L3 - SLEEP & STRESS

Question 1

stress impact on sleep

Answer 1

• too little and too much stress can have negative effects, emphasises the importance of an optimal level of stress
• when experiencing acute stress, the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) is activated, leading to release of corticosterone in mice and cortisol in humans from the adrenal glands
• these steroid molecules act on various organs, preparing the body for a flight or fight response
• chronic stress can have detrimental effects on health

Question 2

stress tests

Answer 2

• volunteers were either sleep-deprived for 12hrs or allowed to sleep normally
• then subjected to a TRIER social stress test, involves tasks like mental arithmetic and giving a speech in front of an interview panel while being filmed
• saliva samples were taken during the test showed that sleep-deprived individuals had higher stress levels compared to those w/ normal sleep
• while purpose of sleep remains unknown, its clear that the lack of sleep can induce stress
• stress = a perturbed homeostasis, where organisms attempt to restore balance in response to various stressors; can include physiological stressors like dehydration or emotional stressors; goal is to return to a state of equilibrium with the environment

Question 3

stressors and their effects

Answer 3

-