The brain stem
, at the base of the brain, communicates with the hypothalamus to control the transitions between wake and sleep. (The brain stem includes structures called the pons, medulla, and midbrain.)
What are the brain mechanisms involved in waking and sleeping?
Mammalian Neuronal Circuitry of Sleep/Wake States
It is currently understood that complex interactions between
subcortical neuromodulatory neurons in the brainstem, midbrain, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain (BF), the thalamus
, and the cortex drive behavioral, physiological, and electrocortical sleep/wake states.
What part of the brain is involved in regulating the sleep/wake cycle and plays an important role in arousal and alertness?
Midbrain and Hindbrain Structures
The reticular formation
is important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity.
What controls the body's sleep-wake cycle?
The circadian rhythm is set by
the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus
, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The suprachiasmatic nucleus projects to the pineal gland to release melatonin, which promotes sleep.
Which of the following parts of the brain is most active in decision making?
The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) and hippocampus
are the most critical parts of the human brain for decision making.
What part of the brain is responsible for arousal?
The amygdala
is near the hypothalamus, and is responsible for alerting us to changes in our environment detected by our senses. This part of the brain is also associated with sexual arousal.
What hormone controls the sleep/wake cycle?
But when darkness comes at night, the SCN sends messages to the pineal gland. This gland triggers the release of the chemical
melatonin
. Melatonin makes you feel sleepy and ready for bed.
What are the five stages of sleep?
During an ideal night's sleep, your body has enough time to go through four to five 90-minute cycles that sample different phases of sleep as the night progresses. In general, each cycle moves sequentially through each stage of sleep:
wake, light sleep, deep sleep, REM, and repeat.
What part of the brain controls balance?
The cerebellum
is at the back of the brain, below the cerebrum. It's a lot smaller than the cerebrum. But it's a very important part of the brain. It controls balance, movement, and coordination (how your muscles work together).
What chemical makes you sleep instantly?
During the night, the pineal gland produces a hormone called
melatonin
that makes you sleepy. Melatonin is produced in response to another hormone called norepinephrine.
What controls the brain's biological clock?
The circadian biological clock is controlled by a part of the brain called
the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
, a group of cells in the hypothalamus that respond to light and dark signals. When our eyes perceive light, our retinas send a signal to our SCN.
Can you reset your circadian rhythm?
Wake up every day at the same time:
Keeping a regular sleep schedule will help reset
your circadian rhythm. By going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, your body will learn to adjust to the new rhythm.
What happens in the brain during decision making?
The
frontal lobe
, which is located at the frontal part of our brains right inside our forehead, appears to be responsible for planning, thinking and making choices. Conversely, damage to the brain's frontal lobe is known to impair one's ability to plan, think and make choices or decisions.
When is the decision making part of the brain fully developed?
The rational part of a teen's brain isn't fully developed and won't be
until age 25 or so
. In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain's rational part.
How does the mind make decisions?
A prevailing theory in neuroscience holds that people make decisions
based on integrated global calculations that occur within the frontal cortex of the brain
. … Instead, brain circuits from the orbital frontal cortex connecting to deeper brain regions performed three different decision-making calculations.
What part of the brain regulates fear?
The amygdala
quickly signals a threat or stress in the environment, and the prefrontal cortex helps the amygdala to see stressful events as a little less scary or frustrating.
