Erika
Erika has been having trouble with sleep lately. In particular, she finds that her mind races with minor worries when she tries to go to sleep. When she does fall asleep, she doesn't tend to stay asleep for very long. One night, Erika has three glasses of wine before bed. She falls asleep easily that night, but even after eight hours of sleep, she wakes up feeling unrested. Erika talked to her friend Betsy about her sleep problems, and Besty invited Erika to join her for her weekly yoga class. Betsy claimed that yoga really helped her to sleep well. In the class, Erika learned how to do some basic meditation. That night, Erika tried some of the meditation techniques just before going to bed. She had a great sleep and woke up feeling much more refreshed than she had in weeks.
What is most likely to happen if Erika continues to drink that much alcohol before bed every night?
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Erika will develop an aversion to the alcohol, because it has become associated with insomnia.◦
Erika will have an increase in slow-wave sleep each night, but no increase in REM sleep.◦
Eventually, Erika will start having a solid sleep every night as the alcohol allows her to reduce her rumination.◦
Erika will develop a tolerance to the alcohol, so she will require more alcohol to have the same effect.
Slow-Wave Sleep and Learning
16.23 Slow-Wave Sleep Deprivation
Cycles of Sleep and Melatonin Secretion
Sedative/Hypnotics: Induction of Sleep
Conceptual model of sleep health
Consequences of sleep deprivation flow chart