Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Hidden Brain: Eyes Wide Open

Just wanted to share two recent episodes of Hidden Brain, an NPR podcast hosted by Shankar Vendantam.

Two episodes from early November 2017 are wonderful overviews about sleep and insomnia including an interview with the infamous Randy Gardner, the record-holder for going without sleep. Though unaffected at the time, Gardner now suffers from severe insomnia.

For students and teachers wishing to learn more about the biology and purpose of sleep, these two episodes are excellent




posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Friday, April 22, 2016

Why We Sleep: A TED Talk

Why We Sleep
·http://www.ted.com/talks/russell_foster_why_do_we_sleep

Russell Foster studies sleep. In fact, he's a circadian neuroscientist, which means he studies what happens to the brain when it does - and doesn't - sleep. This entertaining talk, just under twenty-two minutes in length, covers a range of sleep-related topics from the amount of sleep people typically got before the invention of the lightbulb (hint: a lot more than we get now) to dangers of depriving teenagers of their bed rest. Along the way, Foster asks and tries to answer, the age-old question of why we sleep and explores the relationship of interrupted sleep cycles with mental illness. Subtitles for the talk are available in 36 languages


posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Friday, January 1, 2016

12 Days of Psychology - Day 10: Nightmares vs. Night Terrors

Sadly, I don't spend as much time in the States of Consciousness unit at I'd (or my students) would like due to time. However, I always like to spend time on the disorders of sleep because they're so fascinating and students find them so relevant.

Narcoleptic dog

I absolutely love this article from Scientific American Mind on Nightmares and Night Terrors.  So many good pieces of information in here and kids can easily read it during class and have a great discussion on its contents.

Some of my other favorite sleep disorders links are:

Shaq and Sleep Apnea video

Diagnosing Narcolepsy video 

Sleep Disorders video 

Dangerous Dreamers - REM Behavior Disorder Psychology Today article 

Have a wonderful and restful New Year's Day. (I will need some REM recovery after staying up until 2 am, that's for sure.)

----Posted by Amy Ramponi

Friday, November 28, 2014

TV Alert: Sleepless in America on National Geographic

This Black Friday morning, I am watching tv, surfing the web, and avoiding crowds.  I found this commercial about an upcoming show related to sleep.
The website says:
In an unprecedented partnership, NGC along with The Public Good Projects and NIH, America’s foremost scientific authority, will draw the nation’s attention to the science of sleep — a topic fundamental to our collective well-being.
The link to the site with several other video clips is here: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/drain-the-bermuda-triangle/videos/sleepless-in-america-trailer/
Topics include highway hypnosis, sleep deprivation, sleep after combat, fatigue, and more.

The episodes airs at 8 pm and 11 pm Eastern, 5 pm  and 8 pm Pacific time.

posted by Chuck Schallhorn



Monday, November 3, 2014

Sleep Videos--Wow! I Had No Idea There Were This Many!

My kids are doing a project on the brain and related topics and creating infographics (more on that in a later post).  One group found some amazing videos on sleep.  Here they are.  Enjoy.


























posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Monday, October 13, 2014

Sleeping and Twitching--Why Do We Twitch??

I was doing some other research and shared this find with a couple students doing their own research on sleep.  This has information about the process of neurotransmitters and sleep I was not familiar with.  Great Stuff.
http://news.discovery.com/human/videos/why-do-we-twitch-before-falling-asleep-video-141013.htm



posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Friday, January 18, 2013

The Secret to Better Sleep: An Infographic

As I get older, my sleep patterns keep changing and I am finding that a complete night's sleep is very elusive.  Sometimes I have early sleep, some time awake and some late sleep.  Napping is always a welcome part of my day.  I receive a daily email about infographics.  A recent one is below (http://dailyinfographic.com/the-secret-to-better-sleep-infographic).  You can find/subscribe to them here:  http://dailyinfographic.com/.  In an upcoming post, I will share some online tools to creating your own infographics.



posted by Chuck Schallhorn

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Sleep Diary

During the States of Consciousness unit, many teachers have their students complete a sleep diary. The diaries give students an opportunity to analyze their sleep habits or should we say lack of sleep habits.

Some teachers have created their own dairies, others use standardized forms found online. Two such forms are:
Please leave a comment if you have your students complete a sleep diary especially if you have developed your own diary form.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

National Sleep Foundation

Hands down, the National Sleep Foundation website is one of the best resources on sleep and sleep disorders. Whether it be information on sleep topics, sleep related problems, American polls on sleep, video clips. etc., the site seems to have it all. Unfortunately though, over the last few years, less and less can be found within the website itself and more and more is found for sale at the sleep store.

If you have used items from this site in your class, please leave a comment detailing your activity. The home page for the foundation can be found at http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

Monday, October 5, 2009

Lewistown Hospital Sleep Videos

The Sleep Center at Lewistown Hospital in Lewistown, PA has created a number of short videos on sleep and sleep disorders. While the primary purpose of the video clips is to give potential patients a background on the center's services, they could be used within a psychology course. Either click on a specific video below or go to http://www.lewistownhospital.org/body.cfm?id=328#videos

Sleep Study Videos




Introduction to Sleep Study
Multiple Sleep Latency Test
Sleep Stages



Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Treatment of Sleep Apnea



Benefits of Treatment
Testimonial
The Importance of Sleep Study

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sleep Issues and Resources


The wonderful weekly email called "The Scout Report" from the people at University of Wisconsin. The Internet Scout Report finds and share incredible web resources on a wide variety of topics.

You can visit their site at:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/

During the week ending on June 12, 2009, they had a section on sleep in the news. I share their discoveries below.

Scientists gather in Seattle to discuss the science of sleep
Turn off the TV; it's time for bed
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/turn-off-the-tv-its-time-for-bed.html

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prevalent in Nonobese Patients
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609072723.htm

American Academy of Sleep Medicine
http://www.aasmnet.org/

Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm

10 tips for better sleep
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/HQ01387

Freud: The Interpretation of Dreams
http://www.psychwww.com/books/interp/toc.htm

This week, scientists met at the annual Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Seattle, and they were working on the problem that has bedeviled many college students, long-distance truck drivers, and others for decades: too little sleep. More and more people in the United States are getting inadequate sleep, and there are a number of culprits (including television and the demands of work) to blame. A chronic lack of sleep has some troubling repercussions, including an increased risk of depression, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. If that wasn't enough, a lack of sleep can also impair cognitive functioning and the body's metabolic rate. Fortunately, there are some potential solutions, including a "power-down" hour which basically means cutting off email use, cell phones, and other constant companions for at least an hour before retiring to bed for the night. The National Sleep Foundation also recommends that people decrease their caffeine intake and also work to maintain a regular schedule. [KMG]

The first link will lead visitors to an article from Melinda Beck, which appeared in this Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. In the piece, Beck talks about her own experience with a sleep study at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The second link whisks users away to a piece from the LA Times health weblog "Booster Shots" that talks a bit about some other findings from the recent meeting in Seattle. The third link will take visitors to a press release from Science Daily which talks a bit about some recent research on obstructive sleep apnea. Moving on, the fourth link leads to the homepage of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Here, visitors can learn about their work and also find information about sleep centers. The fifth link leads to an excellent resource on understanding sleep from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. The sixth link leads to some fine tips on getting better sleep from the Mayo Clinic. Finally, the last link leads to a complete version of Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams. For those of you who are getting adequate sleep, this volume may come in handy.

Copyright 2009 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Psych in the news


Holy cow! I was busy with classes this week and wow, did the news pile up! There's plenty for two entries, so for now we'll start with these links:

A case of fugue in New York City. (NY Times) Some skepticism here. (New York Magazine)

Portrayals of amnesia in popular movies. (Science Blogs)

Do forward-facing strollers affect babies' development? (NYT)

Night shift makes metabolism go haywire. (Wired)

The role of the brain in sexual interest. (Science Daily)

TV viewing among tiny tots? Not bad for them but not good either. (NYT)

Beethoven vs. Lil Wayne? One guy compares the musical tastes of college kids with their SAT scores. (Digits/WSJ)

Are kids with ADHD really just sleep deprived? (Science Daily)

How the social skills of babies help make others want to care for them. (NYT)

Psychologists vs. economists: should you reward students for academic performance? (NYT)

Friday, March 6, 2009

More on National Sleep Awareness Week

My class began the unit on states of consciousness and I rediscovered some key links that I share and use with them.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

National Sleep Awareness Week


March 1-8 2009 is National Sleep Awareness Week. The National Sleep Foundation has created the week as "a public education, information, and awareness campaign that coincides with the return of Daylight Saving Time, the annual "springing forward" of clocks that can cause Americans to lose an hour of sleep." You will lose that hour of sleep this year in the wee hours of March 8 as DST kicks in.
Why not take this time to educate your student body and faculty about the importance of sleep? There are many resources on teens and sleep including this PBS Frontline series (which can be viewed in its entirety online), an interview with teen sleep guru Mary Carskadon at the same site. a nice teen sleep research page and info on the school start time study at the University of Minnesota.

EDIT: Be aware that the word "vicious" is misspelled in the graphic at the top (before some wise guy points it out to you first period!).