This thesis is an exploration of architecture as an active participant in human life, not just as a stage. When architecture is considered a participant it contributes to the improvement of our quality of life as well as aiding  the healing process when we fall ill. As more people are diagnosed with anxiety and sleep disorders, the thesis considered questions of how the places in which we carry out our day-to-day lives improve the prognosis and, further, can architecture be used as a powerful tool for healing? It is possible that our disconnection from nature is partially responsible for our disrupted sleep patterns and misplaced anxieties. Perhaps natural elements and rhythms are too absent in our daily urban lives. But as more of us move into cities and our urban centers become denser, designers must find clever ways to help city owls reset their circadian rhythm. Architecture can help reestablish that bond with nature. This thesis explores an architecture of healing by proposing a program and design that follows the day and night circadian rhythm of our bodies, which in turn follow the sun and other natural phenomena. Located in a tricky triangular site in one of the busiest nighttime neighborhoods of Washington DC, a wellness center and sleep clinic would allow city dwellers to find a peaceful oasis for healing. In parallel, this thesis is also a study of collage as a design tool, as well as designing from details and the human scale. / Master of Architecture

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Chronic short sleep duration is also a significant public health problem and has been linked to several markers and outcomes of cardiovascular disease. To date, inconsistency of assessments of sleep duration and insufficiency, use of covariates, and cardiovascular disease measurement across studies limits strong conclusions about the relationship between sleep duration, sleep insufficiency, and cardiovascular disease. The current study examined the association between sleep duration, sleep insufficiency, and a marker of preclinical coronary heart disease (i.e., carotid intima-media thickness) in a community sample using a cross-sectional design. Some evidence for a relationship between sleep duration and cIMT was found, with longer sleep duration predicting higher cIMT in some segments. Additionally, the interaction between sleep duration and sleep insufficiency was significant. However, neither of these effects were significant after adjusting for age and in some cases race/ethnicity, suggesting demographics may explain this association. Actigraphy and sleep diary duration assessments demonstrated significantly different correlations with cIMT in some segments, suggesting the nature of the assessment method may impact the strength or direction of the relationship between sleep duration and cIMT. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

The research study evaluated the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention for sleep maintenance insomnia in older adults. Twenty-two elders who spent 60 minutes or more awake during the night on a minimum of three nights per week for at least six months received treatment. The study utilized an experimental design with repeated measures. The subjects were randomly assigned to either an immediate or delayed (waiting list control) treatment group. Subjects completed daily sleep diaries and several other measures. The behavioral intervention was a treatment package consisting of sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control instructions, sleep education, and an optional daytime nap. A six-week treatment program consisting of four weekly classes and two weekly telephone interventions was implemented. Between and within group differences were identified using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Post-hoc analyses were performed to identify significant differences. The between group analysis of sleep behaviors revealed an improvement in wake after sleep onset and sleep efficiency for the immediate treatment group. After intervention, the delayed treatment group improved on the same sleep behaviors as well as total sleep time. The therapeutic improvement was maintained at the three month follow-up. Sleep-wake impairment, dysfunctional cognitions, and presleep anxiety were reduced for both groups. The mood measures indicated that the subjects were not depressed prior to treatment and remained nondepressed following intervention. State and trait anxiety levels decreased. Favorable ratings for therapy evaluation were received. The majority of subjects felt they were compliant with treatment and had corresponding decreases in wake after sleep onset. In addition to statistical significance, the clinical significance of the study was established. Insomnia in older adults can be effectively treated using nonpharmacological intervention. Replication of the study is warranted as well as analysis to examine moderating factors affecting treatment outcomes. An effort should be made to increase the demographic diversity of subjects in future studies. Alternative treatment implementation modalities and settings other than the community should be considered for further research.

This study provides the baseline and initial assessment of the napping habits of the United States Military Academy Class of 2007. This portion of a four-year longitudinal study examines data collected on 62 Cadets over 32 days from 4 October 2004 to 4 November 2004 using actigraphy data and sleep logs. Data were stratified and cleaned in accordance with nap infrastructure. A total of 607 naps were reported for a total of 73.3 hours of additional sleep. Naps ranged from 15 minutes to six hours and occurred most frequently on weekdays. This finding contrasts with research of other samples of adolescent college students. Weekend naps were shorter in duration than weekday naps. This finding was also a departure from current scientific nap research findings. Consistent with other research, most naps were between 30 minutes to one and one half hours in length. Frequency and duration of naps were greatest on Wednesdays. The primary type of nap taken was restorative, as opposed to appetitive or prophylactic in nature. Afternoon naps were more prevalent than morning naps, possibly reflecting Cadet class schedule rather than sleep need. Suggestions for additional research are proposed.

