The Holy Grail of Biological Questions: Why Do We Sleep?

The Holy Grail of Biological Questions: Why Do We Sleep?
In this blog, I am going to deal with a question that has stumped some of the most talented researchers in the world.  That should hopefully get your attention- this vexing question seems simple, but represents the “holy grail” of biology.  The question: why do we sleep?  Consider this- we spend approximately one-third of lives doing it and scientists are still not quit sure why.  (Much of this and future blogs on...

Memory, Brain Function, and REM Sleep: Are They Related?
In my last blog we discussed at length the different stages of sleep, namely non-REM and REM, the biological need for sleep to stay alive, and started discussing what some researchers believe may be the function of some portions of non-REM sleep.  We reviewed how there is some evidence linking declarative memory (memory of facts and figures) to slow wave sleep and procedural memory (the ability to perform tasks like riding a bike or playing...

Headaches and Sleep
Headaches come in all shapes and sizes, from tension headaches caused by excessive stress or even excitement to the devastating pain of cluster headaches to debilitating and recurrent migraine headaches. Headaches have one thing in common. They make you miserable.   What causes headaches? As mentioned above, stress is one cause. Allergies, sinusitis, head colds can all bring on a headache. Some medications also can cause...

The Function of Sleep Not Quite Explained
We finished the last blog in mid-thought.  We were talking about REM sleep and the idea of brain plasticity- the rewiring of our brains that take place when we learn new information.   A recent study in rats showed that 4 days of REM sleep deprivation decreased the amount of new cells in the part of the brain that is associated with long-term memory, in other words they did not make those new circuits.   Another study with...

Secondary Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or the complaint of unrestorative/unrefreshing sleep. Most people experience short-term insomnia from time to time, but when insomnia lasts for more than several weeks, it is considered chronic and should be evaluated by a physician. Insomnia used to be classified by sleep specialists as either primary or secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia was insomnia that was due to an...

Kicking those Addictions
As we move into the New Year and make out our list of resolutions, be sure to add giving up your addictions. I'm not speaking of the hard drugs. I'm sure the majority of my readers aren't hooked on heroine or cocaine.   Neither am I talking about drugs prescribed by your doctor. It's true that some of these may be addictive, or, at the very least, habit forming, but if your doctor has prescribed them and if they are working for you...

Sleeping Away the Common Cold
There is no cure for the common cold, or so we've been told. But a recent study led by Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg suggests that if you can't cure it, then find a method of preventing it.   The study, which appeared in the January 12, 2009, issue of Archives of Internal medicine, shows that, of the 153 volunteers, those who slept fewer than eight hours a night were more likely to contract a cold. For two...

All Sleep is Not Created Equal
In my last blog we were reviewing the fundamental question of why we sleep.  We left off trying to sort out the level of activity of the brain and body during different stages of sleep (i.e. Non-REM and REM).    During non-REM the body and brain are at their most relaxed state.  Ironically, most people think of REM as deep sleep, but actually during REM the level of brain activity resembles the awake state.  Our most...