Introduction
Sleep is very important; any time a person is deprived of sleep, they are bound to experience problems. Sleep is a state of reduced consciousness that reduces sensory awareness and low physical activity levels (Spielman et al., 2014). While some people experience normal sleep, others struggle due to different challenges. This paper discusses the sleep process, the importance of sleep, sleep apnea, and a solution to sleep apnea.
Description of the Sleep Process
The sleep process is divided into two general phases: the REM sleep and the non-REM (NREM) sleep. During rapid eye movement (REM), sleep entails the darting movements of the eyes when they close (Burton & Walker, 2020). At this stage, the brain waves are similar to those during wakefulness. Contrastingly, the non-REM (NREM) entails four sub-stages distinct from each other and the state of wakefulness by their brain wave patterns (Spielman et al., 2014). Sleep entails five stages, with NREM occupying the first four stages and REM stage occupying the fifth and last stage of sleep.
Sleep Stages
Stage one of sleep is a transitional phase between wakefulness when a person drifts off. According to Burton and Walker (2020), it is associated with alpha and theta wave brain waves, which are of very low frequency (8-13Hz and 4-7Hz, respectively). It is characterized by slowing down the rates of heartbeat and respiration. Stage two sleep entails the body going into deep relaxation, dominated by theta waves during brain activity. The theta waves are interrupted from time to time with bursts of higher frequency brain activity referred to as sleep spindles important for memory and learning.
Stages three and four of sleep involve deep sleep associated with delta waves, which are low frequency (up to 4Hz) (Spielman et al., 2014). During this period, a person’s heart and respiration slows down dramatically. These stages are important because when interrupted, an individual may not feel refreshed, no matter how long they sleep. REM sleep is the fifth stage of sleep, where dreaming normally occurs. It also entails the paralysis of body muscles apart from those that enable respiration and circulation and is important for learning and memory.
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is very important in the life of individuals, restoring resources that a person expends during the day. Human beings, therefore, sleep at night in order to reduce their energy expenditures. Energetic demands can be addressed when a human being has periods of rest and inactivity (Medic et al., 2017). If one spends less time sleeping, they are bound to have reduced energy levels; hence they fail to attain their energy demands.
Sleep is also essential in evading dangers and increasing security when darkness falls. According to the evolutionary hypothesis, human sleep patterns developed as they adapted to the predatory risks, which increase at nightfall (Spielman et al., 2014). There is the possibility that human ancestors spent long periods of sleep to reduce the likelihood of being noticed by predators. This view is challenged by some researchers who suggest that a species that faces higher predatory risks sleep for shorter durations than their counterparts.
Nevertheless, across the species, sleep helps lower stress levels, improve mood, maintain healthy body weight, and increase motor coordination. Sleep is also vital for cognitive function and memory formation. Medic et al. (2017) suggest that a person who experiences sleep deprivation experiences an impaired ability to maintain attention, make decisions, and recall long-term memories. Slow-wave sleep is known to reinforce the performance of a newly learned task, enabling proper memory formation.
Sleep Apnea
One of the common sleep disorders is sleep apnea, involving episodes when a person’s breathing stops as they sleep. They can last for ten to twenty seconds, punctuated by brief arousal periods. People who experience sleep apnea normally feel increasingly fatigued after sleep (Spielman et al., 2014). Additionally, the partners of individuals who experience sleep apnea often report that they snore loudly. This problem is more common in people who are overweight and is known to exacerbate cardiovascular disease.
There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. The former occurs when a person’s airway is blocked during sleep, preventing air from entering the lungs. The latter, on the other hand, entails disruption of brain signals that regulate breathing. One of the common ways of treating sleep apnea is the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) (Spielman et al., 2014). The CPAP is a mask that can fit over the sleeper’s mouth and nose. The mask is connected to a pipe that pumps air into the sleeper’s airway, aiding it to stay open. This device has been found to be effective for people suffering from sleep apnea.
Conclusion
To sum it, sleep entails five stages divided into rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement. It is vital for the normal functioning a person’s body. One of the major defects of sleep is sleep apnea which entails the blockage of airways during sleep. Even though it is a scary experience, people experiencing it can find reprieve in using CPAP. Learning the sleep the process can help an individual improve their quality of sleep.
References
Spielman, R. M., Dumper, K., Jenkins, W., Lacombe, A., Lovett, M., & Perlmutter, M. (2014). Psychology. OpenStax. Web.
Burton, H., & Walker, M. (2020). Stages of sleep. Conversations about Biology, 329–335. Web.
Medic, G., Wille, M., & Hemels, M. (2017). Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nature and Science of Sleep, Volume 9, 151–161. Web.