Let's Talk: Sleep

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LET’S TALK: SLEEP
Kelly Torres-Gonzalez
Published by: BookBaby
7905 Crescent Blvd,
Pennsauken Township, NJ 08110
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I dedicate this book to those important
to me that I have lost: my uncle Carlos,
my father Ricky, and my dog Dino. I
also dedicate this book to my mom
and my amazing friends: Kayla, Stuart,
Copyright© 2021 by Kelly Torres-Gonzalez
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner without written permission from the copyright owner except in the
case of quotations used in a book review or article.
and Samantha for being there for me
whenever I needed somone to talk to.
For more information contact:
Kelly Torres-Gonzalez
kellytg.designs@gmail.com
12656 Dara Dr. Apt. 102
Woodbridge, VA 22192
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STALKLET’S
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Table Of Contents
The Ins and Outs of Sleep 8
Sleep Theories 10
Sleep Stages 12
Recommended Hours 16
Sleeping Positions 18
Sleeping Disorders 22
RLS 24
Narcolepsy 30
Insomnia 36
Sleep Apnea 42
Parasomnias 48
Naps 56
References 58
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THE INS
AND OUTS
OF SLEEP
What is Sleep
Sleep is one of the greatest and most important aspects of
our lives that we spend around a third of our lives doing. We
know it is the time where we lay down in a comfy bed, where
we can disconnect from the craziness of life. Now, you may
think sleeping is just a period of nothingness where your
body goes dormant. When in reality your brain and body
are still doing their jobs, getting rid of all the nasty toxins in
your system. Sleeping is also a time where your stimuli are
reduced. It is mainly a period of time where the psychological
aspects of ourselves can relax, which is why it is commonly
seen as a psychological behavior instead of a biological one.
So, why do we sleep?
Sleep is similar to why we need food and water, to survive.
The thing is, we do not know why we do it from a biological
standpoint. It is beneficial for our health because the brain
takes its time sorting out the good and bad in our bodies so
we do not end up getting too sick, we can regain our energy,
and allows for our bodies to rebuild cells. It is also a time
for our bodies to clear out adenosine, a neuron we produce
during the day that promotes tiredness, so we can feel more
alert when we wake up. There are several types of sleep that
help promote growth in children and young adults, such
as deep sleep. There are many different benefits to sleep
and how much it can help us mentally and physically. Now
scientists do have their theories on why we sleep.
8
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Inactivity Theory
The inactivity theory, oldest theory about sleep, describes
Energy Conservation Theory
Simply, we need sleep so we can conserve energy. The energy
Restorative Theory
The restorative theory details how our body needs us
Brain Plasticity Theory
The brain plasticity theory is actually one of the most recent
how sleep was an evolution of a survival technique for
conservation theory was conceived from natural selection
to sleep so it can repair and restore cells that have been
and most promising theories about sleep’s purpose. Findings
hunted animals. Animals started figuring out that they
and the competitive nature of efficiency. Sleep was seen as
damaged and/or lost after being awake for the majority of
suggested that while we sleep our brain’s structure and how
could survive longer if they found a spot where they could
a way for a person or animal to lower energetic demand
the day. Studies have been performed on both animals and
it’s organized is changing. While we sleep our brains are
be still and quiet so predators would not find and hunt
while not getting resources so when the time is right, they
humans to see how each group is affected with different
hard at work trying to clear out any toxic waste in our central
them. Instead those predators would go after animals that
will have sufficient energy to get as many resources as they
amounts of sleep. These studies have found that animals do
nervous system, so when we do wake up, the brain is ready to
did not take the time to try and hide. This theory of course
can. Research has shown that energy metabolism in humans
not survive after a few weeks of no sleep because they have
do it’s day time functions. There is enough research to suggest
can easily be argued because it is typically safer to be awake
is reduced by around ten percent while sleeping. When we
lost all immune functions.
that sleep helps our memory by converting memories from
while being hunted as there is a chance the predator can
still find its prey.
get the recommended hours of sleep (8 hours) we save an
amazing 35% of our energy.
