I would like to know your opinion on this hypothesis?

[asd2791]

I would like to know your opinion on this hypothesis?

Abstract:

The multiple hypotheses proposed to explain the function of sleep reflect the incomplete understanding of the subject, and through this paper I attempt to put forward an evidencesupported hypothesis on the function of sleep that has not been highlighted. In this research, I relied on previous researches, analyzed them, and linked them , And i came up with a new hypothesis of sleep function, My hypothesis says : that sleep occurs due to the accumulation of “Breathing gas” melting in the human body, and these gases dissolve more whenever the atmospheric pressure is greater, and sleep reduces the number of breathing times by 73% in some of its stages¹, and therefore The amount of dissolved gases in the body decreases.

 

Introduction:

The multiple hypotheses proposed to explain the function of sleep reflect the incomplete understanding of the subject. While some functions of sleep are known, others have been proposed but not completely substantiated or understood. Some of the early ideas about sleep function were based on the fact that most (if not all) external activity is stopped during sleep. Initially, it was thought that sleep was simply a mechanism for the body to "take a break" and reduce wear¹. This theory is not fully adequate as sleep only decreases metabolism by about 5–10%^2,3 . With the development of EEG, it was found that the brain has almost continuous internal activity during sleep, leading to the idea that the function could be that of reorganization or specification of neuronal circuits or strengthening of connections^4,5. These hypotheses are still being explored. Other proposed functions of sleep include maintaining hormonal balance, temperature regulation and maintaining heart rate. and through this paper I attempt to put forward an evidence-supported new hypothesis on the function of sleep that has not been highlighted.

Material and Methods:

In this research, I relied on previous research, analyzed them, and linked them. and I found a clear link and similarity between "sleep" and "Narcosis while diving".

Results: I formulated a new hypothesis:

that sleep occurs due to the accumulation of “Breathing gas” melting in the human body, and these gases dissolve more whenever the atmospheric pressure is greater, and sleep reduces the number of breathing times by 73% in some of its stages⁶ , but because the pressure in the sea is high, “deep numbness” occurs within minutes, unlike atmospheric pressure, it is much lower, so the effect takes about 16 hours for drowsiness and sleep to begin.

Discussion:

Since any theory or hypothesis must have evidence, I present a set of evidences for this hypothesis:

1-    When diving in the sea, the pressure is great, and a phenomenon known to divers occurs called “Narcosis while diving” The greater the depth of diving, the greater the effect of “Narcosis while diving”.

2-    2- All the components of “breathing gas” have a narcotic effect^7,8 ,and this effect increases as the pressure increases, and the more the gas has a greater ability to dissolve in fat⁹.

3-    Hot air is less pressured than cold air, and the night is often colder than the day, so in the night is often “atmospheric pressure” higher than the day, and therefore the desire to sleep increases at night to increase the “atmospheric pressure” in night , and increase the melting of “breathing gas” in the body .

4-    A study indicated that exposure to heat increases alertness¹⁰, and this is consistent with this hypothesis, because the hot weather is less pressured, and therefore the melting of “Breathing gas” in the body is less.

5-    Sleep duration can also vary according to season. Up to 90% of people report longer sleep duration in winter, which may lead to more pronounced seasonal affective disorder^11,12  winter is colder and therefore the "atmospheric pressure" must be greater in it often, and therefore the melting of "breathing gas" in the body is greater.

6-    The similarity between sleep and “Narcosis while diving”, a study described that “Narcosis while diving” is similar to the effect of benzodiazepines¹³, in other studies, they said: “Narcosis while diving” allows for a faster decrease in body temperature^{14,15 ,16}  and this is what happens when mammals sleep¹⁷.

7-    There is a clear link between hours of sleep and the amount of "Breathing gas" entering the human body. The more respiratory rate, the more hours of sleep, and the lower the respiratory rate, the fewer hours of sleep, As evident from Table .

