Stress and Sleep Disorders Flashcards
What are the four different sleep stages?
-NREM Stage 1
-NREM Stage 2
-NREM Stage 3
-REM Sleep
-in a full night’s sleep we experience about six sleep cycles [ideally], each lasting around 90 minutes
What are the characteristics of NREM Stage 1?
-occurs when you first fall asleep
-lasts around 10 minutes
-accounts for 5% of total sleep time
-very easy to be woken up when in Stage 1 of sleep
-in this stage brain activity goes from Alpha waves to Theta waves
What are the characteristics of NREM Stage 2?
-lasts for about 30-60 minutes
-accounts for 50% of total sleep time
-harder to be woken up from this stage of sleep
-may begin to see Delta waves in this stage
What are the characteristics of NREM Stage 3?
-deep sleep stage
-hardest stage to wake up from
-lasts about 20-30 minutes during the first cycle of sleep and then less and less in each cycle
-accounts for about 20% of total sleep time
-full Delta waves (if you wake up you feel completely disoriented)
What are the characteristics of REM Sleep?
-it is the final stage in a sleep cycle [most important]
-during this stage HR, breathing, and BP all fluctuate, eyes move rapidly, and muscles twitch
-fast pattern of brain waves
-dreaming occurs
-most muscles are paralyzed during this stage so that you can’t act out your dreams
-during the first sleep cycle REM sleep may only last a few minutes but during the last cycle of sleep it can last up to an hour
-accounts for 25% of total sleep time
What is the Circadian Rhythm?
-almost like a biological clock that helps control many aspects of your body including your sleep/wake cycle. It controls the timing of sleep-wake patterns and the duration of sleep.
-melatonin kicks in before bed (9pm); as soon as we fall asleep our BP drops about 10%; cortisol also peaks when we wake up
What is the sleep theory on restoration?
-Zager et al. (2007): the proper functioning of our immune system is dependent upon sleep
What are the sleep theories on ontogenesis?
-Morrisey et al. (2004): REM sleep allows for the development of brain through preventing apoptosis [brain cell death] in the developing brain
-Marks et al. (1995): REM sleep helps with brain maturation through neural activity in the developing brain
How does sleep affect learning and memory?
-many studies have shown that sleep affects memory, mainly that sleep deprivation hinders working memory
What are the 3 categories of sleep disorders?
-Dyssomnias
-Parasomnias
-Sleep disorders associated with mental, neurologic, or other medical disorders
What are Dyssomnias sleep disorders?
-the disorders that produce either difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or excessive sleepiness.
-this section is divided into three groups of disorders: intrinsic sleep disorders; extrinsic sleep disorders; circadian rhythm sleep disorders
What are Parasomnias sleep disorders?
-disorders that intrude into the sleep process and are not primarily disorders of sleep and wake states per se. They’re manifestations of central nervous system activation.
-This section is divided into 3 subgroups: arousal disorders; sleep-wake transition disorders; parasomnias usually associated with REM sleep; other parasomnias
What are the symptoms of insomnia?
-insufficient sleep and not feeling rested (nighly in moderate and severe insomnia)
-social/occupational impairement
-restless, irritable, daytime fatigue
What is psychophysiologic insomnia?
-develops due to somatized tension and learned sleep-preventing associations
-tension and agitation in combination with learned sleep-preventing associations are developed due to a preoccupation with not being able to sleep
[can fall asleep in front of TV but not bed; 99% of the time related to stress]
What is Hypersomnia?
-characterized by periods of extreme somnolence; 18 to 20 hours a day
-can last several days to several weeks
-more common in males than females
What is Bruxism?
-grinding and clenching teeth while sleeping
-results in tooth wear, jaw pain, headaches, and complaints from co-sleepers
-5% of population grind their teeth
What is Sleep Enuresis?
-also known as “Bed-Wetting”
-must be persistent after the age of 5
-very rare in adults
What is the bidirectional relationship of stress and sleep?
-HPA axis regulation and changes in sleep have a bidirectional relationship
-daytime stress leads to poor sleep, which can lead to increased daytime stress
-this cycle can create a downward spiral
-stress and sleep problems can interact in contributing to illness [also allostatic load: the load on the body]
How does sleep deprivation affect the HPA axis and cortisol response to stress?
-sleep deprivation increases corticosterone and ACTH, leading to elevated cortisol levels throughout the night.
-as a result, cortisol becomes less responsive during the day, reducing the normal reactivity to stress.
-Capaldi et al. (2005) found that daytime sleepiness and sleep-wake problems were linked to a decreased cortisol response to stress — a pattern that may impair effective stress regulation.
How does stress influence sleep patterns and physiology?
stressful daytime events can disrupt sleep, independently of depression.
-affects REM sleep, arousal, and overall sleep physiology.
-Lauer & Lund (1987): watching a disturbing film before bed increased REM density, REM duration, and sleep interruptions.
-Germain et al.: Anticipating a public speech led to higher REM density, showing how pre-sleep stress heightens brain activity during sleep.
What did Lange et al. (2009) find about the relationship between job stress and sleep?
-work strain is defined as the balance between job demands and job control.
-high work strain was linked to difficulty initiating sleep; trouble maintaining sleep; non-restorative sleep
-conclusion: High-strain jobs significantly impair sleep quality.
How does psychological abuse in a relationship affect sleep over time?
-241 married couples examined the impact of psychological abuse on sleep.
-sleep requires feelings of safety and trust in one’s partner.
-hypothesis: Anxiety from a partner disrupts sleep.
-findings: Psychological abuse at Time 1 predicted increased sleep problems at Time 3.
-conclusion: Marital stress negatively affects long-term sleep quality.
What is the relationship between stress and bruxism?
-Bruxism sufferers report more stress symptoms than non-bruxers
-linked to increased negative coping and a deficit in positive coping strategies.
-anticipated stress (not actual daily stress) was significantly associated with nocturnal bruxism.
-suggests bruxism may reflect a stress response to future worries, not just current stress.
How does stress relate to nocturnal enuresis in children?
-stress does not cause primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) in children.
-however, stress can trigger relapse in children who have tentatively recovered.
-emotional stress caused bladder contractions in children with psychogenic (not organic) enuresis.
-nocturnal enuresis observed after a traumatic lightning strike, indicating stress-related recurrence.