Nocturnal Processes:
» Muscle growth
short to long term and even getting rid of any unneeded
information that could clutter our nervous system. Thus why
whenever you are about to take a test a teacher or professor
» Tissue repair
would always mention, “Get a good night’s rest.”
» Protein synthesis
» Releasing of growth hormones
Functions affected by sleep:
» Learning
» Memory
» Problem-solving skills
» Creativity
» Decision making
» Focus
» Concentration
10 11

SLEEP STAGES
While we are sleeping, our bodies go through four different
sleep stages that it cycles through multiple times during the
night for various lengths of time. Each stage lasts around 70
to 120 minutes each which when cycled through four times
is equivalent to around the recommended hours of sleep an
adult should be getting. There are two phases of sleep we go
through, non-REM and REM, where a normal pattern of
sleep consists of three stages of non-REM and one stage of
REM. This cycle repeats three to four times every night.
Starting with nREM
During nREM our bodies build bone and muscle,tissues get repaired
and regenerate, and our immune system grows stronger. We start
getting less nREM sleep the older we get, so enjoy it while you
still can.
Hold on, what is REM?
REM is an abbreviation for rapid eye movement, so non-REM
(nREM) refers to a lack of eye movement while asleep in contrast to
REM, where your eyes are quickly moving side to side.
Is that it?
For the abbreviation, yes, but as mentioned before we go through
stages of both nREM and REM sleep. Now, we are going to go into
the different stages of nREM and what occurs during it and the
benefits of both the nREM and the REM stages of sleep.
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The very first stage we go through when we fall asleep. This stage
We have now entered the deep sleep stage. This is the stage
is normally considered as light sleep and lasts around five to ten
where our brains start going to work on removing those toxins
STAGE
ONE
minutes where your eye movement and muscle activity starts to
slow down. Our brain activity also starts to slow down during this
stage. Of course, this is the easiest stage for you to be woken up
from and still feel like you have not gotten any sleep. You know
that weird sensation where you feel like your falling and then jolt
awake? Yeah, there’s a name for that, it’s called “motion hypnic
myoclonic” or simply a hypnic jerk and they are a totally normal
that clog up our nervous system and produce delta waves, which
are very slow brain waves. Also, those restorative processes we
talked about from the restorative theory start doing their thing
to help our bodies. This stage lasts around 20 to 40 minutes and
this is the time where it is harder for someone to wake you up.
If something or someone does manage to wake you up, you will
feel pretty groggy and try to figure out what year it is for a few
STAGE
THREE
occurrence during this stage and nothing to be concerned about.
minutes. Our eyes and muscles completely relax and there is no
movement happening with them.
Stage 2 is considered a transitional stage between light to deep
sleep. This is a longer stage of light sleep that typically lasts from
After 90 minutes of sleep we made it to the final stage and
30 minutes to an hour. We spend half our time sleeping at this
second phase of sleep, REM, where as the name suggests, our
STAGE
TWO
stage. This is the stage where our eye movements completely
stop, our heartbeat and breathing rate starts to slow down, and
our body temperature decreases. The body temperature drop is
nothing to worry about, because the drop is only two degrees
lower than your normal temperature during the day. In fact,
doctors typically recommend sleeping in a colder room to get a
eyes start to move and our heart rate and breath are speeding up.
We start getting away from the deep sleep stage since our brain
activity starts back up to a point where it starts to feel like we
are awake even though we are still technically asleep. This is why
this is the prime time for us to experience dreams. This is also the
time where the muscles in our arms and legs are so relaxed that
STAGE
REM
better night’s sleep. Our brain waves are becoming even slower
they are temporarily paralyzed. The amount of REM sleep also
and our muscles become even more relaxed as your body starts to
declines the older we get, with infants and young children getting
enter the third stage of sleep.
the most REM sleep and elders having the least amount.
