Studying the Brain. Understanding the brain is of vital importance to psychologists because of its influence over behavior and mental states.

The function of your subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond exactly the way you are programmed. Your subconscious mind makes everything you say and do fit a pattern consistent with your self-concept.

Conscious information can have a dominant influence on responses. We tell others about our experiences, write about our experiences, and think about our experiences, so consciousness must contribute to the generation of these behaviors (for example, Blackmore, 2004; Gomes, 2005).

How did psychology continue to develop from the 1920’s through today? Having begun as a “science of mental life”, psychology evolved in the 1920’s into the “scientific study of observable behavior”. Today’s science emphasizes the interaction of genes and experiences in specific environments.

Mandukya Upanishad For example, Chapters 8.7 through 8.12 of Chandogya Upanishad discuss the “four states of consciousness” as awake, dream-filled sleep, deep sleep, and beyond deep sleep.

Sleeping impacts many physiological processes, so it is very possible that sleep occurs for many reasons and purposes. In all likelihood, sleep serves a number of different physiological and psychological purposes including cleaning up brain toxins and consolidating information into memory.

There are several prominent theories currently which have explored the brain and attempt to identify a purpose for why we sleep which includes the Inactivity theory, Energy conservation theory, Restoration theory, and the Brain plasticity theory.

With an adequate amount of 7-8 hours of sleep every night, you can control your weight, prevent chronic diseases, avoid negative thoughts, and increase your productivity. Afterall it’s true, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”.

People are most likely to be at their sleepiest at two points: between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The better the quality of sleep you get, the less likely you are to experience significant daytime sleepiness. Circadian rhythm also dictates your natural bedtime and morning wakeup schedules.

When it comes to bedtime, he says there’s a window of several hours—roughly between 8 PM and 12 AM—during which your brain and body have the opportunity to get all the non-REM and REM shuteye they need to function optimally.

Poor Sleep Is a Major Risk Factor for Weight Gain and Obesity. Poor sleep has repeatedly been linked to a higher body mass index (BMI) and weight gain ( 2 ). People’s sleep requirements vary, but, generally speaking, research has observed changes in weight when people get fewer than seven hours of sleep a night ( 3 ).

People who go to bed late and wake up late can often experience health problems because their body clock does not align with the regular rhythms of modern society. However, a new study suggests that a few easy routine adjustments could go a long way for night owls.

Your risk of injury and accidents at home, work and on the road also increases. Find out how to tell if you’re too tired to drive. If it continues, lack of sleep can affect your overall health and make you prone to serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Sleep calculator

Too much sleep on a regular basis can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and death according to several studies done over the years. Too much is defined as greater than nine hours. The most common cause is not getting enough sleep the night before, or cumulatively during the week.

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Dry, itchy and bloodshot eyes can also be a side effect of sleep deprivation and can cause pain and irritation. Some of this occurs because your eyes are not getting the lubrication that they need. During the night, your eyes should produce new tears and cleanse themselves.

SLEEP POSITION An eye’s compression against a pillow or arm raises the IOP, and the lateral decubitus position produces a greater elevation in pressure in the eye with worse glaucomatous damage than in the healthier eye.

Nystagmus is a medical condition in which the eyes move involuntarily, often shaking back and forth. These involuntary movements may be horizontal, vertical, or sometimes even rotational. The movements may be very subtle, very prominent, or somewhere in between.

Lack of sleep decreases oxygen that is available for the eyes; this causes blood vessels to dilate and give the appearance of being red or bloodshot.

You may experience eye twitches or spasms when you have not had enough sleep. Your eyes may even be more sensitive to light, or you may have blurry vision. Sleep deprivation could lead to serious eye problems, such as glaucoma, over time.

Ways to help relieve tired eye symptoms include:

1. take frequent viewing breaks. Try the Rule.
2. minimize glare.
3. use proper lighting.
4. adjust the display settings on your screen.
5. use lubricating eye drops like VISINE® Tired Eye Relief.
6. applying a washcloth soaked in warm water to tired eyes.

Symptoms of dry eye include irritation, excess watering, blurred vision and the feeling that there is foreign matter in the eye. When it occurs as a symptom of dehydration, the best treatment for dry eye is to drink plenty of water. Eye drops can also help by lubricating the eye and washing away foreign materials.