Science Connection
Melatonin
What makes us sleepy?
Melatonin is a hormone in our brains that help us control our sleep and wake cycle. Humans naturally produce melatonin in the pineal gland in the center of the brain. Melatonin is activated by darkness. During the night, our brain produces more melatonin, which is why we get sleepy. When it is light, our melatonin levels drop and we become more awake.
With age, our melatonin levels drop. This is one of the reasons people might take melatonin supplements. There are also foods such as sunflower seeds, walnuts, cherries, etc. that can give us melatonin. Taking melatonin can cause someone to become more sleepy and have more vivid dreams.
The hypothalamus is the region of the brain that works along with the pineal glad to make us fall asleep. Neurons in the hypothalamus stop all other region of the brains that are still awake when our body is trying to fall asleep.
Melatonin is a hormone in our brains that help us control our sleep and wake cycle. Humans naturally produce melatonin in the pineal gland in the center of the brain. Melatonin is activated by darkness. During the night, our brain produces more melatonin, which is why we get sleepy. When it is light, our melatonin levels drop and we become more awake.
With age, our melatonin levels drop. This is one of the reasons people might take melatonin supplements. There are also foods such as sunflower seeds, walnuts, cherries, etc. that can give us melatonin. Taking melatonin can cause someone to become more sleepy and have more vivid dreams.
The hypothalamus is the region of the brain that works along with the pineal glad to make us fall asleep. Neurons in the hypothalamus stop all other region of the brains that are still awake when our body is trying to fall asleep.
Sleeping Cycle
We need sleep for 3 reason: restoration, preservation, and learning.
There are 4 stages of sleep marked by different wave lengths and changes in consciousness.
1st stage=Theta (light sleep)
2nd stage=K-Complex ( & theta waves continue
3rd stage=Delta (deep sleep)
4th stage= Beta (awake and alert)
The first stage is the first 10 minutes. Stage 2 is the next 15 minutes. Stage 3-4 is the next 65 minutes. Overall, the sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes.
There are 4 stages of sleep marked by different wave lengths and changes in consciousness.
1st stage=Theta (light sleep)
2nd stage=K-Complex ( & theta waves continue
3rd stage=Delta (deep sleep)
4th stage= Beta (awake and alert)
The first stage is the first 10 minutes. Stage 2 is the next 15 minutes. Stage 3-4 is the next 65 minutes. Overall, the sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes.
REM sleep (brain is awake but boy isn't) is the most important because it's there dreaming takes place. It's also where our body twitches, our breathing rate, heart rate, and body temperature increases.
What do dreams mean?
Freud
According to Freud, dreams contain hidden content. They represent our unconscious conflicts in the mind of the dreamer. The manifest content is the visual information that is seen in a dream. The latent content is the meaning behind the visual the dreamer saw. Some believe that the manifest content disguises itself in the latent content to protect the dreamer. There is no evidence to support this theory though.
John Alan Hobson and Robert McCarley
According to the activation-synthesis theory , neurons in the brain fire randomly during sleep. It is believed that neurons fire and activate parts of the brain that process sensory input, such as sights, sounds, and smells. The mind then combines stored memories from our unconscious mind