14 15

RECOMMENDED HOURS PER AGE GROUP
Birth–3 Months
14–17 hours
4–12 Months
12–15 hours
1–2 Years
11–14 hours
3–5 Years
10–13 hours
6–12 Years
9–11 hours
13–18 Years
8–10 hours
18–64 Years
7–9 hours
65+ Years
7–8 hours
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SIDES
Pros
» Relieves sleep
apnea symptoms
» Alleviates acid reflux
» Prevents back and
neck pain
» Promotes digestion
Cons
» Stomach and
lung pressure
» Feeling numb if on one
side for too long
» Shoulder aches
and pains
SLEEPING POSITIONS
FETAL
Pros
» Alleviates cramps
» Spine relief
» Improves circulation
Cons (too curled up)
» Constricted breathing
» Back pain
» Worsens circulation
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BACK
Pros
» Head, neck, and
spine relief
» Alleviates acid reflux
» Less wrinkles
Cons
» May worsen or develop
sleep apnea symptoms
STOMACH
Pros
» Relieve sleep
apnea symptoms
» Promotes digestion
Cons
» Back, neck and
joint strain
» Discomfort from
acid reflux
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SLEEPING
DISORDERS
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RLS
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) also called Willis-Ekbom
disease is a disorder that causes a person to have a very strong
urge to move their legs. This is considered a sleep disorder
because RLS typically occurs at night while someone is lying
down in bed or sitting for too long and can be disruptive to
people who are trying to sleep. This could also be dangerous
for those who are stuck driving for a long period of time so it
is recommended to take breaks during road trips to prevent
RLS from happening. Someone with RLS should walk
around or shake their limbs as a way to help and relieve their
discomfort. Anyone can get RLS, but it is more common in
women and up to 10% of the United states has RLS.
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Well what causes RLS?
What specifically causes RLS is unknown, but doctors
have found that RLS is mainly a genetic syndrome. This
means that if one of your parents has it then there is a
good chance you could have it too. If you do have a parent
with RLS, your symptoms would develop before your 40s.
There is, of course, still a chance to get RLS without the
genetics, but typically symptoms develop later in life. There
are a fair amount of other medical conditions that also
cause RLS like, an iron deficiency, end-stage kidney failure,
neuropathy (nerve damage), and during the last trimester
of pregnancy.
Additionally, there is evidence suggesting that RLS is also
related to the basal ganglia, a section of the brain that
controls movement, not functioning properly. Other sleep
disorders, like sleep deprivation and sleep apnea, could also
trigger RLS symptoms in some people.
Can it be treated?
There are no known ways for someone who suffers with RLS
to have their symptoms completely go away, but there are
treatment plans for controlling their symptoms. Depending
on how severe the symptoms will depend if a doctor would
be comfortable prescribing medication. They would typically
suggest lifestyle changes for milder cases then prescribe
medication for more severe cases. Also, if the RLS is caused
by another medical condition, then a doctor would first
see if the RLS can be treated with treatments given for the
overlying medical condition.
Medication:
» Prescribed Medications
» Dopamine Agonists
» Benzodiazepines
» Opiates
» Anticonvulsants
Non- Medicated:
» Exercise
» Good sleep habits
» Avoiding/limiting caffeine
» Applying a heating pad
» Warm tub soak
» Reduce Stress
Sensations your limbs could feel
» Pulling
» Tugging
» Throbbing
» Itching
» Aching
» Burning
» Crawling
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Irresistible urge
to move
Repetitive leg
movements
Uncomfortable
sensations
Disrupted sleep
Behavior issues
Difficulties focusing
Symptoms
Needing to move limbs to
Constantly moving and/or
Indefinable feelings in
Sleep cycle being reset due
Likely to be more moody or
Having a hard time staying
get some type of relief.
bending legs while sleeping.
your legs.
to being woken
be irritable due to the lack
on task or paying attention.
up constantly.
of sleep.
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NARCOLEPSY
Seen as a chronic neurological sleep disorder, narcolepsy is
when you have a hard time staying awake during the day.
This can both be drowsiness during the daytime and even
randomly falling asleep wherever you are. Narcolepsy can
happen to both men and women equally and it is said that
one in 2,000 people are affected. Unfortunately, there are no
cures because this is a chronic disorder, however there are
medications and other things you can do to help manage
narcolepsy. Now there are two types of narcolepsy: with and
without cataplexy.
