7D- sleep across the lifespan

Question 1

life span

Answer 1

the period of time a person is alive

Question 2

why do we need sleep?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

how does sleep change as we age through the lifespan

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

circadian rhythm changes: new borns

Answer 4

new borns don’t have an established circadian rhythm. their sleeping patterns are erratic and with sleep distributed across the full 24 hour day

Question 5

circadian rhythm changes: infant

Answer 5

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

Question 6

circadian rhythm changes: adolescent

Answer 6

may not feel tired until later in the evening. delayed sleep phase syndrome

Question 7

circadian rhythm changes: adult

Answer 7

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

Question 8

circadian rhythm changes: older adults

Answer 8

may prefer an earlier bedtime and therefore an earlier waking time in teh morning

Question 9

newborn (0-3 months) recommended sleep

Answer 9

14-17 hours
50% REM
50% NREM

Question 10

newborn (0-3 months) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 10

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

Question 11

infant (4-11 months) recommended sleep

Answer 11

12-16 hours
30-40% REM
60-70% NREM

Question 12

infant (4-11 months) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 12

begin to sleep for longer periods of time as their circadian rhythm develops a more regular sleep patter following day night cycles

Question 13

toddler (1-2 years) recommended sleep

Answer 13

11-14 hours
25-30% REM
70-75% NREM

Question 14

toddler (1-2 years) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 14

proportion of REM sleep has had its greatest decline and only decreases a small amount over the rest of the lifespan

Question 15

preschooler (3-5 years) recommended sleep

Answer 15

10-13 hours
25% REM
75% REM

Question 16

preschooler (3-5) years explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 16

the timing of the circadian rhythm advances and sleep shifts to earlier in the evening as children begin to drop day time naps

Question 17

school age children (6-13 years) recommended sleep

Answer 17

9-11 hours
20% REM
80% NREM

Question 18

school age children (6-13 years) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 18

from the early to late childhood years, the timing of the circadian rhythm gradually delays and sleep shifts to later in the evening

Question 19

adolescent (14-17 years) recommended sleep

Answer 19

8-10 hrs
20% REM
80% NREM

Question 20

adolescent (14-17 years) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 20

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

Question 21

young adult (18-25 hours) recommended sleep

Answer 21

7-9 hours
20% REM
80% NREM

Question 22

young adult (18-25 years)
explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 22

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

Question 23

adult (25-64 years) recommended sleep

Answer 23

7-9 hours
20% REM
80% NREM

Question 24

adult (25-64 years) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 24

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

Question 25

older adult (≥65 years) recommended sleep

Answer 25

7-8 hours
18-20% REM
80-82% NREM

Question 26

older adult (≥65 years) explanations for sleep patterns

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Identify two expected changes in sleep patterns from birth until 2 years old.

Answer 27

The total amount of sleep decreases.
The proportion of REM sleep decreases significantly.

Question 28

What is the proportion of REM sleep for a newborn?

Answer 28

50%

Question 29

At what age does the proportion of REM sleep stabilise?

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Identify two common features of sleep for older adults.

Answer 30

There is a reduction in N3 sleep.
There is an increase in sleep latency and awakenings.

Question 31

Provide two reasons for an older person to achieve less sleep than other age groups.

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

Identify the proportion of sleep that a newborn will spend in REM sleep and provide a reason for this.

Answer 32

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.