Table:

age group	respiratory rate18	sleep duration19
New Baby	40-50 /minute	Between 14 and 17 hours
lactation phase	30 /minute	Between 12 and 15 hours
Baby	20-25 /minute	Between 11 and 14 hours
adolescence	16-19 /minute	Between 8 and 10 hours
puberty	12-15 /minute	Between 7 and 8 hours

 

 

References

1  Wolstenholme GE, O'Connor M (1961). Ciba Foundation symposium on the nature of sleep. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-470-71922-0.

2  Sleep Syllabus. B. The Phylogeny of Sleep . Sleep Research Society, Education Committee. Archived from the original on 2005-03-18. Retrieved 26/9/2010.

3  Function of Sleep. Scribd.com. Retrieved on 1/12/2011.

4  Krueger JM, Obál F, Fang J (6/1999). "Why we sleep: a theoretical view of sleep function". Sleep Medicine Reviews. 3 (2): 119– 29. doi:10.1016/S1087-0792(99)90019-9. PMID 15310481

5  Krueger JM, Obál F (6/1993). "A neuronal group theory of sleep function". Journal of Sleep Research. 2 (2): 63–69. doi:10.1111/j.1365- 2869.1993.tb00064.x. PMID 10607073

6  Respiration during sleep in normal man. N J Douglas, D P White, C K Pickett, J V Weil, C W Zwillich

7  Bennett, Peter; Rostain, Jean Claude (2003). "Inert Gas Narcosis". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S. Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. ISBN 0-7020-2571-2. OCLC 51607923

8  Bauer, Ralph W.; Way, Robert O. (1970). "Relative narcotic potencies of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, and their mixtures

9  Bennett, Peter; Rostain, Jean Claude (2003). "Inert Gas Narcosis". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S. Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. ISBN 0-7020-2571-2. OCLC 51607923

10  Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm, Kazue Okamoto-Mizunocorresponding and Koh Mizuno.

11  Suzuki M, Taniguchi T, Furihata R, Yoshita K, Arai Y, Yoshiike N, Uchiyama M (18/4/2019). "Seasonal changes in sleep duration and sleep "problems: A prospective study in Japanese community residents

12  Hate waking up when it's dark out? Find out how winter really affects your sleep habits.

13  Hobbs M (2008). "Subjective and behavioural responses to nitrogen narcosis and alcohol". Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine : Journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc 35 (3): 175–84.

14  Doolette, David J. ( 2008)، "2: Inert Gas Narcosis"، Mount, Tom؛ Dituri, Joseph ()، Exploration and Mixed Gas Diving Encyclopedia ، Miami Shores, Florida: International Association of Nitrox Divers

15  Mekjavic, Igor B.؛ Passias, T.؛ Sundberg, Carl Johan؛ Eiken, O. (1994)، "Perception of thermal comfort during narcosis"، Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine، Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society

16  Mekjavic, Igor B.؛ Savić, S. A.؛ Eiken, O. ( 1995)، "Nitrogen narcosis attenuates shivering thermogenesis"، Journal of Applied Physiology، American Physiological Society

17  Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm, Kazue Okamoto-Mizunocorresponding and Koh Mizuno

18  Age related reference ranges for respiration rate and heart rate from 4 to 16 years. Wallis et al, Arch Dis Child. 2005 19 Hirshkowitz, Max; Whiton, Kaitlyn; Albert, Steven M.; Alessi, Cathy; Bruni, Oliviero; DonCarlos, Lydia; Hazen, Nancy; Herman, John; Katz, Eliot S.; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Neubauer, David N.; O'Donnell, Anne E.; Ohayon, Maurice; Peever, John; Rawding, Robert ( 2015). "National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary". Sleep Health.

19  Hirshkowitz, Max; Whiton, Kaitlyn; Albert, Steven M.; Alessi, Cathy; Bruni, Oliviero; DonCarlos, Lydia; Hazen, Nancy; Herman, John; Katz, Eliot S.; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Neubauer, David N.; O'Donnell, Anne E.; Ohayon, Maurice; Peever, John; Rawding, Robert ( 2015). "National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary". Sleep Health.

[Genady]

53 minutes ago, asd2791 said:

Since any theory or hypothesis must have evidence, I present a set of evidences for this hypothesis:

1-    When diving in the sea, the pressure is great, and a phenomenon known to divers occurs called “Narcosis while diving” The greater the depth of diving, the greater the effect of “Narcosis while diving”.

2-    2- All the components of “breathing gas” have a narcotic effect^7,8 ,and this effect increases as the pressure increases, and the more the gas has a greater ability to dissolve in fat⁹.

3-    Hot air is less pressured than cold air, and the night is often colder than the day, so in the night is often “atmospheric pressure” higher than the day, and therefore the desire to sleep increases at night to increase the “atmospheric pressure” in night , and increase the melting of “breathing gas” in the body .

4-    A study indicated that exposure to heat increases alertness¹⁰, and this is consistent with this hypothesis, because the hot weather is less pressured, and therefore the melting of “Breathing gas” in the body is less.

5-    Sleep duration can also vary according to season. Up to 90% of people report longer sleep duration in winter, which may lead to more pronounced seasonal affective disorder^11,12  winter is colder and therefore the "atmospheric pressure" must be greater in it often, and therefore the melting of "breathing gas" in the body is greater.

6-    The similarity between sleep and “Narcosis while diving”, a study described that “Narcosis while diving” is similar to the effect of benzodiazepines¹³, in other studies, they said: “Narcosis while diving” allows for a faster decrease in body temperature^{14,15 ,16}  and this is what happens when mammals sleep¹⁷.

7-    There is a clear link between hours of sleep and the amount of "Breathing gas" entering the human body. The more respiratory rate, the more hours of sleep, and the lower the respiratory rate, the fewer hours of sleep, As evident from Table .

Technically, this list is not a set of evidence, but rather a set of questionable similarities. More specifically (a retired SCUBA instructor is speaking here):

1. The phenomenon known to divers is not called "Narcosis while diving". It is called, "nitrogen narcosis."

2. The phenomenon is caused specifically by nitrogen and substituting it by other gases reduces or completely eliminates it.

6. The symptoms of nitrogen narcosis are not similar to sleep.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Genady

[swansont]

57 minutes ago, asd2791 said:

There is a clear link between hours of sleep and the amount of "Breathing gas" entering the human body. The more respiratory rate, the more hours of sleep, and the lower the respiratory rate, the fewer hours of sleep

You haven’t shown this link. Rate and volume are not the same thing.

[Bufofrog]

2 hours ago, asd2791 said:

My hypothesis says : that sleep occurs due to the accumulation of “Breathing gas” melting in the human body, and these gases dissolve more whenever the atmospheric pressure is greater, and sleep reduces the number of breathing times by 73% in some of its stages¹, and therefore The amount of dissolved gases in the body decreases.

Does that mean that when there is a high pressure system in your area you need to sleep more hours per 24 hour period?  

[asd2791]

4 hours ago, Genady said:

Technically, this list is not a set of evidence, but rather a set of questionable similarities. More specifically (a retired SCUBA instructor is speaking here):

 

That's why I call it a hypothesis.

4 hours ago, Genady said:

1. The phenomenon known to divers is not called "Narcosis while diving". It is called, "nitrogen narcosis."

Others may call it that, anyway, thanks for noticing.

4 hours ago, Genady said:

2. The phenomenon is caused specifically by nitrogen and substituting it by other gases reduces or completely eliminates it.

I am not attempting in this hypothesis to identify a single gas responsible for sleep, what I want to say is that sleep may occur by the same mechanism as “Narcosis while diving”

4 hours ago, swansont said:

You haven’t shown this link. Rate and volume are not the same thing.

The table shows the link

3 hours ago, Bufofrog said:

Does that mean that when there is a high pressure system in your area you need to sleep more hours per 24 hour period?  

yes

[swansont]

29 minutes ago, asd2791 said:

The table shows the link

No, it doesn’t.

breathing, e.g. 30x a minute with a lung capacity of 0.5 liters is the same volume of gas as breathing 15x a minute with a lung capacity of 1.0 liters

We grow as we get older - our lungs get bigger. You haven’t accounted for this.