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Well, what are the two types?
The two types of narcolepsy are very similar because they
share the same symptoms, except type 2 is seen as less severe
than type 1. People with Type 1 may experience cataplexy.
These two types are why they are often termed as
narcolepsy with cataplexy (type 1) and narcolepsy
without cataplexy (type 2).
Um, What is Cataplexy?
Cataplexy is when you suddenly lose control of your muscles
in your face, arms, legs, and/or torso while you are awake
which typically are triggered by strong emotions, but last up
to a couple of minutes. It is also one of the first symptoms
people with type 1 narcolepsy experience, which at times
leads to misdiagnosis because it is often mistaken
for epilepsy.
Mild cases include:
» Slurred speech
» Buckling knees
» Drooping eyelids and head
Extreme cases include:
» Full body collapse
» Paralysis
What causes it?
We do not really know exactly why people experience
narcolepsy. What we do know is that a person with type 1
tends to have lower levels of a chemical called hypocretin,
which is a chemical in our brains that helps us regulate our
REM sleep and how awake we are. A person with type 2 may
develop narcolepsy due to an infection. There is no definitive
reason as to how someone would get either type.
Treatments
Unfortunately there is no cure for narcolepsy, because it is
seen as a lifelong condition. Even though there is no cure,
there are a variety of treatments someone can do to reduce
their symptoms and make sure they are safe while operating
a vehicle.
Medications
» Modafinil
» Stimulants
» SSRIs/ SNRIs
» Antidepressants
» Sodium Oxybate
Non-Medicated
» Schedule Sleep
» Naps
» Avoid nicotine and alcohol
» Exercise
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Excessive Daytime
Sleepiness
Sleep Attacks
Cataplexy (Type 1)
Hallucinations
Sleep paralysis
Vivid dreaming
Symptoms
Difficulty staying aware or
Being unaware of your
Sudden muscle weakness
Seeing or hearing things
A temporary feeling of
Intense dreams that can feel
needing to sleep during
environment while asleep.
that is triggered by
that are not really there.
being unable to move
very real.
the day.
strong emotions.
or talk.
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INSOMNIA
One of the most common sleep disorders that affects 35% of
adults, insomnia is simply the difficulty of falling and staying
asleep. People with insomnia also do not wake up feeling
refreshed, because of the lack and poor quality of sleep they
get. Insomnia is very draining to one’s mood and health
because of how much sleep helps the body. Since they are
unable to get the proper amount of sleep, life can get difficult.
There are also two types and three categories of insomnia
someone could experience.
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TYPES
CATEGORIES
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia is either a diagnosis on it’s own or it is a symptom
Huh, can I treat it?
Insomnia is a tricky disorder because of the different types
Acute (Short-Term)
Acute insomnia is a shorter period of sleep difficulty, mainly
Sleep-onset Insomnia
This category deals with the difficulties of falling asleep, this
of another diagnosis. With chronic insomnia, it is usually
triggered by stress, traumatic events, or habits that disrupt
sleep. Other causes of chronic insomnia is if your internal
and categories there are. There is no definitive treatment.
A person suffering with insomnia would need to talk with
their doctor to figure out treatment plans and figure out what
caused by stress,a change in environment or schedule, or
also includes having a hard time relaxing while laying in bed.
clock is disrupted due to travel or an irregular work schedule,
is and isn’t helping. There are a couple different therapies
experiencing something traumatic. This type typically lasts
The circadian rhythm, the internal process that regulates
poor sleeping habits, and even eating too much around the
or certain medications a doctor would recommend doing
from a few days to up to three months.
sleep, of someone who suffers with sleep-onset insomnia is
time you are going to bed. Certain mental health disorders
depending on how severe the disorder is.
Chronic (Ongoing)
Chronic insomnia happens more frequently and lasts much
longer than acute. Symptoms happen at least three times a
week for three months or more. Usually chronic insomnia
is a symptom of another issue, such as medical conditions,
medication and other sleep disorders. Chronic insomnia can
out of sync due to other factors like jet lag and
irregular schedules.
Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
Common with elders and those who consume alcohol,
caffeine, or tobacco, sleep maintenance insomnia makes
it difficult to stay asleep. Other disorders, like sleep apnea
like PTSD and anxiety could also cause issues with staying
asleep and causing someone to wake up too early.
Medical conditions that causes Insomnia:
» Chronic Pain
» Cancer
» Diabetes
Therapy
» Cognitive behavioral therapy
» Light therapy
Medications
» Benzodiazepines
also be triggered by caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol. There are
and periodic limb movement disorder, can also have sleep
» Heart disease
» Nonbenzodiazepines
times where chronic insomnia is it’s own issue but we still do
maintenance insomnia as a symptom.
» Asthma
» Melatonin agonist
not understand how it’s caused.
Mixed
Someone may be able to experience both categories of
» GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
» Overactive Thyroid
» Parkison’s
Non-Medicated
» Sleep schedule
insomnia (sleep-onset and sleep maintenance) resulting in
» Alzheimer’s
» Staying active
mixed insomnia. People with more chronic insomnia find
» Checking medication
that these categories shift over time.
» Avoid/limit naps
» Avoid/limit caffeine
» Avoid nicotine
» Avoid large meals before bed
38 39

Difficulty falling
asleep
Difficulty staying
asleep
Waking up earlier
than planned
Poor sleep quality
Worry about sleep
Excessive daytime
sleepiness
Symptoms
Being unable to properly
Being unable to stay asleep
Needing to wake up at a
Waking up feeling
Over-thinking if you would
Difficulty staying aware or
fall asleep at your
throughout the night.
certain time, but waking
unrested and having
be able to fall asleep or
needing to sleep during
scheduled time.
up before.
difficulties focusing.
stay asleep.
the day.
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SLEEP APNEA
Sleep apnea can be a very serious and dangerous disorder
because of how it affects one’s ability to breath while they
sleep. Someone with this disorder could have multiple pauses
in their breathing pattern accompanied by very loud snoring.
This can cause disruptions to one’s own sleep and disrupt the
sleep of others due to the audible snoring. There are multiple
types of sleep apnea someone could develop.
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
One of the more common forms that affects 2-9% of adults,
OSA typically happens when your throat muscles are too
relaxed to the point where the back of the throat starts to
become blocked. When this happens you can be prevented
from breathing properly or not be able to breathe all together.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
CSA is less common than OSA because it is more of a neural
disorder when your brain has difficulties sending signals
to your muscles that are used while breathing. Breathing
becomes slow and shallow. This disorder may also be caused
by another medical issue like a stroke or heart failure.
Wow, that’s scary. How does that
even happen?
One of the few disorders with actual known causes since the
two types can be accurately studied and tested. Sleep apnea
can be caused by someone’s physical structure like the size of
your neck, jaw, tongue, and even tonsils can cause obstructive
sleep apnea. Other medical conditions like a stroke, heart
failure, hypothyroidism (when the thyroid is not as active),
and acromegaly (an excess growth hormone) can also lead
to one of the types of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can also be
passed down from previous family members.
Um, I’m sure there’s ways to prevent
this? Right?
Remember to always talk with a doctor to make sure you get
the proper treatment, they would need to know the cause
and which type of sleep apnea you have. A doctor could
recommend a sleep study so they can identify what is causing
the sudden pauses of breathing. Once they figure out the
cause then treatment can begin.
Therapy
» Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
» Supplemental oxygen
» Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV)
» Positional Therapy
Mixed
Mixed, also called Complex Sleep Apnea, is a combination
of the OSA and CSA types. Treatment is given immediately
because of how dangerous this type can be. Since this type
does affect both the physical and neurological aspects of
sleep, treatment is very important so the person does not
stop breathing completely in their sleep, causing even more
troubling issues and potentially leading to death.
Surgery
» Tissue removal
» Tissue shrinkage
» Jaw repositioning
44 45
» Implants
» Nerve stimulation
» Tracheostomy
NonMedicated
» Lose weight
» Exercise
» Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills
» Do not smoke

Disrupted breathing
Excessive daytime
sleepiness
Loud snoring
Morning headache
Abrupt awakening
Limited
attention span
Symptoms
When breathing is
difficult or you stop
breathing completely.
