Illustrated Series on Natural Therapies for Common Diseases - Insomnia

Author: Hao Changdong / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-14
Features: The Role of Sleep
Sleep deprivation experiments have shown that sleep not only restores physical and mental energy but is also closely related to human psychological and biological processes. There are three forms of sleep deprivation: total sleep deprivation (where participants are not allowed to sleep), selective sleep deprivation (allowing sleep only during certain phases of rapid eye movement (REM) or slow-wave sleep), and partial sleep deprivation (depriving sleep during the first or second half of the night). Prolonged total sleep deprivation over several consecutive days leads to significant changes in the psychological and behavioral patterns of participants. Those who remain awake for more than 72 hours may experience hallucinations, such as the sensation that walls and ceilings are shaking or mistaking wooden pillars for people. Visual and tactile hallucinations are common, along with simple auditory hallucinations, such as hearing dog barking or truck noises. Walking as if drunk, with blurred vision and double vision, may occur. Some may walk into walls with their eyes open or climb stairs in places without them. They may also ramble about trivial matters. Some patients may develop delusions, suspecting others of harming them or believing they are on a mysterious mission. If sleep deprivation continues for more than 220 hours, these symptoms will worsen significantly. Sufficiently prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to the death of experimental animals.
After sleep deprivation, the recovery night during sleep restoration exhibits a compensatory "return" phenomenon. Slow-wave sleep patterns are restored first. On the first recovery night, slow-wave sleep dominates, while the second night is dominated by REM sleep. It is noteworthy that humans possess remarkable sleep recovery capabilities. An awakening of over 200 hours can be significantly restored with just one sufficient sleep session (12–14 hours).
Continuous selective deprivation of REM sleep over several days does not lead to mental instability in participants but may cause emotional instability, impulsivity, anxiety, increased excitability, and hyperactivity. Animal experiments show increased activity, heightened appetite, and increased sexual desire. These symptoms are related to the changes in REM sleep patterns observed in insomnia patients. On the nights of normal sleep recovery, a compensatory "return" phenomenon of REM sleep also occurs, characterized by a shorter latency period for REM sleep and an increased frequency of REM sleep.
Participants who undergo selective slow-wave sleep deprivation exhibit inhibitory and functional impairment, with symptoms such as drowsiness. P8