Friday, April 29, 2011

We can be awake and asleep at the same time

MY PAPER FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011, PAGE A18, WORLD
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-04-29
Source Website: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/TechandScience/Story/STIStory_662176.html
By AFP, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, PARIS, Apr 28, 2011



PHOTO: Switching in Your Sleep -– Are you Snoozing or Secretly Awake?
http://discussingdissociation.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/sleeping.jpg
http://discussingdissociation.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/switching-in-your-sleep-%E2%80%93-are-you-snoozing-or-secretly-awake/


IF YOUVE ever mislaid your keys or glasses, and blamed this on being daft or forgetful, you may be doing yourself a disservice: You may be a bit short of sleep, that's all.

So suggests a study on rats, which says that if a brain is tired, parts of it can fall asleep for a fraction of a second, even though the organ is ostensibly awake at the time. The implications are far-reaching, especially for people doing tasks where lack of sleep could be dangerous, say its authors.



PHOTO: A new study indicates that if a brain is tired, parts of it can fall asleep for a fraction of a second, although it is 'awake' at the time.
ST FILE PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110428/ST_19923180.jpg
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/TechandScience/Story/STIStory_662176.html


'Even before you feel fatigued, there are signs in the brain that you should stop certain activities that may require alertness,' said Dr Chiara Cirelli, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

'Specific groups of neurons may be falling asleep, with negative consequences on performance.'



PHOTO: “Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.” Bonnie Raitt
http://enlightenyourday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/monk-in-the-garden-of-zen-300x199.jpg
http://enlightenyourday.com/2009/04/22/61-spirituality-quotes-for-the-soul-to-ponder/


The investigation, published in the British journal Nature, challenges conventional belief that sleep deprivation affects the entire brain. Dr Cirelli and colleagues inserted ultra-fine probes into the brains of 11 adult rats to monitor electrical activity in sub-groups of neurons in the motor cortex, which is in charge of semi-automatic 'motor' movements.



PHOTO: Dreaming Awake; Riding The Spiral of Time’s Unfolding Prophecies.
The seed of light that births all life is singing open the petals of our hearts. Let us listen. Let us expand, grow and become. Let us be…
http://galacticculture.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/rainbow31.jpg
http://galacticculture.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/dreaming-awake-riding-the-spiral-of-times-unfolding-prophecies/


The rodents were then kept up four hours beyond their usual bedtime, thanks to novel objects that were introduced into their cage to keep them awake. The monitors showed that even when the animals were to all outward appearances awake and active, neurons in these specific areas did not fire - in other words, parts of the brain were in 'local sleep' even when others were awake. Episodes of 'local sleep' affected the rats' behaviour, the scientists found.



PHOTO: Although it is not typically something that many people may consider, drinking enough water to get yourself out of a dehydrated state may be just the ticket to help you to sleep better.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP0XswuUmERkYgkNBI4X5pJfgaCNtnOFUvpg0x4bqJSZQOSCzFQ3KbhJ0s03Xh3lQvsq6zTFKceA-5dLSAxj8eei9ZTwLer8tnWMe3-gI8__sTT7Xc0LmP4q-C12yEKk1HWJ9ntm_pAw/s1600/800px-Exhausted_and_Frustrated_Collapsing.jpg
http://insomnia4soul.blogspot.com/


The animals were trained for two hours to carry out a tricky task, of gripping a sugar pellet with a single paw. But the more tired they became, the harder they found to do this job. They began to drop the pellets or miss reaching out to them. It needed just a few cells to go off-line, and for as short as a third of a second, for the fumble to happen, said Dr Cirelli in a press release.
By AFP, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, PARIS



PHOTO: Not having to carry around an extra 15-20 pounds of body weight has given more energy
http://www.theweightlosspapers.com/uploadpic/h/hours_of_sleep.jpg
http://www.theweightlosspapers.com/tag/metabolism


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