• Specialty
  • Cardiology
  • Dentistry
  • Dermatology
  • General Medicine
  • GI/GU
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  • OB-Gyn
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  • Orthopaedic
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• Neuro-Psych
  • Lots of Neuro-Psych Terms
  • Alzheimer�s Disease Terms
  • Brain Injury Terms
  • Consciousness Levels
  • Cranial Nerves (I-XII)
  • Depression Related Terms
  • Glasgow Coma Scale
  • Mental Health Related Terms
  • Neuro/Psych Medications
  • Phobias
  • Psychiatric Interviews & Examinations
  • Sleep Related Abbreviations
  • Sleep Related Terms
  • Suicide Related Terms
  • Tumors - Neuro
  • Sample Reports - Neurosurgery
  • Sample Reports - Sleep Medicine
  • Sample Reports - Psychiatry / Psychology
  • Sample Reports - Neurology

• Sleep Related Terms

- B -

• Basic Sleep Cycle

Progression through orderly succession of sleep states and stages. For the healthy adult, the first cycle is begins by going from wakefulness to non-REM sleep. The first REM period follows the first period of non-REM sleep, and the two sleep states continue to alternate throughout the night with an average period of about 90 minutes. A night of normal human sleep usually consists of 4-6 non-REM/REM sleep cycles.



• Benzodiazepines

Developed in the 1950's, this class of compounds tranquilize and sedates.



• Beta Activity

Brain waves with a frequency of greater than 13 Hz (Hertz).



• Bi-Level

Bi-level pressure device used to treat sleep apnea. The "bi" refers to two pressures: a lower pressure for exhalation and a higher pressure for inhalation. Bi-Level machines are more expensive than a standard CPAP, but some patients tolerate it better because they can exhale comfortably against the constant inhalation pressure. (Sometimes called Bi-PAP, but that is a trademark name of one system)



• Biological Clock

Term for the brain process causing us to have 24-hour fluctuations in body temperature, hormone secretion, and other bodily activities. The most important function fosters the daily alternation of sleep and wakefulness. The biological clock is found in a pair of tiny bilateral brain areas called the suprachiasmatic nuclei.



• Body Position

Four positions are identified which a patient may be sleeping; back, left side, right side or abdomen. The time spent sleeping in each position and the number of respiratory events in a particular position are tabulated.



• Bradycardia

Heart rhythm with a rate lower than 60 beats per minute in an adult.



• Brain Waves

The brain�s spontaneous electrical activity studied by electroencephalography (EEG).



• Bruxism

Teeth grinding during sleep