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

Define starches, Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-N...

Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Leukaemia, Leukaemia Leukaemia is a malignant disease of blood forming...

Leukaemia Leukaemia is a malignant disease of blood forming organs of the body  that results  in uncontroled  growth of  immature white blood cells. The leukaemic process in t

What are some examples of interspecific competition, What are some examples...

What are some examples of interspecific competition? Examples of interspecific competition are: the dispute between vultures, worms, flies and microorganisms for carrion and th

What is the meaning of darwins expression, What is the meaning of Darwin's ...

What is the meaning of Darwin's expression "descent with modification"? Descent with modification refers to natural selection. Descent with modification refers to evolutionary chan

The skeletal system, Where does cartilage occur in a joint and what is its ...

Where does cartilage occur in a joint and what is its function ?

Define biodiversity and ecosystem stability, Define Biodiversity and ecosys...

Define Biodiversity and ecosystem stability? Human's have transformed ecosystems all through the world, frequently replacing diverse natural ecosystems with ecosystems which ar

Explain phylum-bacteria, Phylum-Bacteria (Eubacteria) Eubacteria,th e t...

Phylum-Bacteria (Eubacteria) Eubacteria,th e true bacteria, are extremely small and they exist in vast numbers virtually everywhere on earth. They range from the upper atmosphe

Shows evidence to see the in environment abd ecology, Shows evidence of the...

Shows evidence of the ability to see the interaction between environment / ecology and genetics /  evolution Some candidates may recognise that evolution can result in less no

Explain precautions for gram staining of bacterial cultures, Explain Precau...

Explain Precautions for Gram Staining of Bacterial Cultures? 1. Heat fix the smear, otherwise cells would be washed off. 2. Fresh 24 hrs old culture should be used. Gram var

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