consciousness, sleep, and dreams

consciousness

awareness of ourselves and our environment

dual processing

information can be processed unconsciously and consciously

blindsight

responding to visual stimulus without experiencing it

circadian rhythm

biological clock on a 24 hour cycle such as temperature and wakefulness

NREM 1

hallucinations and hypnogogic sensations

NREM 2

sleep spindles - bursts of neural activity

NREM 3

delta waves, high and slow waves - deep sleep

REM

rapid brain waves, eye movement, heart rate

dreams while semi paralyzed

pineal gland

produces melatonin, hormone that regulates sleep patterns

theories of why we sleep

sleep protects us in the dark

body and brain gets to rewire and repair

strengthened memories

energy preservation

creative thinking and problem solving

promotes muscle development and growth

theories of why we dream

information processing

brain stimulation for developing and preserving neural pathways

evokes random visual memories

reflects level of cognitive development