Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience

Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience (Second Edition)

A Beginner's Guide
2018, Pages 393-435
Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience

Chapter 12 - Sleep and Levels of Consciousness

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Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the brain processes that underlie human sleep and dreaming. We begin with a description of the push–pull of circadian rhythms that guide us toward sleep at night and toward wakefulness in the morning. Neuromodulators and hormones in the brain work in concert to provide changes in brain rhythms: we step through these processes as they trigger the onset of sleep in the evening, the shift between sleep stages throughout the night, and onset of wakefulness in the morning. Sleep is crucial for learning and memory: we describe how these processes are carried out in the brain, presenting recent research findings. Why do we dream? We discuss the latest findings on just what dreaming means in the brain. Finally, there are many issues with natural sleep: we end the chapter with a discussion of insomnia, narcolepsy, and other sleep disorders.

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