Psych Exam 2 (Sleep and Dreaming)

Altered State of Consciousness

A mental state differing significantly from normal waking consciousness, often experienced during sleep, meditation, or drug use

Circadian rhythm

The biological clock regulating sleep-wake cycles, roughly 24 hours

Consciousness

Awareness of internal and external stimuli, including thoughts

Dreams

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep, often in REM sleep

Insomnia

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting full sleep

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep, often directly into REM sleep

Nightmares

Frightening or unpleasant dreams, often happening in REM sleep

Non-REM sleep

sleep stages 1-3, characterized by slower brain activity and no rapid eye movement

REM behavior disorder

A condition where individuals act out their dreams, typically due to lack of muscle paralysis during REM sleep

REM sleep

A stage of sleep with rapid eye movement and vivid dreaming, where brain is active but the body is paralyzed

sleep apnea

a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality

sleep need

the amount of sleep required for optimal physical and mental health varying by individual

sleep stages

the phases of sleep, including light sleep (stages 1-2), deep sleep (stage 3) and REM sleep

sleep terrors

episodes of intense fear, screaming, or thrashing during non-REM sleep, typically without recollection

sleepwalking

performing activities while asleep, typically during deep non-REM sleep

theories of sleep

explanations for why we sleep, including restorative theories (repair body and brain) and evolutionary theories (adaptive for survival