Difficulty staying aware or
needing to sleep during
the day.
Snoring that is very audible
with occasional gasping.
Waking up with alreadying
experiencing a headache.
Suddenly waking up in the
middle of the night.
Having difficulties paying
attention due to lack
of sleep.
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PARASOMNIAS
Parasomnias are a category of potentially disruptive sleep
behaviors that are deemed unusual by doctors. There are a
wide variety of types of these behaviors, all with their own
characteristics, severity, and how often they can happen. They
can also be further categorized on when they occur during
the sleep cycle. Some arguments have been made about
whether or not these behaviors are signs of psychopathology
or just the brain trying to deal with the transitioning of
coming in and out of sleep.
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Confusional Arousals
Confusional arousals occur whenever a child is woken up
Sleepwalking
One of the more well-known parasomnias, sleepwalking
Night terrors
A person experiencing night terrors may suddenly jump
from a deep sleep where they may sit up in bed and be very
is the behavior of when someone who is still technically
awake or even scream while they are asleep. This is a
confused on what is happening or what just happened.
asleep gets out of their bed and starts interacting and
brief behavior and the person would have no idea what
Displays of confusional arousal includes:
» dilated pupils
responding with their surroundings. This could lead
the person getting hurt if they are experiencing this
behavior alone because they are not fully aware of
caused them to have that reaction. However, there are
times where this behavior can last up to 40 minutes
and they would just go back to sleep as if nothing
» accelerated heartbeat and breathing
their surroundings so they can easily fall or collide
happened. This is another behavior that is more common
» sweating
into objects. If the person is woken up during their
in children (ages 4–12), but can happen in 3% of adults
sleepwalking adventure then they would just be confused
due to emotional tension or drinking too much alcohol.
There is a chance this person could start crying or be very
and go back to their bed. Usually this happens to
There is also a risk of the person experiencing a terror
nREM Related
These types of parasomnias typically occur during
the nREM stages of sleep, the transitional stages of
getting into a deep sleep. Those ages 5 to 25 and who
have a family history of dealing with parasomnias may
difficult to try and calm down. If someone tries to interfere
this behavior can continue on longer than the normal 30–40
minutes. This can happen to adults, but rarely occurs and
would have been triggered by another source like stress
or an illness.
children around the ages of 6–12, but other age groups
can also experience sleepwalking.
to get hurt if they jump out of their bed or their bed
partner could be harmed if the one experiencing it jumps
onto them or runs into them.
experience these types:
50
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REM Related
REM related parasomnias will happen during the
final stage of our sleep cycle. Those affected by these
parasomnias would be older in age than those that would
typically experience nREM parasomnias.
RSBD (REM sleep behavior disorder)
Usually during the REM stage our bodies are in a state of
paralysis, but with RSBD a person is trying to act out their
dreams and actively moving their body and limbs. Occurring
commonly to males in the age range of 50–65, this behavior
can become very dangerous and violent depending on what
the person is dreaming about. Unfortunately, this disorder
can go undiagnosed for years because of how similar it is to
both sleepwalking and night terrors. A difference between
those with RSBD and those with sleepwalking or night
terrors is that those with RSBD rarely actually leave their
room or have their eyes open.
Actions done during RSBD:
» Shouting
» Swearing
» Flailing
» Grabbing
» Punching
» Kicking
» Jumping
» Leaping
Nightmares Disorder
Nightmares are a common behavior that anyone of any
age can experience. Nightmares are a type of dream that
can cause the dreamer to be afraid or anxious. People with
nightmare disorders experience nightmares more frequently
and often those nightmares are recurring about trying to
survive. A person with a nightmare disorder could have a
nightmare about being chased by a murderer that can happen
again and again every night. Those with post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) can develop nightmare disorders where
those nightmares may be about what they experience to cause
their PTSD.
