AP Psychology Sleep and Dreams

Consciousness

Our individual awareness of internal and external stimuli. Includes awareness of external events, awareness of internal sensations, awareness of yourself as the single being having those experiences, and your awareness of your thoughts about these experiences.

Electroencephalo Graph (EEG)

Measures the electrical activity of the brain over time by recording the readings of electrodes attached to the scalp.

Brain Waves

Line drawings produced by an EEG that summarize brain activity.

Amplitude

The height of brain waves.

Frequency

How often brain waves are produced, measured in cycles per second (cps).

Beta Waves

AWAKE--Brain waves with a frequency of between 13 and 24 cps. Shows normal waking thought and alert problem solving.

Alpha Waves

DROWSY/RELAXED--Brain waves with a frequency of between 8 and 12 cps.

Shows deep relaxation and little thought, or meditation.

Theta Waves

NREM STAGE 1--Brain waves with a frequency of between 4 and 7 cps.

Shows light sleep.

Delta Waves

DEEP SLEEP/NREM 3--Brain waves with a frequency of less than 4 cps.

Circadian Rhythms

24 hour biological cycles found in humans and many animals. Influential in sleep cycles, blood pressure, body temperature, etc.; rise in body temperature equals a rise in alertness; light plays a large role in regulation.

Hypnic Jerks (hypnogic sensations)

Brief muscular contractions that occur as people fall asleep.

Sleep Spindles

Brief bursts of high frequency brain waves during stage 2 of sleep.

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM)

The fifth stage of sleep, where dreaming happens. Marked by irregular breathing, pulse rate, and high frequency brain waves.

Non-REM Sleep

Sleep Stages 1 through 3. Very little dreaming, and a lack of rapid eye movements; night terrors more prominent.

Insomnia

Most common sleep disorder. Chronic problems in getting adequate sleep related to difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and persistent early morning awakening.

Sleep Apnea

Frequent, reflexive gasping for air that awakens a person.

Nightmares

Anxiety-arousing dreams that lead to awakening from REM sleep.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking which occurs when someone arises and moves while still asleep.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Troublesome dream enactments during REM sleep.

Jet Lag

1 day recovery for each time zone

activation-synthesis theory

the theory that dreams begin with random electrical ACTIVATION coming from the brain stem. Dreams, then, are the brain's attempt to make sense of - to SYNTHESIZE - this random activity.

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

shift work

a pattern of work in which you sometimes work during the day and sometimes during the night