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Related Concept Videos

Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

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Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
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Stages of Sleep01:22

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Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
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Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
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Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
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Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation01:13

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

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Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
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Narcolepsy

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Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.
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Automated Measurements of Sleep and Locomotor Activity in Mexican Cavefish
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The evolution and diversification of sleep.

Niels C Rattenborg1, Gianina Ungurean1

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (in foundation), Seewiesen, Germany.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|November 21, 2022
PubMed
Summary

The evolutionary origins of sleep and its sub-states, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep, remain a mystery. Recent discoveries in diverse animals suggest sleep evolved earlier and diversified into multiple types, offering insights into its functions.

Keywords:
REMevolutionnon-REMphylogenysleep

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Area of Science:

  • * Evolutionary biology
  • * Neuroscience
  • * Comparative physiology

Background:

  • * The evolutionary origins of sleep and its sub-states, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep, in mammals and birds are not well understood.
  • * The discovery of a single sleep type in jellyfish indicates sleep evolved much earlier than previously assumed.
  • * It remains unclear when and why sleep diversified into multiple types.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the evolutionary timeline and diversification of sleep states.
  • * To explore the functions of sleep by examining its diverse expressions across species.
  • * To understand the evolutionary pressures that led to the development of multiple sleep types.

Main Methods:

  • * Comparative analysis of sleep states across diverse animal taxa, including mammals, birds, non-avian reptiles, arthropods, and cephalopods.
  • * Examination of similarities and differences between mammalian/avian sleep states and those found in other animal groups.
  • * Review of existing literature on sleep evolution and function.

Main Results:

  • * Multiple types of sleep have been identified in a wide range of animals beyond mammals and birds, including reptiles, arthropods, and cephalopods.
  • * While similarities exist between sleep states in different species, notable differences also complicate evolutionary tracing.
  • * The diverse manifestations of sleep across the animal kingdom provide a valuable resource for studying sleep functions.

Conclusions:

  • * Sleep likely evolved much earlier than previously thought, with a single ancestral sleep type.
  • * The diversification of sleep into multiple states occurred at various points in evolutionary history, driven by different ecological and physiological pressures.
  • * Studying the diverse forms of sleep across species is crucial for understanding its fundamental biological roles and evolutionary trajectory.