Sleep Paralysis
Probably one of the more well-known and scariest
parasomnias, sleep paralysis is something we have all heard
of and may have even experienced. Those with sleep paralysis
will experience a few minutes of an awful sensation of being
unable to move or even speak even though they are fully
awake. Our bodies go through a form of paralysis normally
during REM, but we are usually unaware of the paralysis.
So when a person is suddenly woken up and feels the
paralysis they will start to panic because they are unable to
do anything. People also compare this feeling to being held
down onto the bed by someone. Along with this feeling,
people claim that they see a shadowy figure at the foot of
their bed, thus the creation of the “sleep paralysis demon”.
There is no known reason as to why this happens.
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Exploding Head
Before anyone freaks out, your head does not actually
Sleep-Related Hallucinations
Someone could experience hallucinations, a feeling that
Sleep Enuresis (Bedwetting)
A fancy way of saying “bedwetting”, sleep enuresis is another
explode. Instead, some would either hear or feel an explosion
something is real when it is not, whenever they are trying
common occurrence that we may have experienced when
multiple times a night whenever they wake up. There are
to fall asleep or when they are trying to wake up. These
we were children. This is when we accidentally use the
times when a person would believe they saw a flash of light
hallucinations can trigger any of our senses. There is a very
bathroom while we are still asleep. This is only considered as
when they woke up as well. Since explosions are a very scary
rare chance that a person experiencing these hallucinations
a parasomnia if the child wets the bed twice a week in a three
thing to see and hear, a person who experiences an exploding
may get up out of their bed to escape their hallucination
month period or is at least five years and older since younger
head may feel a sense of dread or anxiety but they are not
because they think they are dealing with a nightmare, they
sleepers have not learned how to delay their full bladders
Other
This category is for the behaviors that normally happen
under any pain. We do not know why people experience this,
we just know that this can happen when you are extremely
tired or stressed out.
may want to be relieved of that fear and anxiety. If someone
experiences these hallucinations during the day then they
may be showing symptoms of narcolepsy.
while they are asleep.
during the transition from being awake or going to sleep
or they do not fall under a specific category because they
can occur during both REM and nREM.
54
55

56
NAPS
During the day we may sleep for a short period of time, this
is normally seen as a nap. Naps are usually something people
either love or despise with a few who are neutral about naps.
Around a third of adults in America partake in naps. There
are actually five different types of naps someone can take:
Recovery Nap
Those who have lost some sleep due to being up too late or
kept waking up during the night may take a recovery nap the
following day to make up for any sleep they may have lost
during the night before.
Prophylactic Nap
If you are about to work the night shift, taking a prophylactic
nap before and after will help in preventing you from falling
asleep during your shift and keeps you alert and focused.
Appetitive Nap
Nap haters will not see the appeal of this type of nap, because
appetitive napping is done just for the sheer enjoyment of
it. Since napping is beneficial to mood and restores energy,
someone can just take a nap as a relief from stress.
Fulfillment Nap
Fulfillment napping is typically scheduled naps throughout
the day for children since they need significantly more sleep
than adults. Certain children may randomly fall asleep,
especially after a long playtime session.
Essential Nap
Whenever you are sick do you feel like you need to sleep all
the time? It is because you do, your body needs the rest so it
can have the energy to do its job on fighting off the illness
and healing, so an essential nap is necessary.
How long should I nap for?
Naps can vary from a couple minutes to hours, but only
certain lengths of naps are actually beneficial while longer
naps can be seen as potentially harmful. Research has been
done to figure out that naps shorter than five minutes are
way too short and do not provide any benefit. While sleep
that lasts longer than 30 minutes is enough time for our
bodies to enter into a deep sleep, but when we wake up after
a three hour nap there is a sense of regret because we feel
groggy that feeling could last up to an hour. The best length
of nap is considered the “power nap” which is napping for 10
to 20 minutes. A power nap is enough time for our bodies to
receive the benefits and not have that groggy feeling.
Benefits of Naps
» Reduces sleepiness
» Improves learning
» Improves mood
» Improves performance
» Relaxing
Harms of Naps
» Grogginess
» Disorientated
» Worsens insomnia symptoms
» Increased health risks (prolong naps)
57

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