[asd2791]

16 minutes ago, swansont said:

No, it doesn’t.

breathing, e.g. 30x a minute with a lung capacity of 0.5 liters is the same volume of gas as breathing 15x a minute with a lung capacity of 1.0 liters

We grow as we get older - our lungs get bigger. You haven’t accounted for this.

But the children's nervous system will be smaller, and this, in my view, will cancel the effect of the difference in size and capacity

[swansont]

55 minutes ago, asd2791 said:

But the children's nervous system will be smaller, and this, in my view, will cancel the effect of the difference in size and capacity

That wasn’t your assertion - no mention of nervous system until now. It was simply breathing rate. You need to quantify this (and there’s no indication you have), and remember that length, area and volume scale differently.

[Genady]

2 hours ago, asd2791 said:

That's why I call it a hypothesis.

Others may call it that, anyway, thanks for noticing.

I am not attempting in this hypothesis to identify a single gas responsible for sleep, what I want to say is that sleep may occur by the same mechanism as “Narcosis while diving”

My last point has not been addressed, i.e.,

6 hours ago, Genady said:

6. The symptoms of nitrogen narcosis are not similar to sleep.

The point 6 in the OP is:

7 hours ago, asd2791 said:

6-    The similarity between sleep and “Narcosis while diving”, ...

but I don't think there is a similarity.

Moreover, the "Narcosis while diving" does not appear until the air pressure gets above 3 atm. It is nowhere close to variations in atmospheric pressure in all other conditions mentioned in the OP article. It is also nowhere close to atmospheric pressure when people sleep.

[asd2791]

There is an error here::

22 hours ago, asd2791 said:

that sleep occurs due to the accumulation of “Breathing gas” melting in the human body, and these gases dissolve more whenever the atmospheric pressure is greater, and sleep reduces the number of breathing times by 73% in some of its stages⁶ , but because the pressure in the sea is high, “deep numbness” occurs within minutes, unlike atmospheric pressure, it is much lower, so the effect takes about 16 hours for drowsiness and sleep to begin.

 

 

correct is:

22 hours ago, asd2791 said:

that sleep occurs due to the accumulation of “Breathing gas” melting in the human body, and these gases dissolve more whenever the atmospheric pressure is greater, and sleep reduces the number of breathing times by 73% in some of its stages⁶ , but because the pressure in the sea is high, “Narcosis while diving” occurs within minutes, unlike atmospheric pressure, it is much lower, so the effect takes about 16 hours for drowsiness and sleep to begin.

 

15 hours ago, swansont said:

That wasn’t your assertion - no mention of nervous system until now. It was simply breathing rate. You need to quantify this (and there’s no indication you have), and remember that length, area and volume scale differently.

If it is not influential, then there is no need to mention it.

14 hours ago, Genady said:

My last point has not been addressed, i.e.,

The point 6 in the OP is:

but I don't think there is a similarity.

 

I have clearly stated the similarities, reread number 6.

 

14 hours ago, Genady said:

Moreover, the "Narcosis while diving" does not appear until the air pressure gets above 3 atm. It is nowhere close to variations in atmospheric pressure in all other conditions mentioned in the OP article. It is also nowhere close to atmospheric pressure when people sleep.

I had a translation error, please re-read the following:

that sleep occurs due to the accumulation of “Breathing gas” melting in the human body, and these gases dissolve more whenever the atmospheric pressure is greater, and sleep reduces the number of breathing times by 73% in some of its stages⁶ , but because the pressure in the sea is high, “Narcosis while diving” occurs within minutes, unlike atmospheric pressure, it is much lower, so the effect takes about 16 hours for drowsiness and sleep to begin.

Edited December 22, 2022 by asd2791

[Genady]

What accumulation? Our tissues are saturated with the nitrogen at the saturation level for atmospheric pressure and breathing - more or less - does not change this level. That is, breathing more does not increase the amount of nitrogen in the tissues and breathing less does not decrease it. 

[asd2791]

1 hour ago, Genady said:

What accumulation? Our tissues are saturated with the nitrogen at the saturation level for atmospheric pressure and breathing - more or less - does not change this level. That is, breathing more does not increase the amount of nitrogen in the tissues and breathing less does not decrease it. 

