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 the foam mat drying method, Define the Foam Mat Drying Method? T...

Define the Foam Mat Drying Method? This process is a development of the vacuum puffing but, instead of employing a vacuum to foam the material, it is initially foamed by suitab

Tetrasporic embryo sacs, Tetrasporic Embryo Sacs In this group neithe...

Tetrasporic Embryo Sacs In this group neither of the meiotic divisions is accompanied by wall formation so that at the end of meiosis all the four haploid nuclei remain in a

Urea, notes on urea

notes on urea

Reproduction, Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE...

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

Define the energy cost of growth, Define the Energy Cost of Growth? The...

Define the Energy Cost of Growth? The energy cost of growth has two components: 1) The energy needed to synthesize growing tissues; and 2) The energy deposited in these tis

Defination and use of stem cell, Stem cell research has been promoted as a ...

Stem cell research has been promoted as a future medical cure-all for a host of diseases, including Alzheimer's and diabetes, as well as a potential breakthrough for organ replacem

What is ascaris and which disease caused by this worm, Q. What is ascaris? ...

Q. What is ascaris? What is the disease caused by this worm? Ascaris lumbricoides or Ascaris is an animal of the nematode phylum that is a roundworm. Ascaris causes ascariasis,

Heart and lungs, what are the main functions of lungs and heart

what are the main functions of lungs and heart

Describe in brief about the boron - micronutrients, Describe in brief abou...

Describe in brief about the Boron  - Micronutrients  Boron is required in extremely small amounts in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 ppm. The actual amount may vary from crop to crop

Determine the uses of the gums, The use of the gums in various foods may af...

The use of the gums in various foods may affect the following functional properties: 1. Water-binding capacity 2. Rheological properties 3.  Capacity to form film or gel

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