Washington
State U. clinic studies sleeplessness
By
Leila Summers
Daily Evergreen
PULLMAN,
Wash. (U-Wire) Sleepless nights can
produce groggy results.
People
who suffer from sleep deprivation may see
impairments in cognitive functions such
as memory loss, difficulty concentrating
and irritability, said Bill Dougherty, a
psychologist working as director of the
Washington State University Psychology Clinic.
The
psychology clinic began operating a sleep
management group for people with sleep
impairments Wednesday. Participants of this
support group fill out surveys every morning
about their sleep patterns of the past night.
Participants then rate their feelings and
alertness during the day.
"Doing
this might better pinpoint the problems
people are having," Dougherty said.
Conditions recorded include: how long a
person slept; the number of times awoke;
how long the person stayed awake and the
time it took to fall back asleep.
"We
are working to reshape sleep patterns to
correspond with sleep needs," said
Tammy Moroz, a psychology graduate student
and a facilitator for the sleep management
group.
Quantifying
sleep needs proves difficult because every
person requires a different amount, Dougherty
said. He said the average adult needs six
to eight hours a night, but how rested a
person feels in the morning can serve as
the only true test.
Sleep
patterns are a fixed part of our body's
time clock, Dougherty said.
"We
can't spread out sleep (and make up for
it later)," Dougherty said.
He
said the sleep cycle starts anew everyday.
Caffeine,
alcohol, nicotine, stress and medications
may affect sleep abilities.
Alcoholic
nightcaps, commonly used as a sleep-aid
to help people relax, actually damage sleep
rhythms, Dougherty said. In addition, he
said people who consume
alcohol on a regular basis may upset their
sleep patterns.
Cigarettes
contain nicotine, a stimulant causing central
nervous system arousal and therefore contributing
to difficulty in initiating sleep, according
to the 2001 Encyclopedia of Sleep and Sleep
Disorders.
"(Lack
of sleep) can then effect cognitive performances,
which are important on a college campus,"
Dougherty said.
Stress
can be a major factor effecting sleep. Often
accompanied with constant worry, anxiety
or depression, stress can create a type
of cognitive hyperarousal anxiety not allowing
a full night of sleep, Moroz said.
"Exercising
too late in the evening can be bad (for
sleep rhythms)," Dougherty said, but
he said regular exercise benefits stabilized
sleep patterns.
Nearly 40 percent of Americans report difficulty
with sleeping on a regular basis, Moroz
said. Ten to 15 percent of those with difficulties
describe it as severe or chronic, sometimes
lasting years, she said.
The
body goes through five stages during sleep,
each progressively more intense. The first
stage is lying down with eyes closed; the
second is a deeper rest; the third is a
state of unconsciousness; during the fourth
stage, the body begins its healing process
to compensate for stresses of the day, and
the fifth stage is rapid eye movement, where
dreaming takes place, Dougherty said.
"The
body uses (later stages) as a restorative
function of exertions of the day,"
he said.
Alcohol
can contribute reduced amounts of REM sleep,
causing it to be more fragmented, according
to the sleep encyclopedia.
A
typical night of sleep comprises about 20
to 25 percent REM sleep. However, REM deprivation
can cause an improvement in symptoms of
depression.
A
satisfactory night of sleep does not necessarily
include remembering dreams in the morning,
Dougherty said.
Caitlin
Skoff, a freshman hospitality business management
major, said studying before bed causes her
to think about a test while she tries to
sleep, causing her to wake up during the
night.
However,
Paul Thie, a graduate student in business,
said he can fall asleep anywhere, anytime.
"If
you say 'go to sleep' I could go to sleep
within 10 minutes," Thie said.
As
a student athlete, Qieed Ishmael, a senior
fine arts major, said he follows a structured
daily routine. He wakes up every morning
at 7 a.m., goes to classes and exercises.
He said he does not drink caffeine or alcohol.
Ishmael said he never has problems sleeping.
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