Genesis and ontogenesis of sleep/wake rhythm in humans

Abstract

Living organisms undergo changes over time, which can be seen along years, one day or several hours. Biological rhythms are understood as cyclical fluctuations observed in the living matter and present an endogenous component which is influenced by the environment. The expression of these rhythms and its relation to the environment also changes along the individual’s life, as we observe with sleep/wake patterns. In this article we present a review about the development of sleep/wake rhythm throughout life, describing the consolidation process of a synchronized circadian rhythm along childhood, the phase changes of sleep/wake cycle along adolescence and, afterwards, its phase and amplitude modifications in the elderly, focusing the interaction with environmental cyclical factors