What purpose does sleep serve for the brain, Biology

Assignment Help:

What purpose does sleep serve for the brain?

A. We don't yet know full answer to this fundamental question however neuroscience is providing intriguing clues. It's increasingly clear that adequate sleep is necessary to consolidate certain types of memories and to improve performance on different learning tasks. If we are deprived of sleep, we don't learn as well. Recent brain research indicates that so-called "slow-wave" sleep, a type of non-REM sleep which generally occurs early in the night, is specifically crucial to learning. Sleeping within 30 hours of new learning seems to be essential, however some studies suggest that brief, 60- to 90-minute naps produce as much improvement in practiced behaviors as a full eight hours of sleep, so long as naps include both slow-wave and REM sleep.

Anyone who has ever pulled an all-nighter knows that lack of sleep can impair learning, memory, attention and decision-making, making it difficult to perform even simple tasks. Our risk of accidents is also greater when we don't sleep well. While average person requires about 8 hours of sleep per night, surveys suggest that America is sleep-deprived. As many as one-fifth of us say daytime sleepiness keeps us from performing at our peak, and nearly as many report having fallen asleep during driving. Chronic lack of sleep or abrupt changes in sleep patterns could signal an underlying problem that warrants evaluation by a qualified sleep doctor.

 


Related Discussions:- What purpose does sleep serve for the brain

Determine about the manganese, Determine about the Manganese   Manganes...

Determine about the Manganese   Manganese performs some functions in photosynthesis and acts to regulate the intake of certain elements and their oxidation states.   Several cr

Write the chain structure of d galactose and d mannose, Write the chain str...

Write the chain structure of D galactose and D mannose? The ring form of ribose is a component of ribonucleic acid (RNA). Deoxyribose, which is missing an oxygen at positi

Adhesion of cells to extracellular cell matrix, Adhesion of Cells to Extrac...

Adhesion of Cells to Extracellular Cell Matrix You know that the cells in order to move or change shape, adhere to each other or to the substratum in their environment. Usual

Oxidation reduction potential, what exactly is oxidation and reduction pote...

what exactly is oxidation and reduction potential and how its an imp. factor in spoiling meat

Why dietary supplements do not speed up a child''s growth, Why Dietary supp...

Why Dietary supplements do not speed up a child's growth? Dietary supplements do not "speed up" a child's growth and development: There is no scientific evidence that me

Hypomagnesaemic tetany of calves, Hypomagnesaemic tetany of calves You...

Hypomagnesaemic tetany of calves Young calves in the age group of 2-8 weeks and fed whole milk or milk replacer are more likely to develop hypomagnesaemia due to inadequate ma

Explain the role of pancreas in digestion, Role of Pancreas in Digestion ...

Role of Pancreas in Digestion Pancreatic  juices  secreted from  the  pancreas  aid  in  digestion  of  the  food. About 600-800  ml  of  fluid  i.e.  the  pancreatic juice  is

What process causes oxygen to pass from the alveoli, What process causes ox...

What process causes oxygen to pass from the alveoli into the lung capillaries? Diffusion is the process by which oxygen passes from the alveoli to the lung capillaries.

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd