Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythms by Charles...

The general rule of thumb is that to be healthy individuals need to get a minimum of eight hours of sleep a night. Some people get more, and some people get along well with less, but everyone needs to get enough sleep or else they cannot function effectively in their everyday activities. In their work, Your Guide to a Healthy Sleep, National Institutes of Health pointed out that sleep is very important to human existence, so important that one-third of a person’s life is spent doing it (1). In Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythms, Amlaner said, â€Å"Sleep is a required activity, not an option† (19). During sleep the human body has an opportunity to recuperate from the activities of the day. The recuperation goes beyond that†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, they reported that non-REM sleep is divided into four stages. The first stage occurs right after an individual falls asleep and accounts for about five percent of total sleep. During stage one sle ep people can be awakened easily, and sometimes during this stage of sleep people may experience a sensation of falling. The second stage of non-REM sleep accounts for about fifty percent of total sleep time. During stage two sleep the body prepares itself for deep sleep by lowering the heart rate and the body temperature. Stage three sleep accounts for about five percent of total sleep time. Stage three sleep is the beginning of deep sleep. Stage four sleep, which accounts for about twenty percent of total sleep time, is the deepest state of sleep. Stage four sleep is when people can experience sleepwalking and nightmares, and if someone is awaken during this stage of sleep they can feel a certain degree of disorientation. REM sleep accounts for about twenty percent of total sleep time. It occurs after the four stages of non-REM sleep and is characterized by rapid eye movement. According to Mallick, it is during REM sleep that most dreaming, and the most intense dreaming occurs (8). The four stages of non-REM sleep and REM sleep occur in cycles of about 90 minutes which repeat about four or five times in a night. REM sleep happensShow MoreRelatedWhy Is insomnia on the Rise? Essay1056 Words   |  5 Pagesespecially in the UK. This is an issue as it causes damage to ones biological state resulting in a negative change of the economical, personal and social state of the sufferer [1]. Therefore, this issue report will identify and discuss treatments and causes for the reason behind an increase in the number of insomniacs in the UK (graph one). Insomnia is described as a chronic condition in which one finds difficulty in getting to sleep and/or staying asleep [2] and occurs when the responsibilities of