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Week 5 Assignment

(Your Name Here)

Name of the University or College

Name of the Course, Number and Code

Name of the Professor

June 14th, 2024

Concept Worksheet

What Causes Sleep?

There are two internal biological mechanisms that work together to regulate wakefulness

and sleep referred to as circadian rhythms and sleep-wake homeostasis. Circadian rhythms direct

a wide variety of body functions including wakefulness, core temperature, metabolism, and the

release of hormones. They control the timing of sleep, causing a person to feel sleepy at night

and creating a tendency to wake in the morning without an alarm. Circadian rhythms are based

roughly on a 24-hour clock and use environmental cues, such as light and temperature to

determine the time of day. Sleep-wake homeostasis keeps track of a person’s need for sleep. A

pressure to sleep builds with every hour that a person is awake, reaching a peak in the evening

when most people fall asleep. The homeostatic sleep drive also regulates sleep intensity, causing

a person to sleep longer and more deeply after a period of sleep deprivation. Adenosine is linked

to this drive for sleep. While awake, the level of adenosine in the brain continues to rise, with

increased levels signaling a shift toward sleep. While sleeping, the body breaks down adenosine.

When it gets dark, the body also releases a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin signals the

body that it’s time to prepare for sleep and creates a feeling of drowsiness. The amount of

melatonin in the bloodstream peaks as the evening wears on. A third hormone, cortisol, is

released in the early morning hours and naturally prepares the body to wake up.

Factors that influence a person’s sleep and wakefulness

Factors that influence a person’s sleep and wakefulness include medical conditions,

medications, stress, sleep environment, and foods and fluids consumed, but the greatest influence

is exposure to light. Specialized cells in the retina process light and provide messages to the
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brain to align the body clock with periods of day or night. Exposure to bright artificial light in

the late evening can disrupt this process, making it hard to fall asleep. Examples of bright

artificial light include the light from a TV screen, computer, or smartphone. Exposure to light

can also make it difficult to return to sleep after being awakened.

Night shift workers often have trouble falling asleep when they go to bed and may have

trouble staying awake at work because their natural circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle are

disrupted. Jet lag also disrupts circadian rhythms. When flying to a different time zone, a

mismatch is created between a person’s internal clock and the actual time of day.

The rhythm and timing of the body clock change with age. For example, teenagers fall

asleep later at night than younger children and adults because melatonin is released and peaks

later in the 24-hour cycle for teens. As a result, it’s natural for many teens to prefer later

bedtimes at night and sleep later in the morning than adults.

Individuals also need more sleep early in life, when they’re growing and developing. For

example, newborns may sleep more than 16 hours a day, and preschool-aged children need to

take naps. Young children tend to sleep more in the early evening, whereas older adults tend to

go to bed earlier and wake up earlier.

Sleep Phases and Stages.

When sleeping, individuals cycle through two phases of sleep: rapid eye movement

(REM) and non-REM sleep. A full sleep cycle takes 80 to 100 minutes to complete, and most

people typically cycle through four to six cycles per night. It is common to wake up briefly

between cycles.
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Restoration takes place mostly during slow wave, non-REM sleep, during which the

body’s temperature, heart rate, and brain oxygen consumption decrease. Brain activity decreases,

so this stage is also referred to as slow-wave sleep and is observed during sleep studies. Non-

REM sleep has these three stages:

Stage 1: The transition between wakefulness and sleep.

Stage 2: The initiation of the sleep phase.

Stage 3: The deep sleep or slow-wave sleep stage is based on a pattern that appears during

measurements of brain activity. Individuals spend the most amount of sleep time in this stage

during the early part of the night. (Note that the previously considered 4th stage of non-REM

sleep is now included within Stage 3).

During REM sleep, a person’s heart rate and respiratory rate increase. Eyes twitch as they

rapidly move back and forth, and the brain is active. Brain activity measured during REM sleep

is similar to activity during waking hours. Dreaming occurs during REM sleep, and muscles

normally become limp to prevent acting out one’s dreams. People typically experience more

REM sleep as the night progresses. However, hot and cold environments can affect a person’s

REM sleep because the body does not regulate temperature well during REM sleep.

The patterns and types of sleep change as people mature. For example, newborns spend

more time in REM sleep. The amount of slow-wave sleep peaks in early childhood and then

drops sharply in the teenage years. Slow-wave sleep continues to decrease through adulthood,

and older people may not have any slow-wave sleep at all.
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Why Is sleep important?

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being. Getting enough quality sleep at the

right times protects mental health and physical health. Lack of sleep affects daytime

performance, quality of life, and safety. The way a person feels while awake depends on what

happens while they are sleeping. During sleep, the body is working to support healthy brain

function and maintain physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and

development.

Healthy Brain Function and Emotional Well-Being

Sleep helps the brain work properly. While sleeping, the brain is forming new pathways

to help a person learn and remember information. Studies show that a good night’s sleep

improves learning and problem-solving skills. Sleep also helps a person pay attention, make

decisions, and be creative. Conversely, sleep deficiency alters activity in some parts of the brain,

causing difficulty in making decisions, solving problems, controlling emotions and behavior, and

coping with change. Sleep deficiency has also been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking

behavior.

Physical Health.

Sleep also plays an important role in physical health. For example, sleep is involved in

healing and repairing the heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an

increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Sleep

helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that cause hunger (ghrelin) or a feeling of

fullness (leptin). When a person doesn’t get enough sleep, the level of ghrelin increases and the
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level of leptin decreases, causing a person to feel hungry when sleep deprived. The way the body

responds to insulin is also affected, causing increased blood sugar.

Sleep supports healthy growth and development.

Deep sleep triggers the body to release hormones that promote normal growth in children

and teens. These hormones also boost muscle mass and help repair cells and tissues.
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Reference

Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN). (n.d.). Sleep and Rest, Basic Concepts. In K. Ernstmeyer & E.

Christman (Eds.), Nursing Fundamentals. Chippewa Valley Technical College.

https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/nursingfundamentals/Links to an external site.

Explanation

The three strategies I applied to the text included: Headings, Margins, indentation, as well

as alignment and Fonts and color.

Headings

I first of all began with putting the required headings and subheadings. This helps to

provide guidance, ensuring that the reader or audience can understand the text effectively as they

highlight the key concepts. I bolded and centered the headings to ensure that they remain easily

visible by readers. The subheadings for each heading are not bolded to prevent potential

confusion. I also ensured that the headings are in sentence case or each word capitalized.

Margins, indentation, and alignment

For the margins, I formatted the paper so that the margins appear normal. 1” both sides of

the paper (top, bottom, left and right). I also ensured that the text is put in paragraphs and the

first sentence of each paragraph is indented. In terms of alignment, I ensured the text is justified.
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Fonts and color

For the Fonts and color, I formatted the document so that it is font-size 12pt, Times New

Roman font, and 1-inch margins in addition to ensuring it is double spaced. I chose the automatic

theme color to ensure visibility of text. This Font ensures readability, making it easier for readers

to consume content. Similarly, color contrast and selection are vital for ensuring accessibility,

especially for people with visual impairments.