Sleep and Neurotransmitters

An interesting one for those of us who have infants to toddlers. Especially as middle-aged adults.

Unlike adults, infants alternate between short waking periods and short naps. What can we infer about their neurotransmitters?

The short waking periods and naps for infants are due to the development of the neurotransmitters in their brains. This is also due to melatonin secretion which starts earlier in infants as it is needed for brain development. Within the human body circadian rhythms mature, and they begin to establish more consistent sleep patterns (BibliU n.d pg 265).

To validate the aforementioned Tori Kearns wrote in Galileo Open Learning Materials.: “The hormone melatonin increases at night and is associated with becoming sleepy. Your natural daily rhythm, or Circadian Rhythm, can be influenced by the amount of daylight to which you are exposed as well as your work and activity schedule (Kearns & Lee, n.d.).

The doctrine also states that infants typically experience a sleep pattern characterized by alternating short waking periods and brief naps. This behaviour can be linked to the levels of various neurotransmitters and hormones in their bodies that regulate sleep states (Kearns & Lee, n.d.).

The hormone melatonin starts to become active within infants by the sixth week. This is produced by the pineal gland (BibliU n.d pg 265). According to the required reading infants do not have a regular circadian rhythm and their melatonin level does not have a pattern. This means their sleep or naps are irregular.

It is during their naps their brain is developing which explains why there is a necessity for infants to require more sleep.

Best,

JFitts

References:

BibliU. (n.d.). BibliU – Reader. My App. https://bibliu.com/app/?bibliuMagicToken=x2prdal0YmOEPYOBTov9ZJjUXXm0jjcr#/view/books/B1BWH8TSSHW9Q/epub/OEBPS/018_9780357798218_ch08.html#page_265

Kearns, T., & Lee, D. (n.d.). General Psychology: An Introduction. GALILEO Open Learning Materials. https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/psychology-textbooks/1/ p.g 144