SC.10: Case Study – Worst Sleepover Ever! — A Fill-in-the-blank Study Game

Approximate reading time: 9 minutes

Excitement buzzes in the air as Zee and her seven friends, Amin, Bruno, Chen, Dot, Eli, Frey and Guy, pack their snowboarding gear for their much-anticipated winter getaway. The cabin is nestled in the heart of the snowy mountains and promises a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Zee, an avid snowboarder, looks forward to the thrilling slopes and the cozy evenings with her friends. The group laughs and jokes about who would be the first to master the trickiest runs. Little does Zee know, this trip will also turn into an impromptu sleep study, revealing the quirky and fascinating world of sleep!

Inside the cabin, a cozy warmth wraps around them, a stark contrast to the sunny, icy world outside. This exclusive cabin is not only a cozy haven for snowboarders but also a cutting-edge sleep clinic. On weekdays, it is a state-of-the-art sleep disorders retreat, equipped with the sleep lab technology. On weekends, it transforms into a charming snowboarding hotel, offering a unique experience for its guests.

The cabin’s main attraction is its innovative sleeping quarters. The room is spacious yet intimate, with four sturdy wooden bunk beds, each designed to accommodate two people. The beds are not just ordinary resting places; they are equipped with special pillows embedded with sensors that can measure brain waves. Above each bed, a sleek digital headboard displays the sleeper’s brainwave activity in real time (these magical pillows and headboard brain waves tech do not yet exist. Maybe you will want to be the one to invent them?). These displays are not intrusive but add a soft, ambient glow to the room, creating a futuristic yet comfortable atmosphere. Large windows offer breathtaking views of the snowy landscape outside, perfect for daydreaming about the next snowboarding adventure. For Zee and her friends, it is the perfect backdrop for their snowboarding trip and an unexpected journey into the world of sleep.

As Zee nestles into her bunk that first night, her mind is still buzzing with the day’s adventures. Her hopes for a good night’s sleep are dashed as, as one by one, each of her friends begins to exhibit unique and curious sleep experiences, which turns the night into an unexpected series of textbook examples of various sleep behaviours and disorders.

1. Zee’s friends fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. Zee has high hopes of doing the same. But her latest issues with sleep kick in. She has been having trouble getting to sleep. It seems that for 3-4 nights a week it takes her an hour or more to fall asleep. She has been having this problem for the last month or so. Zee has to face facts, she meets the clinical definition for _______.
2. While Zee tosses and turns, she glances at Amin’s headboard and sees his brain waves transitioning from alpha to theta waves, with distinctive sleep spindles and K-complexes appearing on the display. Amin occasionally twitches and mumbles, typical of this sleep stage. Zee wonders, “Could this be Stage _______ sleep?”
3. Zee’s attention is drawn away by Bruno’s very loud snoring; it sounds like a chainsaw gone wild! Bruno’s breathing is irregular. He snores loudly for what seems like hours but is actually about 10 minutes; then suddenly, there is silence — no breathing for a few moments, followed by a loud snort and a gasp for air. Bruno’s brain waves fluctuate wildly during these moments, indicating disrupted sleep. Bruno’s pattern of snoring, followed by periods of silence and then gasping for air, keeps Zee alert. “Bruno must have _______,” Zee guesses, concerned.
4. As a way to take her mind off Bruno’s situation, Zee glances over to Chen’s sleep display. Their brain waves resemble those of someone who is awake, with low-amplitude, mixed-frequency waves. Zee observes rapid eye movements under Chen’s closed eyelids. Chen occasionally smiles, frowns, and even laughs softly, as if deeply engaged in a vivid dream. Their face is lively, showing emotions as if in a vivid dream. “Could this be _______ sleep?” Zee ponders.
5. Just then, Dot suddenly gets up and starts walking clumsily around the room. Dot seems to be searching for something, mumbling about finding the perfect snowboard bindings (these are used to attach the snowboarder’s boots to the board. They should be compatible with the board and the boots.). Dot’s brain waves show a mix of theta and delta waves (magically, the bed keeps recording brain waves even when Dot is out of bed), indicating that they are asleep and still able to move around. “This looks like _______,” Zee thinks, intrigued.
6. Maybe disturbed by the nighttime movement in the cabin, Eli suddenly sits up, screaming and looking terrified. Eli is usually the fearless daredevil of the group, but apparently now they are facing unseen fears in their sleep. They are sweating and breathing heavily but do not seem to be fully awake. Eli’s brain waves show delta waves, indicating deep sleep, but with sudden spikes of activity. Eli, eyes wide open but unseeing, starts shouting about being stuck in the wells of snow around trees. Falling into deep snow tree wells, which are hidden cavities covered by deep snow, formed around the bases of trees, poses a significant danger as individuals can become trapped, and suffocate due to the loose snow collapsing around them. The display shows deep sleep with delta waves, with sudden spikes during this intense episode. Zee, startled but also curious, thinks, “This intense reaction is probably _______. How is it that no one else is waking up with all this noise and commotion?”
7. Zee turns over and faces Frey who is in the bunk bed directly across from her. It turns out Frey is momentarily awakened by the noise but immediately tries to go back to sleep. Zee observes that every minute or so, Frey moves their legs, rubs them together or kicks the air, and tosses and turns in their bed. They seem uncomfortable and unable to find a restful position. Frey’s brain waves indicate that they are in light sleep, with frequent shifts to wakefulness. Frey’s continuous leg movements and the display showing light sleep with frequent awakenings captures Zee’s attention. “Looks like Frey has _______,” she notes, with confidence.
8. That leaves Guy who is sleeping on the top bunk on the other side of the cabin. Guy, always the model of tranquility, sleeps undisturbed, a stark contrast to the chaos around him. Guy’s brain waves show slow delta waves, indicating deep, restorative sleep. Guy is completely still and deeply relaxed. He hasn’t been disturbed by any of the noises or movements in the cabin. Guy shows no signs of dreaming or physical activity. His deep, undisturbed sleep, evident from the slow delta waves, makes Zee envious. “That’s definitely Stage _______ sleep,” she thinks, longing for such peace.
9. As 3am approaches, Zee realizes she’s spent half the night analyzing her friends’ sleep patterns. Though she’s learned a lot about sleep stages and disorders, she can’t help but wish for the peace of glorious sleep for herself. “Worst. Sleepover. Ever!” she thinks, chuckling inwardly. On the positive side, Zee appreciates having a newfound understanding of the complexities of sleep. Not long afterwards, Zee finally, almost miraculously, falls into a deep sleep for 4 uninterrupted hours.

Despite only catching a few hours of sleep, Zee awakes feeling surprisingly refreshed. The excitement of the day ahead that is sure to be filled with awesome snowboarding and laughter with her friends, fills her with energy. As she hits the slopes with her friends, Zee’s sleep-deprived night becomes a weird but fond memory, a unique story to share around the campfire. It turns out that this trip is not only an awesome snowboarding adventure, but also an enlightening journey into the mysteries of sleep, making it the most memorable sleepover ever!

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Spoiler alert: Answers

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1. Zee: Insomnia
2. Amin: Stage 2 Sleep
3. Bruno: Sleep Apnea
4. Chen: REM Sleep
5. Dot: Sleepwalking
6. Eli: Night Terrors
7. Frey: Restless Leg Syndrome
8. Guy: Stage N3 deep sleep.