ANALYZING SLEEP

AND ITS
IMPORTANCE
ANGELINE GARCIA
INFORMATIVE SPEECH
PROFESSOR MARIA STARLING
SPCH 1311 M/W 1:00-2:30

WHAT IS SLEEP?
sleep
slp/
noun
1.
a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours
every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the
postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SLEEP?

The stages of sleep go as follows:
Stage 1is light sleep where you drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily.
In this stage, the eyes move slowly and muscle activity slows. During this stage, many
people experience sudden muscle contractions preceded by a sensation of falling.
Instage 2, eye movement stops and brain waves become slower with only an
occasional burst of rapid brain waves.
Stage 3, extremely slow brain waves called delta waves are interspersed with smaller,
faster waves.
Instage 4, the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively.
Stages 3 and 4 are referred to asdeep sleepor delta sleep, and it is very difficult to
wake someone from them. In deep sleep, there is no eye movement or muscle activity.
In the REM period, breathing becomes more rapid, irregular and shallow, eyes jerk
rapidly and limb muscles are temporarily paralyzed. Brain waves during this stage
increase to levels experienced when a person is awake. Heart rate increases, blood
pressure rises, the body loses some of the ability to regulate its temperature. This is the
time when most dreams occur and if awoken during REM sleep, a person can remember
the dreams.

DURING SLEEP, WE GIVE OUR BODY A

CHANCE TO REFRESH.
Rest. The body's energy reserves are replenished.
Brain and memory reorganization.
Reinforcing memory and learnings that were formed during the day.
The cardiovascular system also gets a break during sleep. Researchers have found
that people with normal or high blood pressure experience a 20 to 30% reduction in
blood pressure and 10 to 20% reduction in heart rate.
The allostatic load (the wear and tear on the body) on the body takes a toll and
sleep is a respite.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDNT

SLEEP?
When we lose sleep:
learning, memory, mood and reaction time are all affected

sleeplessness has even been linked to diabetes and obesity.

WHY DO WE SLEEP?
Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night, and adolescents need about ten.
People start to feel sleepy first from environmental signals (it being dark outside) but also
from brain chemicals telling us were tired.
While awake, cells produce the chemical adenosine as a waste product which builds up in
the brain and its known as sleep pressure (Caffeine works by blocking adenosine
receptors in the brain.)
As the melatonin and adenosine build up in our minds we go into a light doze which grows
deepermaking breathing and heart rate slow down and muscles relax,telling us we need
to close our eyes to allow our bodies a chance to replenish and repair DNA.

COPING WITH SLEEP DEPRIVATION

The most recent national poll shows that more than 87 percent of U.S. high school
students get far less than the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep each night.
A lack of sleep affects a teenagers life both in the short-term and long-term.
Sleep deprivation affects a person not only physically but also emotionally and
psychologically causing drowsiness, inability to concentrate the next day, hallucinations,
mood swings and many other potentially serious health problems in teenagers.

Ways to get more sleep?

Get regular exercise

Keep the same bedtime/ wake time

Turn off electronics at least 30 minutes before bed.

Do not work or study in bed, you start to connect your bed with stress and that can
impact your ability to sleep.

WORKS CITED
Stampler, Laura. "30 Crazy Things You Didnt Know About Sleep."Time. Time, n.d. Web.
13 Apr. 2016. <http://time.com/70415/30-crazy-sleep-facts/>.
http://time.com/70415/30-crazy-sleep-facts/
"Quick Links."Stages of Sleep. Sleep Dex, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.sleepdex.org/stages.htm>.
http://www.sleepdex.org/sleep.htm
Teens and sleep. Sleep for teenagers. The National Foundation,n.d.Web.
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens -and- sleep .
Connor, Jershua.Sleep to succeed. US News and world report. n.d. web
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge .