Andrew Winn

Dr. Colombo
UWRT 1104
14 February 2017
Research Question: How does our subconscious reveal itself in our dreams?
Journal Entry #1
Citation:
Stromberg, Joseph. "The Science of Sleepwalking." Smithsonian.com, 17 May 2012,

www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-of-sleepwalking-97626685/.

Main Claim:

1. The first-ever large-scale survey of sleepwalking habits in American adults indicated

that an estimated 3.6 percent of usmore than 8.4 million peoplehave had an episode
of nocturnal wandering in the past year. This is much higher than researchers expected.
Nearly 30 percent of respondents reported sleepwalking at some point in their lives.
2. For the first time, ever, a large survey was taken around the topic of sleepwalking. The
survey revealed that more of us are sleepwalking than previously expected. This relates to
any sleepwalking incident during the last year.
Summary of Source:
In this article, Stromberg describes the science behind sleepwalking. He talks about the range of
activities that may happen to individuals whilst sleeping, ranging from incidents of driving to
having sex. He goes on to talk about when sleepwalking happens the most. He does this by
explaining the two categories of sleep NREM and REM. NREM is considered light sleep and
REM is considered deep, full sleeping. He talks about how, when we sleep, we rotate between
these cycles. He states that most sleepwalking happens during the NREM state. This is possibly
because the body is trying to go straight from light sleep to being awake. The body, when waking
naturally, goes from deep sleep to being awake. After talking about when sleep walking happens
Stromberg talks about the possible mental disorders that could be related to sleep walking. These
disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, could all contribute to sleep
walking. He concludes the article by talking about how to deal with a person sleepwalking. He
says to try to make the person go back to bed. If he/she doesnt go back to sleep, leave him/her
alone and lock all possible exit point. Waking a person sleepwalking could send them in to
shock.
Evaluation of Source:
This is a reliable and credible source, Mr. Stromberg has his B.A. in Environmental Studies and
Anthropology. He has written many fact-checked articles for The Smithsonian Magazine and for
Vox.com. His work has been found to be credible and accurate over the span of the last 7 years
(the entirety of his career).
Important Quotations:
They dont realize what they are doing.
its not entirely surprising that the Neurology study found that sleepwalking is positively
correlated with a number of mental disorders,
Despite the surprising prevalence of this phenomenon, though, scientists still dont understand
what causes it.

Journal Entry #2
Citation:
Lineberry, Denise. To Sleep or Not to Sleep? To Sleep or Not to Sleep?, 4 Apr. 2009,

www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_sleep.html.

Main Claim:
1. "There are no simple measurement tools for fatigue. If we can't measure it, we miss it."
2. The amount of tired you are is hard to measure, making it easy for people to overlook it
as a problem.
Summary of Source:
In this article, the author states the importance of sleep. She talks about the need for sleep being
psychological, and that lab animals kept awake for over eight days died of numerous different
health issues. She states that sleep cannot be banked, meaning that sleeping extra a day before
you know you arent going to get as much sleep wont make you fully rested. It is commonly
accepted that humans need one hour of sleep for every two hours of functionality during the day,
i.e. eight hours of sleep a night equals sixteen hours of functionality totaling twenty-four hours.
When you get inadequate amounts of sleep, your body starts to perform worse. If you force
yourself to stay awake, your body will take microsleeps, where you are not focused and have
short term memory loss. This could become a problem while driving, being sleep fatigued is
compared to being drunk while driving.
Evaluation of Source:
This source is published by NASA. The research conducted for this article was conducted at the
NASA Langley Research Center. The article was worked on by several NASA scientists and
published by NASA.
Important Quotations:
"Sleep is not optional"
sleep deprivation and fatigue as a pervasive and widely under-recognized root cause of
mishaps
Journal Entry #3
Citation:
Craske, Michelle G., et al. Presleep Attributions about Arousal during Sleep: Nocturnal Panic.

American Psychological Association, 2001. ArticleFirst,

web.b.ebscohost.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=371c420d-2036-4241-

9936-

655f0ee08061%40sessionmgr103&vid=0&hid=129&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z

SZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=2002-00421-004&db=pdh.

