Sleep Disorders - Essay Example

Sleep disorders: This paper is based on the five stages of sleep while explaining that there are certain clinical conditions like mental problems, which can be associated with the stages of sleep. Human sleep is divided into five phases which are stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, stage 4, and Rapid Eye Movement (REM). (Cherry, 2011) mentions that stage 1 characterizes the beginning of sleep in which one drifts in and out of sleep, while the muscle activity gradually slows down. Stage 2 refers to the stage in which the eye movement altogether stops and brain waves get slower, while there may occur an occasional burst of hurried brain waves.

Rhythmic brain activity occurs in this stage known as “sleep spindles”, as mentioned by (Cherry, 2011). It is mentioned in (www.sleepdex.org, n.d.) that deep and significantly slow brain activity characterizes stage 3 of human sleep. Slow brain waves called delta waves are observed mixed with faster waves in this stage, while delta waves are exclusively produced in stage 4. Rapid eye movement and fast breathing occurs in REM, where the rate of brain activity equals the rate observed when a person is awake.

Parasomnia is a sleep disorder in which one has severe trouble in comfortably falling asleep. In this disorder, the patients experience nightmares or sleep walking. Parasomnia can occur if one is aroused from non-REM sleep. (MedicineNet, 2011). Sleep walking most commonly occurs during stage 3 and 4, where there is slow brain activity and the patient has absolutely no idea of his/her body movement. There occur 4-5 sleep cycles throughout the night and sleep walking primarily occurs during the first or second sleep cycle.

Since there is short sleeping time involved in nap, sleep walking does not occur during the day time. Therefore, sleep walking characteristically occurs at night time during stage 3 and 4. References: Cherry, K. (2011). Stages of Sleep. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/a/SleepStages.htm MedicineNet. (2011). Sleep Disorders: Parasomnias. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=47489 www.sleepdex.org. (n.d.). Stages of Sleep. Retrieved from http://www.sleepdex.org/stages.htm