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Does sleep link us to a primitive subconscious?

Why do we sleep?
What causes/why do we have night terrors?
Does sleepwalking have links to mental disorders?
Are humans prone to violence while having nocturnal events?
Work Cited
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Why do we sleep?
Per NASA researcher Denise Lineberry, sleep is necessary for human survival. Humans are
only able to go around eight days without sleep dying of exhaustion. Without sleep the
human body experiences extreme levels of fatigue, which can cause micro-sleeps. Micro-
sleeps are experienced when someone is sleep deprived and falls asleep briefly. Most of the
time these micro-sleeps are unnoticeable.
Sleep is a necessary part of human life. Without sleep, humans will die after just over a week.
Lack of sleep leads to fatigue, weight gain, immune deficiencies, chronic health problems, and
several other problems. Lack of sleep is dangerous when it leads to micro- sleeps. Micro- sleeps
can be as brief as a few seconds or last up to several minutes. These are particularly dangerous
while driving.
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What causes/why do we have night terrors?

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In a study published by the American Psychiatric Association, it is stated that the reason
for night terrors is still up to debate among psychologists. The study found that even
though the reason behind night terrors is unknown, night terrors and be stimulated.
Through experimentation the researchers found that certain tones of sound can stimulate
night terrors. The study also found that people who have night terrors commonly are
more likely to have night errors when exposed to the stimulants. Night terrors range in
severity from restless sleep to waking oneself in panic.
There is no definite reason why we have night terrors. There are several factors that can
affect the likely hood that night terrors will occur. The level of sleep that a patient is in can
affect the chance of night terrors. The mental state of the patient before sleeping also
influences the chance of having night terrors. These events can sometimes be minor and just
make a patient restless in his sleep, but at other times can wake patients from stress.
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Does sleepwalking have links to mental disorders?

In a US News article, reporter Jason Koebler states what his research has turned up about
sleepwalking. The reports that studies have found that people with major depression
problems are more likely to sleepwalk. He also found that those who sleepwalk are prone
to violence while asleep, and have a very high possibility of harming themselves or
In an article published by Sleepeducation.org, it is recommended of people who have
frequent sleepwalking events to seek psychiatric help. Sleepwalking is treatable through
means of therapy and medication, but becomes less common as adolescents transition
into teenagers.
Sleepwalking is a common event that happens primarily to children, but when adults sleepwalk,
it is often linked to mental disorder. Clinically depressed adults are found to be more prone to
sleepwalking than those who are not depressed. Other disorders such as alcoholism and OCD are
common for sleepwalkers to have.
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Are humans prone to violence while having nocturnal events?

In an article published by the Smithsonian, researchers found that it is often a bad idea to
wake a sleepwalker, the being suddenly woken up causes excessive disturbance. This
excessive disturbance can lead to sudden violent events. People sleepwalking dont know
what they are doing.
In an article published by Sleepeducation.org, sleepwalking is associated with confusion and
violence. Crude actions are taken by the sleepwalker, because he/she is unaware of his/her
actions. Men are especially prone to violence during sleepwalking episodes.
It is extremely common for people to become violent while sleepwalking. The lack of awareness
that people have while sleepwalking often associates itself with bizarre, sporadic actions that the
sleepwalker would never do while awake. Men who are sleepwalking are more likely to commit
violent acts while sleepwalking than women who are sleepwalking.
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Work Cited
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.

Losing Sleep over Student SUCCESS? Spring 2006. ProQuest Education Journals,

search.proquest.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/docview/216459266?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/si

d:wcdiscovery&accountid=14605.

This article asks the question, is it worth staying up all night to complete homework? The
author states that it is important for students to have correct amounts of sleep to promote
creativity and success.

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.

Sleepwalking. National Sleep Foundation, 2004, sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-

problems/abnormal-sleep-behaviors/sleepwalking/page/0/1.

Koebler, Jason. Americas Surprising Sleepwalking Problem. U.S. News, 4 May 2014,

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

problem.
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Stromberg, Joseph. The Science of Sleepwalking. Smithsonian.com, 17 May 2012,

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

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

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

category/parasomnias/sleepwalking/overview-facts.