Animals and Sleep/Radio Lab

a.n. equals authors note  (me!)

About 40 percent of the writing i do in my journal is notetaking from listening to npr!

It is my hope to share the notes and the shows but it is tough to keep up

On Radio lab almost 3 weeks ago they did a show on sleep.  I wasn't as interested in the animal part as the human part, and i did miss maybe the first 10 min. of the show.  But this is so so relevant since i only sleep a few minutes a night these days.

here are my notes from the show

Scaly ancestors took millions of years to close both eyes!

You have a higher risk of being killed if you sleep and are an animal  (a.n.=and true for certain humans as well!)

Enter sleep lab in Minn.

they were viewing sleep terror episodes  people have visceral dreams of being attacked.  parasomnia means around sleep

Dr. Shenk

Martin Z is a patient who beats his wife while he sleeps!

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35 million americans have chronic insomnia

Steve Lima is Indiana State University

Mom's name is hannah, she made audio diary about her trouble with sleep.  At her job she had trouble speaking due to sleep deprisivation.  When her baby would not sleep people would give her stupid advice constantly/implying she is a failure at being a mom.

When she does however get her proper sleep she feels she has a great life!

Sleep deprivation keeps you angry she says (and i would have to agree!)

Hanna said "You CRAVE sleep!

Chemically what happens during sleep deprivation?  asks employyee of Univ. of PA

"You have an unfolded protein response; where Proteins are accumulating in your cells as clumps and this is toxic!

It causes your cells to break down.  Therefore sleep is a cleaner uppper (one serious problem i'm having with my roomate keeping me up around the clock is chronic migraines)

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Professor of psychiatry at Madison says "Every thought we have causes new connections.  During sleep, the connections weaken

Bob Stickgold from Harvard asks Why do we dream

Matt Wilson is a neuroscientist from the dream lab.

Dreaming allows you to try new things.

In the lab after folks slept for 2 minutes, we would wake them up/that's the high point of your day (?)

Then we would let them sleep 2 hours then awaken them.  the dream is a remix of the day, the dream free associates.

You work our your problems while sleeping

Dreaming is very emotional, technicolor!

a.n .  All i can tell you is this.  Severe sleep deprivation is nothing short of torture.  All i can do right now is just go through the motions of survival.  I cannot do anything to  really bettter my life until i catch up on sleep