Modeling the sleep-wake cycle using coupled Van der Pol oscillators

The presence of cycles is a well known phenomenon that is present in almost all living organisms. These cycles manifest themselves as periodic variations of internal parameters, such as body temperature, sleeping times, and so on. For a long time there have been intense studies of the characteristics and nature of these cycles (or rhythms) and how they vary between subjects and species. Our interest is focused on one important aspect of this field, which is theoretical modeling of these rhythms, the ways in which they couple with each other and the consequences of such interactions. We will consider the differences between the periodic and oscillatory nature of these rhythms as well as the influence of external zeitgebers.