Psych Unit 4 AOS 1

psychological construct

an agreed upon description and understanding of psychological phenomena that cannot be overtly measured or observed

consciousness

the level of awareness an individual has of their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and existence

sleep

a regular and naturally occurring altered state of consciousness that involves a loss of awareness and disengagement with internal and external stimuli

characteristics of REM sleep

• highly active brain, less body activity

• light stage of sleep, sleeper can be woken easily

• 20-25% of a sleep episode

characteristics of NREM sleep

• less active brain, possible muscle movement

• 75-80% of a sleep episode

• becomes shorter with each sleep cycle

sleep episode

the full duration of time spent asleep, made up of multiple repeated 90-minute sleep cycles of REM and NREM sleep

characteristics of NREM1 sleep

• lightest stage of sleep

• hypnic jerks (sudden muscle contractions) may occur

• feelings of floating or falling may occur

characteristics of NREM2

• relatively light sleep, described as moderate sleep

• continued slowing of hear rate, breathing, muscle activity and body movements

• requires more intense stimuli to awaken

characteristics of NREM3

• deep sleep

• difficult to wake the sleeper

• sleepwalking and sleep talking are most likely to occur

electroencephalograph (EEG)

a device that detects, amplifies, and records the electrical activity of the brain

EEG recordings in NREM 1

high frequency, low amplitude

EEG recordings in NREM 2

medium frequency and medium amplitude

EEG recordings in NREM 3

Lower frequency, higher amplitude

REM

Higher frequency, lower amplitude

Electromyography (EMG)

a device that detects, amplifies, and records the electrical activity of the body’s muscles

EMG recordings in NREM

Medium/moderate activity. As NREM progresses, there is likely to be less activity as movement is less likely to occur

EMG recordings in REM

low activity EMG

Electro-oculography (EOG)

a device that detects, amplifies, and records the electrical activity of the muscles responsible for eye movement

EOG recordings in NREM

low activity

EOG recordings in REM

high activity

sleep diaries

a record containing self-reported descriptions from an individual about their sleeping periods and judgments they might have about the quality and nature of their sleep

video monitoring

the use of camera and audio technologies to record an individual as they sleep

Biological rhythms

repeated biological processes that are regulated by internal mechanisms

ultraradian rhythms

biological changes that occur in a cycle that lasts less than 24 hours

circadian rhythms

biological changes that occur as part of a cycle that lasts approximately 24 hours

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

is an area of the hypothalamus that receives information about the amount of light from the eyes and regulates an individual’s sleep-wake cycle accordingly

pineal gland

a gland in the brain responsible for the production and release of melatonin

melatonin

a hormone released by the pineal gland typically during darkness to induce sleep-wake cycle

sleep deprivation

inadequate quality and quantity of sleep

full sleep deprivation

when an individual as no sleep within a 24 hour period

partial sleep deprivation

when an individual sleeps for some duration within a 24-hour period, but the sleep duration is too short or the quality of sleep is poor

affective effects

changes in emotion and emotional responses

affective effects examples

amplified emotional changes, irritability, increase in negative emotions

behavioural effects

changes in actions and the ability to control them

behavioural effects examples

sleep inertia, excessive sleepiness during the day, fatigue

cognitive effects

changes in mental processes

cognitive effects examples

reduced concentration, impairment of short-term memory, lapses in attention

blood alcohol concentration (BAC)

a measure of how much alcohol is in a person’s bloodstream

sleep disorders

disturbances to typical sleeping and waking patterns

circadian rhythm sleep disorders

sleep disorders that interfere with the typical regulation of the circadian rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle

delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS)

a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder in which sleeping and waking occur later than usual

advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD)

a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder in which sleep and waking occur earlier than usual

shift work

an occupation that involves working at unusual hours, such as working overnight

bright light therapy

the timed exposure to intense, bright but safe levels of light, used to adjust a person’s circadian rhythm

sleep hygiene

the practices and habits that promote good sleep and full daytime alertness

sleep hygiene examples

• establish a regular sleep schedule and bedtime routines

• associate your bed and bedroom with sleep

• avoid large meals close to bedtime

• improving the sleeping environment

zeitgebers

external cues from the environment that influence the circadian rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle

daylight

the natural blue light from the sun that an individual is exposed to in the course of a typical day

blue light

portion of the visible light spectrum that is emitted by LED and fluorescent light and electric back-lit devices

temperature

the degree of external heat in the environment that can influence the quality and quantity of sleep

eating and drinking patterns

what, when and how much food and drink is consumed by an individual