Main Claim:
1. The experimental conditions did not elicit different autonomic reactions, but those who
panicked showed stronger physiological responses than those who did not panic.
2. This experiment didnt make everyone have night terrors, but the people who had them
had much worse ones than normal, meaning that the severity of the terrors could be
triggered.
Summary of Source:
Participants were selected by the criteria of being between the ages of twenty and fifty-five, and
having had a nocturnal panic in the six months before the experiment. Participants were exposed
to different frequencies and tones while they were sleeping. A control group was in play
receiving no stimulation during sleep. Participants were judged on the level on night terror they
experienced based on several types of criteria. Some of the criteria related to how the patient felt
upon waking (0 for safe and 8 for very unsafe). Other criteria related to the physical wellbeing of
the patients, i.e. heart rate, sweatiness, physical tremors, etc. Through the experiments
researchers could conclude that, certain circumstances during sleep can induce night terrors, and
that people who experienced more night terrors before the experiment were more likely to
experience them frequently and severely during the experiment. It is still unclear the cause of
nocturnal panic.
Evaluation of Source:
This source was published by the Journal of Abnormal Psychology and is peer reviewed. All
sources used in the article are sited and all research conducted is shown in the article.
Important Quotes:
In the current study, we hypothesized that participants who were reassured that fluctuations in
physiological state were expected would be less fearful of signals of such arousal than
participants who were led to believe that the same signals were not expected to occur or
participants who received control signals.
Journal Entry #4

Citation:

Sleepwalking - Overview & Facts. Sleep Education, American Academy of Sleep Medicine,

www.sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders-by-

category/parasomnias/sleepwalking/overview-facts.

Main Claim:
1. Sleepwalking occurs when you get up from bed and walk around even though you are
still asleep. It can also involve a series of other complex actions.
2. Sleepwalking is defined as leaving your bed while still asleep, but can include things like
in bed movement and talk in ones sleep.
Summary of Source:
People sleepwalking often leave bed abruptly and move quickly in their sleep. This could include
running while asleep. This is often associated with dangerous situations dreamt up by the
sleepwalker. The running happens because the sleepwalking is trying to escape the threat.
Sleepwalkers eyes are usually open, having a confused look to them. People sleepwalking often
talk or shout, sometimes responding to those interacting with them or acting out the current
dream they are having. Sleepwalkers are often difficult to wake up. Men sleepwalking are known
to become violent when people try to wake them. Sometimes adults have memory of what
happened while they were sleepwalking, but often, they have no recollection of the event. It is
very common for children who are sleepwalking to attempt to get outside, which is particularly
dangerous. Sleepwalking and night terrors are very similar, in the since that if a person
experiences one of them, he is more likely to experience the other as well.
Evaluation of Source:
The document is copyrighted by the American Academy of Sleep Science. This is an
organization run by hundreds of sleep specialists from around the world.
Important Quotes:
It can also result in hostile and violent behavior
It can be very hard to wake a sleepwalker up. When you do wake up, you can be very confused
 Journal Entry #5
Citation:
Koebler, Jason. Americas Surprising Sleepwalking Problem. U.S. News, 4 May 2014,

www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/05/14/americas-surprising-sleepwalking-

problem.

This article provides statistics about sleepwalking. It includes the average number of
people who
sleepwalk in the US a year, the amount of times a year that people sleepwalk, etc.
Main Claim:
1. "I think not enough people are aware of the risks of sleepwalking."
2. People are unaware of the Dangers of sleepwalking, and more people are sleepwalking
that previously expected.
Summary of Source:
Around two percent of Europeans sleepwalk at least once per year. Sometimes you can have a
sleepwalking episode and not have any physical injuries. Other times you may end up with small
cuts and bruises for your activities while asleep. Sometimes, in more rare cases, people have
committed heinous crimes like murder and rape in their sleep. Out of the Europeans that
sleepwalk, it is found that one point six percent of them will attempt to hurt themselves or others
during a sleep event. People who have sleepwalkers in their families are more likely to become
sleepwalkers themselves. Most sleepwalking occurs between the ages of eighteen and forty- four.
So far there is no evidence of a racial factor influencing the chance of sleepwalking. Every time
someone sleepwalks it is putting them in a potentially dangerous situation. The least dangerous
situation to be sleepwalking in is to be sleepwalking in your own home with a spouse or other
family member awake and aware that you are having a nocturnal event.
Evaluation of Source:
This article was published by the US News.
Important Quotes:
People who get less than seven hours of sleep nightly are more likely to sleepwalk than those
who get more sleep
Sleepwalking is generally considered more prevalent among adolescents