Chapter 9Wakefulness and Sleep.ppt

Chapter 9Wakefulness and Sleep Rhythms of Waking and Sleep Animals generate endogenous 24 hour cycles of wakefulness and sleep. Some animals generate endogenous circannual rhythms, internal mechanisms that operate on an annual or yearly cycle. Example: Birds migratory patterns, animals storing food for the winter. Rhythms of Waking and Sleep All animals produce endogenous circadian rhythms, internal mechanisms that operate on an approximately 24 hour cycle. Regulates the sleep/ wake cycle. Also regulates the frequency of eating and drinking, body temperature, secretion of hormones, volume of urination, and sensitivity to drugs. Rhythms of Waking and Sleep Circadian rhythms: Remains consistent despite lack of environmental cues indicating the time of day Can differ between people and lead to different patterns of wakefulness and alertness. Change as a function of age. Example: sleep patterns from childhood to late adulthood. Rhythms of Waking and Sleep Experiments designed to determine the length of the circadian rhythm place subjects in environments with no cues to time of day. Results depend upon the amount of light to which subjects are artificially exposed. Rhythms run faster in bright light conditions and subjects have trouble sleeping. In constant darkness, people have difficulty waking. Rhythms of Waking and Sleep Human circadian clock generates a rhythm slightly longer than 24 hours when it has no external cue to set it. Most people can adjust to 23- or 25- hour day but not to a 22- or 28- hour day. Bright light late in the day can lengthen the circadian rhythm. Rhythms of Waking and Sleep Mechanisms of the circadian rhythms include the following: The Suprachiasmatic nucleus. Genes that produce certain proteins. Melatonin levels. Rhythms of Waking and Sleep The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is part of the hypothalamus and the main control center of the circadian rhythms of sleep and temperature. Located above the optic chiasm. Damage to the SCN results in l