Sleep Deprivation

Question 1

What are the neurological signs of deprivation?

Answer 1

• mild inconstant nystagmus
• impaired saccadic eye movements
• ptosis of eyelids
• slight hand tremor
• flat speech
• anomia
• reduced seizure threshold
• perceptual distortions

Question 2

Describe the memory consolidation during sleep

Answer 2

• Memory encoding takes place during the waking state; whereas, memory consolidation is facilitated during the sleeping state.
• Synaptic pruning during sleep: enhances memory signal and prunes away noise
• Memory replay during sleep: spatio-temporal patterns of neuronal firing that occur during exploration of a novel environment are reactivated in the same order during sleep

Question 3

What are the main sleep/ health correlations?

Answer 3

• Sleep Debt and Heart Disease
➢ High blood pressure
➢ Stroke
➢ Heart attack

• Sleep Debt and Metabolism
➢ Weight gain
➢ Diabetes

• Sleep Debt and Immune Function
➢ Immune system suppression

Question 4

What’s sleep deprivation and sleep debt?

Answer 4

The more sleep deprivation, the more sleep debt
• After 2 weeks with fewer than 6 hours sleep, performance falls to same level as 24-hour sleep deprivation

Performance Impairment
Poor concentration 
Distractibility Reduced vigilance
Longer reaction times Lack of energy
Poor coordination

Mood symptoms
Irritability
Lack of motivation 
Anxiety
 Depression
Poor self-care