Archived Columns
April 22, 2002
How Long Can Secondary School Psychologists and Other Educators Continue To Overlook Two Fundamental Determinants of Human Behavior?
These two major determinants of waking function are:
(a) SLEEP DEBT
(b) CLOCK-DEPENDENT ALERTING
Understanding these processes and how they interact with other determinants of behavior ought to be an absolutely essential part of secondary school education. The absence of this material in Introductory Psychology and other courses is a serious gap.
What is sleep debt? Each individual has a specific sleep requirement, an average amount that must be obtained each night. All amounts less than this constitute lost sleep. All lost sleep accumulates as a sleep debt. The size of the sleep debt is a major determinant of the level of waking impairment. The sleep debt can only be reduced by extra sleep.
Clock-dependent alerting consists of lengthy intervals of stimulation arising internally from the biological clock (suprachiasmatic nuclei) that alert the brain at specific times during the 24-hour cycle. Clock-dependent alerting could be likened to the effect of ingesting a stimulant in the morning whose activity would last through the day and subside around bedtime.
We are in the final stages of developing extensive materials for high school personnel who would like to include a module on the "basic essentials of sleep knowledge" in their Introductory Psychology, Biology, or Health courses. The materials can include 35mm slides, PowerPoint images, videotapes, DVD's and text files or textbooks. Modules can be designed for one class, several classes, or extensive coverage. We expect to obtain grant support that will enable distribution of materials at no charge or not more than cost.
Or
Send your contact information to his attention at:
Stanford Sleep Research Center
701 Welch Rd., Suite 2226
Palo Alto, CA 94304
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