ABSTRACT
Sleep was once believed to be a static process where the brain shuts down during the night, and in the morning, the cevntral processes are aroused so that an individual can assume daily activities. The derangement of one or more of the physiological processes can result in a number of sleep disturbances such as insomnia, sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, and parasomnias. Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in individuals experiencing sleep disturbances. The general view of sleep regulation is that two main processes are integrated to control the amount and timing of sleep. Given the heterogenous state of the sleep/wake cycle, supplying an answer to the simple question as to why an organism sleeps is very complex, and several theories have been proposed. Several studies have evaluated the sleep-inducing and sleep-promoting effects of various H3 receptor agonists. Sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by frequent, repetitive disruptions in respiration during sleep, resulting in excessive arousal from sleep.
