7D- sleep across the lifespan Flashcards
life span
the period of time a person is alive
why do we need sleep?
repair and restoration of the body and mind
adaptive function by giving us time to conserve energy and remain safe during times of danger
processing and consolidation of information, aiding memory
how does sleep change as we age through the lifespan
The total amount of sleep decreases.
The proportion of REM sleep decreases significantly from birth until 2 years old.
The amount of N3 sleep decreases, replaced mostly by N2 sleep.
A circadian phase delay occurs during adolescence (preference for going to sleep later).
After adolescence, a shift to a circadian phase advance occurs (preference for going to sleep earlier).
Awakenings during sleep increase from adulthood to old age.
Sleep efficiency (the percentage of the time in bed that is spent asleep) reduces.
circadian rhythm changes: new borns
new borns don’t have an established circadian rhythm. their sleeping patterns are erratic and with sleep distributed across the full 24 hour day
circadian rhythm changes: infant
from about 4 months, an infants sleep becomes more nocturnal. as they continue to develop and experience rapid physiological changes, children begin to have a fairly consistent circadian rhythm
circadian rhythm changes: adolescent
may not feel tired until later in the evening. delayed sleep phase syndrome
circadian rhythm changes: adult
the circadian rhythm returns back to normal and most healthy adults experience a consistent circadian rhythm if they follow a regular routine with relatively stable bedtimes and wake times
circadian rhythm changes: older adults
may prefer an earlier bedtime and therefore an earlier waking time in teh morning
newborn (0-3 months) recommended sleep
14-17 hours
50% REM
50% NREM
newborn (0-3 months) explanations for sleep patterns
require the highest amount of sleep for rapid growth and development
REM sleep boosts brain growth and development and helps consolidate learning and memory
muscle twitches that occur during REM may help them develop their sensorimotor system, coordinating sensory experiences with motor actions
infant (4-11 months) recommended sleep
12-16 hours
30-40% REM
60-70% NREM
infant (4-11 months) explanations for sleep patterns
begin to sleep for longer periods of time as their circadian rhythm develops a more regular sleep patter following day night cycles
toddler (1-2 years) recommended sleep
11-14 hours
25-30% REM
70-75% NREM
toddler (1-2 years) explanations for sleep patterns
proportion of REM sleep has had its greatest decline and only decreases a small amount over the rest of the lifespan
preschooler (3-5 years) recommended sleep
10-13 hours
25% REM
75% REM
preschooler (3-5) years explanations for sleep patterns
the timing of the circadian rhythm advances and sleep shifts to earlier in the evening as children begin to drop day time naps
school age children (6-13 years) recommended sleep
9-11 hours
20% REM
80% NREM
school age children (6-13 years) explanations for sleep patterns
from the early to late childhood years, the timing of the circadian rhythm gradually delays and sleep shifts to later in the evening
adolescent (14-17 years) recommended sleep
8-10 hrs
20% REM
80% NREM
adolescent (14-17 years) explanations for sleep patterns
adolescents experience a delay in the circadian rhythm because of a hormonally determined shift in melatonin release 1-2 hours later than other groups. preference for a later bed time → fewer hours of sleep than needed because of early waking for school
increased school related requirements, independence and easy access to entertainment can also contribute to a delayed sleep time
young adult (18-25 hours) recommended sleep
7-9 hours
20% REM
80% NREM
young adult (18-25 years)
explanations for sleep patterns
sleep patterns can alter because of psychosocial factors
circadian phase advance begins towards the end of this stage resulting in a preference for an earlier bedtime
melatonin concentrations decrease after puberty
adult (25-64 years) recommended sleep
7-9 hours
20% REM
80% NREM
adult (25-64 years) explanations for sleep patterns
can alter as a result of lifestyle changes such as caring for infants and children, changing work and social requirements etc
later in this stage N3 sleep declines and is replaced by N2 sleep
melatonin concentrations continue to decline over adulthood
older adult (≥65 years) recommended sleep
7-8 hours
18-20% REM
80-82% NREM
older adult (≥65 years) explanations for sleep patterns
lifestyle changes→ retirement, increased health issues, bereavement etc
a circadian phase advance occurs and less sleep may be achieved if a person’s body resists the body’s preference for an earlier bedtime and earlier awakening
amount of N3 continues to decline and may not occur at all and is replaced w N2 sleep
increased sleep latency (time to fall asleep) and multiple awakenings occur
melatonin concentrations continue to decline
less sleep may be due to an inability to obtain sleep
Identify two expected changes in sleep patterns from birth until 2 years old.
The total amount of sleep decreases.
The proportion of REM sleep decreases significantly.
What is the proportion of REM sleep for a newborn?
50%
At what age does the proportion of REM sleep stabilise?
At about 6 years old, REM sleep takes up about 20% of sleep, and this remains relatively stable over the rest of the life span.
Identify two common features of sleep for older adults.
There is a reduction in N3 sleep.
There is an increase in sleep latency and awakenings.
Provide two reasons for an older person to achieve less sleep than other age groups.
Older adults typically experience less deep sleep than other age groups, and therefore may be woken more easily, resulting in less total sleep. Older adults typically also experience more health issues that affect their ability to sleep, resulting in less total sleep.
Identify the proportion of sleep that a newborn will spend in REM sleep and provide a reason for this.
A newborn will spend 50% of their sleep in REM sleep. This is probably because a newborn undergoes significant brain development, which REM sleep may aid in.
