Draft:Outline of sleep

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sleep:

Sleep – naturally recurring state of muscle relaxation and reduced perception of one's surroundings, with a decreased ability to react to stimuli, similar to being in a coma, but more easily reversed by being woken up. Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining health. During sleep, most of the body's systems enter an anabolic state, helping to restore the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems. Sleep occurs in repeating periods, during which the body alternates between non-REM and REM ("rapid eye movement") sleep. Dreams occur during sleep—fantasies in narrative form resembling waking life while in progress, but usually distinguishable from reality upon waking. People may suffer from various sleep disorders, classified as dyssomnias, parasomnias, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

What type of thing is sleep?

Sleep can be described as all of the following:

Types of sleep

Non-rapid eye movement sleep - Sleep stage characterized by slower brain waves
Rapid eye movement sleep - Sleep stage associated with dreaming and rapid eye movements
Slow-wave sleep - Deep stage of non-REM sleep with large, slow brain waves
Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep - Sleep state where one brain hemisphere remains alert

Sleep phases

Sleep cycle - Repeating pattern of sleep stages throughout the night
Cyclic alternating pattern - Periodic EEG activity during non-REM sleep

Sleep in animals

Aestivation - State of dormancy in animals during hot periods
Hibernation - State of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals

Persons by sleep pattern

Sleep-related phenomena

Chronotype - Individual differences in sleep-wake timing preferences
Cortisol awakening response - Natural rise in cortisol levels upon waking
Delta-sleep-inducing peptide - Neuropeptide involved in sleep regulation
K-complex - Large wave seen on EEG during stage 2 sleep
Lucid dream - Dream in which the dreamer is aware they are dreaming
Night hag - Sleep paralysis phenomenon involving a sensed presence
Pineal gland - Endocrine gland that produces melatonin
REM rebound - Increase in REM sleep after sleep deprivation
Second wind (sleep) - Temporary alertness after sleep deprivation
Sleep inertia - Grogginess experienced upon waking
Sleep paralysis - Temporary inability to move or speak when falling asleep or waking
Sleep spindle - Burst of brain activity visible on EEG during stage 2 sleep

Sleep equipment

Alarm clock - Device used to wake sleepers at a specified time
Bed - Piece of furniture used for sleeping or resting
- Polish bed - Bed that features a small canopy supported by curved corner poles
Bedroom - Room designated for sleeping
Blindfold - Cover worn over the eyes to block light during sleep
Sleep diary - Journal used to track sleep times and habits
Sleep pod - Enclosed space designed for napping or short-term sleep
White noise machine - Device that produces ambient sounds to mask disruptive noises and promote sleep

Sleep and health

Adolescent sleep - Sleep patterns and needs specific to teenagers
Familial natural short sleep - Genetic condition requiring less sleep
Familial sleep traits - Inherited sleep characteristics
Physiological effects of sleep deprivation - Body's responses to lack of sleep
Sleep and breathing - Relationship between respiration and sleep
Sleep and emotions - Impact of sleep on emotional regulation
Sleep and learning - Connection between sleep and cognitive processes
Sleep debt - Cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep
Sleep state misperception - Misconception about one's sleep quality or quantity

Sleep medicine

Constant routine protocol - Method to assess circadian rhythms
Phase response curve - Relationship between light exposure timing and circadian shifts

Biology of sleep

Neurology of dreams - Brain processes involved in dreaming
Retinohypothalamic tract - Neural pathway connecting eyes to circadian clock
Suprachiasmatic nucleus - Brain region controlling circadian rhythms
Ultradian rhythm - Biological rhythms shorter than 24 hours
Zeitgeber - External cue that synchronizes circadian rhythms

Sleep disorders

History of sleep

History of beds

Sleep organizations

National Sleep Foundation

Sleep publications

Dreaming (journal) - Academic journal focused on dream research

Persons influential in sleep

Richard Ferber

Sleep-related practices and beliefs

Oneiromancy - Divination through dream interpretation