Episode 12: The Truth Behind Sleep and Dreams
- A POP of Psych
- Oct 14, 2020
- 8 min read
Note: Our podcast scripts are written so that the hosts can stay on topic while allowing for the freedom to explore other related topics at the same time. If you want to find a list of sources that correlate with our script, please consider checking out the corresponding resources for this episode.
Intro
Jingle
Hey guys! My name is Julia and I am a junior from New Jersey and I will be your main
host for today. On the 12th episode of A POP of Psych, I will be discussing about something everyone needs and does. Sleep. And being a junior in high school, this is a topic that I am excited to talk about.
Topic 1: Sleep what is it
The idea of sleep is not completely understood, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t know anything about it.
So everyone has probably heard of the minimum 8 hours of sleep that a person needs per night, but not many people actually follow this recommended hour of sleep
I certainly do no, even though I should
If the difference between the amount of sleep we get and the amount of sleep we need increases, it can increase severity of conditions like diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Also, it can increase aging, which no one really wants.
In a study where participants reported sleeping four hours or less for an extended period of time, cognitive test results declined as much as if they had aged 8 years, 8!
Not only that, but if you are sleep deprived your pain tolerance decreases significantly.
For instance, just even after one night tof insufficient rest, the pain threshold drops about 15%
Also, anxiety increases in those that fail to get enough sleep.
We actually did a podcast on anxiety a couple weeks ago, you should check that out.
When people do get the recommended hours of sleep, they have better cognition and memory
You may think you are fine but you really are not your best
Sufficient sleep is necessary to maintain good health and emotional functioning.
Sleep deprivation greatly affects one’s emotion and just losing a couple hours of sleep makes one significantly angrier
Sleep-deprived individuals have fewer resources to manage negative emotions, making them prone to increased reactivity
Therefore we tend to blame others for our negative emotions, when in reality we just need more sleep
Not only does lack of sleep makes a person more angrier, it makes it harder to consider someone else’s perspective
Loss of sleep impairs regions of the brain that support understanding of another person’s intent, so we lose a bit of empathy
Sleep restores activity in the prefrontal regions of the brain which is critical for emotion regulation.
Allowing people to be more empathetic and in a way happier, happier for themselves and those around them who may have to deal with the sensitivity that comes with lack of sleep
I know for me those people would most likely be my family and friends, sorry guys
Although every person needs sleep, not every person needs it the same way
Some people are naturally night owls and some are morning birds
We all have our own natural rhythms and internal clock, but with practice night owls can become morning birds and vice versa.
Our circadian rhythms are based on light, darkness, and the release of the sleep hormone melatonin.
There are also manny misconceptions about sleep
For instance, falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow does not mean you are a good sleeper
In fact, it most likely indicates that you are sleep deprived
It should take about 10 to 20 minutes for a person to drift off into sleep.
In the next segment, I will be discussing the REM stage, Dreams, and Naps.
Topic 2: Dreams and Naps
Naps, depending on how you decide to take them
Power naps are proven to be extremely beneficial and effective
However taking naps for long periods of time can affect your sleep schedule and may be worse overall
Many companies have been seeing the advantages of power naps and companies like Ben & Jerry’s, Google, and more allow employees to to retreat to private spaces to rest on the job
Workers are more productive, make fewer mistakes, think of more innovative ideas, and get more done when they're rested
A good power nap lasts 15 to 20 minutes and is most beneficial when taken after lunch but before 3 PM
This is enough to restore attention and reaction time
It needs to be short because then it does not allow for sleep inertia which is the groggy feeling we get when we wake up after a long period of REM sleep
A proper power nap can almost immediately reduce sleepiness and improve cognitive performance, benefits sustained for up to three hours. Also, it has stress-releasing and immune effects
REM, REM stands for rapid eye movement and three are 5 stages of sleep that includes both non REM and REM.
Five stages make one sleep cycle which usually repeat every 90 to 110 minutes.
Stage 1 non-REM sleep marks the transition from wakefulness to sleep. This stage typically lasts less than 10 minutes and is marked by a slowing of your heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements , as well as the relaxation of your muscles.
Stage 2 non-REM sleep is a period of light sleep before you enter deeper sleep, lasts roughly 20 minutes. Stage two is characterized by further slowing of both the heartbeat and breathing, and the brain begins to produce bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity known as sleep spindles.
Formerly known as stages 3 and 4, stage 3 (N3) is the final stage of non-REM sleep. This is the deepest period of sleep and lasts 20 to 40 minutes. Your heartbeat and breathing slow to their lowest levels, and your muscles are so relaxed that it may be hard to awaken you.
REM sleep occurs 90 minutes after sleep onset, and is a much deeper sleep than any of the three stages of non-REM sleep. REM sleep is defined by rapid eye movements and an almost complete paralysis of the body, and a tendency to dream.
