death of seemingly healthy babies
suprachiasmatic nucleus - the part
of the hypothalamus that controls the sleep-wake cycle
theta rhythms - brain waves with a frequency
of about 6 cycles per second. Humans do not produce theta rhythms (which are different
from theta waves). Many animals, however, do produce these waves during REM sleep,
times of crisis (such as being hunted) or when preforming an essencial task (such
as hunting).
theta waves - brain waves with a frequency of
4-7 cycles per second that are produced during light sleep.
thyroid - a gland involved in the use of energy
thyrotropin - a hormone released by the pituitary
gland involved in the stimulation of the thryroid gland
tracheostomy - surgury sometimes used to improve
conditions of those with extremely severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea
type II interferon - a cytokine that
induces sleep
Uvula - A small, conical, fleshy mass of tissue suspended
from the center of the soft palate.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UVPPP) - operation sometimes
used to treat patients with obstructive sleep apnea
woodchuck - a hibernating animal
zeitgebers - external cues that reset the biological
clock to be synchronized with the outside world.