For many centuries, the sleep wake cycle and how it is controlled remained a mystery to scientists all over the world. How do people come back to your state of wakefulness after falling into varying depths of sleep? You probably have never thought about it. Thanks to the efforts of brilliant physiologists, the process is now as clear as day. This event which can only be described as magical has now been established to be controlled by what is referred to as the reticular activating system or RAS.
Most of the knowledge we have today regarding the RAS was discovered in 1949 by curious researchers. It has been shown that this system is built around two vital structures in the brains of mammals, the thalamus and the brain stem. There are a number of nuclei located in both the thalamus and the brain stem. Reticular fibres connect these nuclei forming a reticular pattern hence the name. Injury to this area causes somnolence and lethargy.
The circuits that make up the RAS are modulated by a number of chemicals in the central nervous system known as neurotransmitters. There are two groups of these chemicals; cholinergic and adrenergic. Depending on the situation, these chemicals may work synergistically or competitively. Glutamate is the cholinergic neurotransmitter involved while adrenaline is the main adrenergic neurotransmitter. The release of these transmitters results in increased wakefulness.
Facilitating the sleep wake transition is thought to be the main role of RAS. The degree of activation is determined by the depth of sleep from which one has to wake up from; the deeper the sleep the greater the degree of activation and vice versa. Another important role is that of mediating increased levels of attention whenever such a need arises.
The RAS is central to survival. It helps in providing information that is needed immediately particularly in stressful situations. It is an entry portal for a great amount of information. At any given point in time, there are many things happening in our environment. This includes almost all forms of stimuli such as sight, touch, auditory and taste. Filtering is done and your brain will only respond to what is most important at the time.
There are a number of factors that have been found to affect the system negatively. Preterm deliveries are one of the factors that may compromise the RAS functioning. A good number of children born preterm shows signs of disturbed sleep wake cycle. This problem may persist into adulthood. Smoking during pregnancy is another factor that notoriously affects the cycle. The children will often suffer excessive arousal.
Taking control of your RAS will require that you train your thoughts regularly. If successfully done, one can greatly improve their leadership skills. Ensure that you always take care of your personal issues in time so as to free your thoughts. Another important skill is the creation of clear short term and long term goals.
As a leader, one needs to always be in control of their RAS. This can be achieved by undergoing regular thought training. Taking care of personal issues in timely issues helps free up your mind. It is also very important that you have properly planned short term and long term goals.
Most of the knowledge we have today regarding the RAS was discovered in 1949 by curious researchers. It has been shown that this system is built around two vital structures in the brains of mammals, the thalamus and the brain stem. There are a number of nuclei located in both the thalamus and the brain stem. Reticular fibres connect these nuclei forming a reticular pattern hence the name. Injury to this area causes somnolence and lethargy.
The circuits that make up the RAS are modulated by a number of chemicals in the central nervous system known as neurotransmitters. There are two groups of these chemicals; cholinergic and adrenergic. Depending on the situation, these chemicals may work synergistically or competitively. Glutamate is the cholinergic neurotransmitter involved while adrenaline is the main adrenergic neurotransmitter. The release of these transmitters results in increased wakefulness.
Facilitating the sleep wake transition is thought to be the main role of RAS. The degree of activation is determined by the depth of sleep from which one has to wake up from; the deeper the sleep the greater the degree of activation and vice versa. Another important role is that of mediating increased levels of attention whenever such a need arises.
The RAS is central to survival. It helps in providing information that is needed immediately particularly in stressful situations. It is an entry portal for a great amount of information. At any given point in time, there are many things happening in our environment. This includes almost all forms of stimuli such as sight, touch, auditory and taste. Filtering is done and your brain will only respond to what is most important at the time.
There are a number of factors that have been found to affect the system negatively. Preterm deliveries are one of the factors that may compromise the RAS functioning. A good number of children born preterm shows signs of disturbed sleep wake cycle. This problem may persist into adulthood. Smoking during pregnancy is another factor that notoriously affects the cycle. The children will often suffer excessive arousal.
Taking control of your RAS will require that you train your thoughts regularly. If successfully done, one can greatly improve their leadership skills. Ensure that you always take care of your personal issues in time so as to free your thoughts. Another important skill is the creation of clear short term and long term goals.
As a leader, one needs to always be in control of their RAS. This can be achieved by undergoing regular thought training. Taking care of personal issues in timely issues helps free up your mind. It is also very important that you have properly planned short term and long term goals.
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