Like I’ve said in the first segment, sleep significantly affects emotions and during REM sleep, neurotransmitters involved in emotional responses, such as noradrenaline (no raw adren al lin and dopamine, are completely absent. This helps to restore a neurochemical balance that supports emotional control the next day.
Sufficient REM sleep is essential to keep emotions in check, but it tends to suffer the most from early wake-up times, since the longest stage of REM occurs close to the morning.
It is recommended to wake up without an alarm to allow yourself to linger in REM
Throughout the night your body cycles through these stages four to five times . Cycles earlier in the night tend to have more NREM sleep while later cycles have a higher proportion of REM.
By the final cycle, your body may even skip NREM deep sleep entirely.
When you don't give yourself time to cycle through the five phases of sleep—REM and the earlier, progressively deeper stages—REM is sacrificed first.
As for dreams
the meaning of dreams and why we dream is still relatively unknown, but there are theories suggest that we may dream as we consolidate memories, prepare for possible future threats, reflect unconscious mental function in a psychoanalytic way, or help further develop cognitive capabilities
There is a misconception that many people think that dreams exist so you can try to interpret them to make yourself be a better person. Instead, it's believed that REM/dream sleep mediates memory consolidation and mood regulation. "It's like overnight therapy.
Over a lifetime, you may dream for five or six full years, and that's a lot of content to leave unexamined.
But there is also the question of being able to remember dreams.
Sometimes you don’t know if you dreamed or not.
A way that may work to recall your dream better is to simply tell yourself “I want to remember my dreams” before you go to sleep.
This may be effective for some people.
When you wake up, linger in your grogginess, resume the last position you were sleeping in, and just do nothing for a time.
If you try to remember, you seem to forget more.
In the next segment, I will be joined by another host.
Topic 3: Convo
In this segment we are joined by one of our hosts of this podcast, Stacey/
So I’m going to ask you a question
Question
Sufficient sleep is necessary to maintain good health and emotional functioning. Do you agree with that?
Have you ever taken a melatonin? What do you think about it?
Power Naps
Do you remember your dreams?
The next segment will talk about advice to get better sleep.
Topic 4: Advice to sleep better
Advice to help getting to sleep
Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark.
To reset your inner clock and get back on your sleeping schedule
You can do this by manipulating your circadian rhythm by using light and darkness as a tool
"Darkness signals your body to release melatonin and kick-starts the physiological process that promotes sleep, like lowering body temperature," Wright says. "Exposure to natural daytime light, especially early morning light, signals the body to release melatonin earlier in the evening." It doesn't necessarily take long for a body to begin to make the switch
To retain a circadian reset, however, requires commitment: Individuals must stick to the new schedule and continue to exposure yourself to bright natural morning light. For those whose schedules or homes don't allow access to the sunrise, a light box can help by mimicking natural light and spurring melatonin release
Use your bed only for sex and sleep.
Avoid caffeine from mid-afternoon on.
Avoid all screens for at least an hour before turning in.
Our screens' melatonin-inhibiting blue light delays sleep latency by an average of 10 minutes
Light from screens can go through your eyelids, so your brain still processes that you're being exposed to light. We'd expect that this would lead to more fragmented sleep and more arousals throughout the night wherein your heart races or your brain waves speed up. These effects stave off reaching deep sleep, which research suggests is more refreshing than lighter stages.
In order to prevent this, many people are using blue light glasses.
However, it is important to remember that a bad night her or three is normal even though it is not completely comfortable
Sometimes overthinking can keep on awake so you can also write down your thoughts out or try to distract yourself with a book or something else, just not with technology
Although most common sleep difficulties are affected by factors like illness or stress. But external fixes can help as well.
Manage sleep environment
i.e.) a good mattress
Older mattresses break down and cannot provide adequate support anymore, which often results in restless and inadequate sleep. Also, they accumulate a tremendous amount of allergens over the years, which can further disrupt sleep
According to a study, you should replace your mattress after 7 years.
i.e.) Weighted blankets have been gaining in popularity, and some experts say they’re more than a fad.
Recommended to people with restless leg syndrome
Comforting pressure
weighted blankets helped individuals to settle down to sleep more easily and to sleep longer.
i.e.) sleep-tracking bracelet - record when you fall asleep and when you wake up and detect interrupted sleep
a primary benefit may be reassuring people who believe they’re getting hardly any sleep—the phenomenon known as paradoxical insomnia
“For those who think they’re not sleeping at all, it can lessen their anxiety and hopefully set them on a path to get more rest.”
Outro
In this episode, I discussed some concepts of sleep, stages of sleep, dream stage, and some advice to sleep better.
Through this episode, I want to highlight the importance of sleep and to encourage you guys to get enough sleep.
And, as usual, please feel free to send in audio messages or requests through our Anchor link.
Also, you can check out the script and resources used on our website, as well as, if you guys have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to visit our website apopofpsych.wixsite.com, that is linked in the description.
Thank you for tuning in and we’ll be back next week with another informative and engaging episode within the next 2 weeks.
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