Again I'm not talking about a specific gas, my talk is about "breathing gases".

 

and the breathing rate determines the amount of breathing gases that enter the body. This is self-evident, and if the breathing rate does not affect the amount of gases that enter the body, why does the breathing rate increase with exercise?

 

[Genady]

It does not matter which gas we are talking about as long as this gas causes narcosis. Nitrogen is such a gas, that is why I mention it. Oxygen is not. 

A gas that causes the narcotic effect has a saturation level which depends on the air pressure and the tissue. When this level is reached, it does not matter anymore how much of the gas enters the body. It exits the body at the same rate as it enters it when tissues are saturated. The breathing rate does not affect the amount of the gas in the tissues anymore.

The breathing rate increases with exercise because the tissues use oxygen and need more of it. Oxygen level never gets saturated because oxygen is used by tissues. The narcotic gases are not used by tissues.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Genady

[swansont]

4 hours ago, asd2791 said:

If it is not influential, then there is no need to mention it.

But you did mention it. And you’re dodging the issue.

2 hours ago, asd2791 said:

Again I'm not talking about a specific gas

Why not? 

[Bufofrog]

3 hours ago, asd2791 said:

my talk is about "breathing gases"

What are breathing gasses?  The atmosphere?

[asd2791]

all gases that can be breathed have a narcotic effect, although widely varying in degree.

look here:

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1970.29.1.23

 

[John Cuthber]

1 hour ago, asd2791 said:

all gases that can be breathed have a narcotic effect,

Nope.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flurothyl

Much more importantly, high pressure oxygen- which can clearly be breathed- is a convulsant, not a narcotic.
 

Edited December 22, 2022 by John Cuthber

[asd2791]

Ok, No Problem

Maybe I'm too quick to judge all gases

But most components of the atmosphere we breathe naturally have this effect.

[Genady]

What components are they? Here is the composition of the atmosphere we breathe:

[swansont]

On 12/22/2022 at 2:25 PM, asd2791 said:

all gases that can be breathed have a narcotic effect, although widely varying in degree.

All of your references talk about inert gases in their titles - not oxygen.

[Genady]

I suggest moving this thread to the Speculations forum.

[asd2791]

I read new evidence in Wikipedia:

"At altitudes above 7,500 m (24,600 ft, 383 millibars of atmospheric pressure), sleeping becomes very difficult."

 

 

References

 

1.  Cymerman, A; Rock, PB. Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers (Report). Vol. USARIEM-TN94-2. US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report. Archived from the original on 23 /4/2009. Retrieved 5 /3/2009.
2. Rose, MS; Houston, CS; Fulco, CS; Coates, G; Sutton, JR; Cymerman, A (12/1988). "Operation Everest. II: Nutrition and body composition". J. Appl. Physiol. 65 (6): 2545–51. doi:10.1152/jappl.1988.65.6.2545. PMID 3215854.
3. Kayser, B. (October 1992). "Nutrition and high altitude exposure". Int J Sports Med. 13 (Suppl 1): S129–32. doi:10.1055/s-2007-1024616. PMID 1483750. S2CID 5787317.

[Bufofrog]

3 hours ago, asd2791 said:

I read new evidence in Wikipedia:

"At altitudes above 7,500 m (24,600 ft, 383 millibars of atmospheric pressure), sleeping becomes very difficult."

That is not evidence in support of your claim, that is evidence that if you are struggling to breath it is also going to be hard to sleep.

[TheVat]

delete (misread meters as feet)(quick skimming not my best approach)

Edited November 2, 2023 by TheVat

[exchemist]

55 minutes ago, Bufofrog said:

That is not evidence in support of your claim, that is evidence that if you are struggling to breath it is also going to be hard to sleep.

You don’t struggle to breathe, though. The breathing reflex is governed by the dissolved CO2 in the blood rather than the oxygen concentration. Altitude sickness consists of other symptoms, headache, nausea, dizziness etc. ….and difficulty sleeping.