Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archive Grade Level: 7-10 Subject: Health

Sleep Disorders

The second week of January 2001 was an interesting week for sleep. On Friday, sleep researchers reported the discovery of the first human gene that controls the sleep cycle. The finding could lead to new treatments for jet lag, insomnia and other sleep problems.

Researchers found the gene by studying the genetic pattern of four generations of a Utah family identified in 1999 as having a previously unknown condition called "familial advanced sleep-phase syndrome," or FASPS. Members of the family tend to get tired by late afternoon and usually are asleep in bed by 7 p.m. They generally wake up around 2 a.m. For them it is a natural pattern.

In a separate event, a 9-year-old New York boy was seriously injured when he fell from a third-story window in his sleep, police said. The boy said he dreamed his parents were being attacked and tried to escape. His parents said he had a history of sleepwalking.

What is sleep? Why do we dream? What is sleepwalking? These are some of the question you'll find answers to in this week's online lesson. But please, try to stay awake while you read it.

How and Why We Sleep

What is sleep, and why do we do it? These are the questions answered at the Neuroscience for Kids site. The topics at this site are all about the brain and the spinal cord. Since sleep is a function of the brain, browse the Explore the Nervous System links until you get to The Brain during Sleep. As you study this page you will learn that sleep is a time of busy activity for the brain, and that there are different stages of sleep. You will also learn two different theories on why humans and some animals need to sleep. What are the two stages of sleep? When do dreams occur?

Another good source of basic sleep information is Howstuffworks.com's "How Sleep Works" page, by Marshall Brain. Read the introduction, and then click Next Page >> at the bottom of the page to continue reading. How much sleep do adults need? What about babies? What happens to rats if they are forced to stay awake continually, and what does this tell us about sleep?

Sleep Disorders

It is estimated that as many as half of all people have a sleep disorder of some kind. Common disorders range from insomnia (inability to sleep), to narcolepsy (uncontrollable episodes of sudden sleepiness), to sleep apnea (obstruction of breathing during sleep). You can find information on all kinds of sleep disorders at the National Sleep Foundation web site. When the site opens click the Sleep Disorders link, and then browse the list of sleep disorders. Find a definition of each disorder by clicking some of the links under each disorder. Explore each in more detail.

Sleepwalking (somnambulism) is one of several disorders known as parasomnia. Read about the four types — sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep terrors, and REM movement disorder — and then jump over to the Stanford Medical School Parasomnias page. Click Sleepwalking to jump down to the information on sleepwalking. How common is sleepwalking? Is it serious? Can sleepwalking be treated?

You can learn more about sleepwalking and other sleep disorders at Sleepnet.com.

Take a Sleep Test

How well do you think you sleep? Find out by taking the Sleepnet.com's Sleep Test. You will see a list of 42 statements; check each box that is true for you. Click Calculate Score when you're done. Depending on your answers, you may be showing signs of a sleep disorder (you would still need to check with a doctor to be sure).

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