SLEEP IN ANIMALS
ALEXIS EARL
BIOL 35700-02
DECEMBER 8, 2015
1
OVERVIEW
WHAT IS SLEEP?
CHARACTERISTICS
BRAIN WAVES
THEORIES
SLEEP DEPRIVATION
CONCLUSION
2
SLEEP
WE SPEND A THIRD OF OUR LIVES SLEEPING, AN ACTIVITY AS CRUCIAL TO OUR HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING AS EATING. BUT EXACTLY WHY WE NEED SLEEP HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN
CLEAR. WE KNOW THAT SLEEP MAKES US FEEL MORE ENERGIZED AND IMPROVES OUR
MOOD, BUT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN AND BODY WHEN WE'RE AT
REST?
3
WHAT IS SLEEP?
SLEEP IS A NATURALLY RECURRING STATE CHARACTERIZED BY REDUCED OR ABSENT
CONSCIOUSNESS, RELATIVELY SUSPENDED SENSORY ACTIVITY, AND INACTIVITY OF NEARLY ALL
VOLUNTARY MUSCLES.
IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM WAKEFULNESS BY A DECREASED ABILITY TO REACT TO EXTERNAL
STIMULI. IT IS TO BE DISTINGUISHED FROM COMA, WHICH IS UNCONSCIOUSNESS FROM
WHICH THE PERSON CANNOT BE AROUSED.
SLEEP IS OBSERVED IN ALL MAMMALS, ALL BIRDS, MANY REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND FISH.
4
SLEEP IS NEARLY A UNIVERSAL
PHENOMENON, AND HAS TWO STATES IN
BIRDS AND MAMMALS
SLEEP IS A WIDESPREAD PHENOMENON CHARACTERIZED BY SEVERAL FEATURES:
1. PERIODS OF MINIMAL MOVEMENT
2. REDUCED RESPONSIVENESS TO EXTERNAL STIMULI
3. RAPID REVERSIBILITY (AS OPPOSED TO HIBERNATION, WHICH IS NOT)
4. A CHARACTERISTIC BODY POSTURE
~EXAMPLES: BATS, OTTERS, HORSES
HTTP://
5
SLEEP IS AN ACTIVE PROCESS
