UC Berkeley

Folk wisdom has long implied a critical role for sleep in emotional processing, highlighted by sayings as `Sleep on it and you'll feel better in the morning'. However, until very recently there was a lack of objective research investigating this claim. Now rapidly emerging evidence describes a powerful and causal relationship between sleep and affective brain regulation. These findings are mirrored by long-standing clinical observations demonstrating that nearly all mood and anxiety disorders co-occur with one or more abnormalities of sleep. This dissertation aims to (1) set forth a rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep hypothesis of affective brain homeostasis, optimally preparing the organism for next-day social and emotional functioning, (2) provide behavioral evidence of detrimental impairments in emotional functioning following sleep deprivation, and (3) outline affective brain and behavioral benefits of sleep when it is obtained. Finally, the discussion will describe how this model may explain the prevalent relationships observed between sleep and affective disorders, including relevant treatment mechanisms, with a particular focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).