The neuropsychology of sleep

Question 1

The pattern of being awake during day and sleep at night is

Answer 1

natural part of human life

Question 2

Like other cycles in humans, what is it governed by?

Answer 2

• endogenous system
• exogenous zeitgebers
  These are internal cues and external cues that regulate biological rhythms

Question 3

Define endogenous system

Answer 3

Internal biological clock that manage bodily rhythms

Question 4

Define exogenous zeitgebers

Answer 4

features of the environment - either physical or social - that help to manage bodily rhythms

Question 5

What role does endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers take?

Answer 5

role in maintaining and controlling the 24 sleep waking cycle

Question 6

Key factor in how we sleep

Answer 6

• exposure to light and darkness

Question 7

What is light and its role?

Answer 7

light is an exogenous zeitgebers. When we are exposed to light, stimulates a neural pathway from retina in the eye to part of brain called hypothalamus, here there is a suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Question 8

Define suprachiasmatic nucleus

Answer 8

which sends signals to other parts of the body that control hormones, body temp and various other processes that play a role in making us feel either sleepy or wide awake.

• Part of the brain that regulates circadian rhythms
  The SCN is an endogenous pacemaker which obtains information about light via the optic nerve.

One key thing it does is delay release of melatonin until is it dark

Question 9

Define Melatonin

Answer 9

• A hormone released in the brain that’s responsible for regulating sleep

Question 10

Define hypothalamus

Answer 10

A part of brain that controls a number of key bodily functions