Is this semester starting to feel tiring? At Rutgers BRAIN, we're here to remind you that sleep is important for not only your body, but also your mind. During our PJs and Delta Waves meeting, we talked about three main topics: sleep cycle, the process of dreaming, and sleep disorders.
Regarding the sleep cycle, we broke it down into two categories—nREM sleep and REM sleep—and explained each of its characteristics. Moreover, we discussed how much sleep we need, and the effects of sleep deprivation. So, be sure to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night!
In terms of dreaming, we talked about lucid dreaming and the reasoning as to why we dream. With the latter, there is no direct and concise reason as to why we actually dream. The following are mere theories that explains why we might dream: unconscious expression (Freud), byproduct of mental processing, to sort and consolidate memories, and to promote creativity.
Finally, the sleep disorders that we discussed are as follows: narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and insomnia. We expressed each of their potential causes, symptoms, and treatments. In addition, we included a video regarding the cause of insomnia.
At the end of our meeting, we informed our BRAINERs about our participation in the Parkinson's Unity Walk. If you're interested in joining our team, there is a QR code at the end of our presentation that will allow you to sign up underneath our organization. For updates on our next meeting, be sure to follow us at our Instagram, @rutgers_brain, and our Facebook, Rutgers BRAIN.
