C81BIO – Lecture 12

Sleep
Dr. Mark Haselgrove
Overview of the lecture

(1) Measurement and stages of sleep

Physiological correlates of sleep
Sleep cycles and REM

(2) Theories of Sleep

Comparative analysis of sleep
Effects of sleep deprivation

(3) Areas of the brain involved in sleep

Hypothalamus
Reticular System

(4) Sleep Disorders

Narcolepsy
REM sleep without paralysis
(1) Measurement and Stages of Sleep

Three principle measures of sleep:

(i) Electro-encephalogram (Head)

(ii) Electro-oculogram (Eye)
(iii) Electro-myogram (Neck)
(1) Measurement and Stages of Sleep
Pre-sleep Alpha waves
Bursts of 8- to 12-Hz activity in
low-amplitude/high-frequency waves

Four stages of Sleep EEG:

Progressive: increase in amplitude

decrease in frequency

Sleep Spindle – 1 to 2 s burst of

12- to 14-Hz waves

K complex – Single large upward,

then downwards deflection
(2) Theories of Sleep
Recuperation theories

- Being awake disrupts homeostasis

e.g. sleep restores energy levels
- Sleep restores this

Evolutionary theories

- Sleep is NOT a reaction to homeostatic disruption

- Sleep evolved (in humans) to prevent accidents and predation at night

- Sleep is like sex. We don’t need it to stay alive, but we are still motivated to
have it!
(2) Theories of Sleep - Analysis
Sleep in animals
- All mammals and birds sleep. Fish, reptiles & amphibians have periods of
inactivity too

Mammal Hrs of
sleep/day - Large species differences in sleep:
Giant Sloth 20 Not related to body size/ temperature
Tree Shrew 15
- Sloths hardly move, yet need 20
Cat, Hamster 14 hrs/day
Mouse, rat, squirrel 13
Hedgehog 10 - Little/no Effect of exercise on sleep
Humans, rabbit, pig 8 duration in humans (Youngstedt &
Cow, Goat, Elephant 3 Kline, 2006)
Horse, Roe deer 2
(2) Theories of Sleep - Analysis
Sleep in animals

- Not consistent with recuperation theories of sleep

- Evolutionary theories - Sleep related to: How vulnerable you are asleep
Time spent eating/day

Lions can do little else but sleep

For 2 days after a kill
(2) Theories of Sleep - Analysis
Effects of sleep deprivation - Humans
- Recuperation theories predict that with sleep deprivation:

(1) Increases in physiological/behavioural disturbances

(2) After deprivation, missed sleep must be regained X
- Deprivation influences: Mood, physiological function,
molecular function (Cirelli, 2006)

- Effects on Executive function: Assimilating changing information

Updating plans
Reference memory
(Curcio et al., 2006)

- But, people recover well after sleep deprivation (Dement, 1978):

Randy Gardner – 260 hrs awake: 1st recovery night 14 hrs sleep
Then back to normal
(2) Theories of Sleep - Analysis
Effects of sleep deprivation - Humans

- REM sleep deprivation

- Preventing REM sleep makes the

body want it more. (Webb & Agnew,
1967)

- Deprivation of REM sleep causes a

transient rebound. (Brunner et al
1990)

- No cognitive or emotional effects

however.
(2) Theories of Sleep - Analysis
Effects of sleep deprivation - Animals

- After several days, experimental rats

died

- But, post-mortem revealed swollen

adrenal glands, gastric ulcers and
internal bleeding

- Result a consequence of stress and

physical damage??
(3) Areas of the brain involved in sleep
(i) Hypothalamus

Studied the
brains of those
who had died
from the virus
encephalitis
lethargica

Constantin von Economo

- Victims who had difficulty sleeping:

Damage to anterior region
Confirmed in lesion
- Victims who had difficulty staying awake
studies with animals
Damage to posterior region (Saper et al., 2001)
(3) Areas of the brain involved in sleep
(ii) Reticular System

- Bremer (1936)

Cerveau isole transection = slow-wave

sleep pattern

Encephale isole transection = Normal

sleep-wake cycle

Thus, “wakefulness” area = somewhere

in-between the two

- Mouzzi & Morgan (1949)

Stimulation of the reticular formation of

sleeping cats woke them up.
(3) Sleep Disorders

(i) Narcolepsy

Relatively brief periods of sudden sleep

(ii) REM sleep without core muscle atonia

- Schenck et al. (1986)

I was a halfback playing football, and after the quarterback received from the centre,
he passed it to me and I’m supposed to go around and then cut back in. As I cut back
in there is this big 280-pound tackle waiting so I, according to the rules, shoulder barged him…..

When I came to I was standing in front of our dresser and I had gotten out of bed and run and
knocked lamps, mirrors and everything off the dresser, hit my head against the wall and my
knee against the dresser
Reading

Pinel, J. P.J. (2011) Biopsychology, Pearson. Chapter 14

Carlson, N. R. (2010) Physiology of Behavior, Allyn & Bacon. Chapter 9

Kalat, J. W. (2011) Biological Psychology, Thompson. Chapter 9

Next Time: Schizophrenia & Depression. In: Phys B1

Email: Mark.Haselgrove@nottingham.ac.uk