Out of 60 million Americans suffering from sleep disorder, an estimated 18 million have sleep apnea. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, sleep apnea is a chronic condition that disrupts a patient’s sleep. While the annual cost of treating sleep apnea patients in the United States is approximately $3.18 billion (including screening costs) it is estimated that untreated sleep apnea may cause $3.4 billion in additional medical costs. A polysomnography (PSG) is an all-night sleep study which monitors various physical functions during sleep including electrical activity of the heart, brain wave patterns, eye movement, muscle tone, body movements, and breathing. It is currently, the most accurate and sophisticated test for the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), but also, the most expensive. The cost of an overnight sleep study is estimated between $900 and $3,000. In addition, the PSG is not mobile and has to be administered outside a patient’s home. The Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a rhythm disorder that causes erratic (unpredictable) heartbeats. The LQTS has been linked to patients with the most severe form of sleep apnea. If LQTS is left untreated, sudden cardiac death may occur. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Sleep is well-established to become more superficial and fragmented as we age, with deficits in cognitive processing also commonly observed. While effects have been identified in both humans and mice (used in this thesis), there are important species differences in these findings and importantly, very little is known about the neural dynamics underlying these changes. By integrating several state-of-the-art approaches from putative single unit electrophysiological recordings to behavioural and pharmacological assessments, this thesis aimed to provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms involved in the age-dependent changes in sleep and cognition in mice. Firstly, this thesis investigated the neural activity underpinning the known global sleep changes that occur with ageing. Surprisingly, the majority of neuronal measures quantified in this study were resilient to the effects of ageing. Therefore the global sleep disruptions identified with ageing are unlikely to arise from changes in local cortical activity. Secondly, diazepam injection was found to suppress neural activity, in addition to previously reported effects on electroencephalography (EEG). Subtle differences in the effects of diazepam were identified across age groups, which may account for the variability seen in the efficacy of benzodiazepines in older individuals. Thirdly, ageing and sleep deprivation were found to have only a few effects on performance in a spatial learning task, the Morris water maze (MWM). Suggesting that spatial learning may be fairly resilient to the effects of ageing and sleep deprivation. Finally, this thesis presents preliminary analyses that showed mice were able to perform two novel paradigms of the visual discrimination task, suggesting their suitability in studying the link between ageing, sleep and cognition. Together the studies presented in this thesis provide insights into the differences between global and local mechanisms affected by ageing. Only by understanding local mechanisms will we be able improve on current treatments aimed at helping with the unwanted effects of healthy ageing, such as cognitive decline and sleep disruptions.

Människors allmänna välbefinnande och livskvalitet påverkas av deras sömn.    Sömnproblemen ökar och resulterar i ökade kostnader för den enskilde, arbetsgivarna och samhället. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva effekter av sömnhygieniska åtgärder riktade till individer inom hälsovården med primär insomni. Resultatet visade att en kombination av åtgärder utifrån personliga behov gav bäst resultat men också att det rådde begreppsförvirring runt sömnhygieniska åtgärder och deras effektivitet. Fördjupad kunskap behövs vad det gäller de enskilda sömnhygieniska rådens effektivitet. Vidare forskning föreslås för att komma fram till gemensamma internationella sömnhygieniska råd för att effektivt kunna vidareutveckla de sömnhygieniska råden och hur dessa ska användas. / People's general well-being and quality of life is affected by their sleep. Costs referring to sleeping disorders increase for individuals, employers as well as society as a whole. The aim of this literature review was to describe the effects of sleep hygiene measures regarding individuals in the healthcare system with primary insomnia. The results from this study showed that a combination of interventions based on personal needs gave the best results furthermore that there was a confusion regarding concepts of sleep hygiene interventions and their effectiveness. Deeper knowledge is needed to evaluate the efficiency of each of the sleep hygiene advice. Future research is suggested in order to achieve common and unified international sleep hygiene advice to effectively enable further development to the sleep hygiene advice and guidelines.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 47 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-31).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.