AP Psych Unit 8: Consciousness & Sleep

Consiousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment; one's own sensations, existence, thoughts

Levels of consciousness

Dimensions of wakefulness and awareness

Selective Attention

Our ability to focus conscious activity on a particular stimulus and block out others ---- "Cocktail party" affect

Restoration theory of sleep

Theory that sleep helps to restore the immune system and repare the brain tissue when we sleep

Memory consolidation of sleep

Sleep facilitates the transfer of recent exeriences stored in the hippocampus and shifts them for permanant storage in the cortex

Circadian rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle without any external cues. Sleep cycles are a circadian rythm

Jet lag

a disruption of circadian rhythms due to crossing time zones; mismatch of our internal circadian ryhthm and our encironment

Entrainment

the process of synchronizing a biological rhythm to an environmental stimulus--- some are ENDOGENOUS= generated from within

Shift work

Work schedules that make it difficult fir a normal circadian rythm to be maintained

Polysomnogram

involves the use of EEG, EMG, and EOG to monitor stages of sleep and wakefulness during nighttime sleep.

EEG

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

nREM Stage 1

During early, light sleep the brain enters a high-amplitude, slow, regular wave called theta waves

Hypnogogic sensations

Vivid imagery, auditory hallicinations or feeling as if you are falling or floating weightlessly while transitioning to sleep

nREM Stage 2

You relax more deeply and begin nREM 2 showing thea waves. Sleep spindles -- which are bursts of activity and K-complexes-- are evident in the EEGs

nREM Stage 3

During deepest sleep, there are large-amplitude slow delta waves and we are completely unaware of our envirnoment. Growth hormones are released in children and immune system refreshes--sleepwalking and talking occur during this stage

REM

Rapid eye movement--during REM, the brain engages in low-amplitude, fast and regular beta waves, much like awake-aroused state

Paradoxical sleep

The type of sleep encountered during REM when internally, the brain and body are active; while externally, the body appears calm and inactive--Active brain waves, but the brainstem blocks messages to the motor cortex so the body stays calm

REM rebound

If deprived of REM sleep, the body "catches up" on lost REM sleep by spending more time in that stage during subsequent sleep cycles----> This manifests as more vivid dreams

Activation-Synthesis Theory

the pons sens signals to the vetebral cortex, creating what we perceive as dreams. Neural activty during REM sleep periodically stimulates the brain. Dreams are the brain attemt to make sense of neural firings

Consolidation theory

During REM, the brain actively processes short-term memory with existing knowledge to help strengthen memory traaces and facilitates dreaming. Dreams are behind to be a reflection of this consolidation process of the brain. EX: Semantic encoding

Insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

Causes: Stress

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

SOMEONE FALLS INTO REM SLEEP DURING WAKEFULNESS

Hypocretin/Orexin

Sleep Apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

Somnambulism

the condition of walking or performing some other activity without awakening; also known as sleepwalking

DURING nREM 3