AP Psych Sleep and Dreams

primary reasons for sleep

-energy conservation
-body restoration
-protects from nightly accidents
-helps create/solidify memories
-feeds creative thinking
-may play a role in growing

consciousness

-our awareness of ourselves and our environment

circadian rhythm

-the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle

REM sleep

-rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur
also known as "paradoxical sleep" because muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active

Alpha waves

-the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake and relaxed state

sleep

-periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness-as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation

delta waves

-the large, slow bran waves associated with deep sleep NREM 3

insomnia

-recurring problems in falling asleep

narcolepsy

-a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. the sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times

sleep apnea

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

night terrors

-a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, occur during stage 3 sleep, within 2-3 hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

dream

-a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. They are notable for their hallucinatory imagery discontinuities, and incongruities and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it.

REM rebound

-the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation(from being woken up during REM sleep)

activation synthesis hypothesis

perspective of dream:
-dreams are the ruminants of "insignificant" stimuli filtered by the RF and expelled by the Pons during REM sleep
-random discharges of bio-energies are "recycled" into the cerebral cortex
-cortex attempts to interpret bioelectrical impulses by arranging them into a dream sequence
-nightmares result from an overactive amygdala

cognitive explanation of dream

perspective of dream:
-unconscious info processing
-REM is an extension of daytime cognition
-Info/memory is encoded during conscious alertness but is consolidated in REM
-dreams are perceptual reflections of "cognitive housekeeping"

lucid dreams

-dreams in which one becomes aware that they are dreaming and can take active roles to direct the course of the storyline

hypersomnia

Sleep disorders:
-excessive drowsiness/chronic sleepiness that is not in conjunction with other physical issues
-sleep episodes impair social functioning

restless legs syndrome (RLS)

Sleep disorders:
-neurological sensorimotor disorder of persistent sleep-time muscle spasms and cramps
-discomfort leads to chronic sleep interruptions

sleep paralysis

Sleep disorders:
-residual REM atonia that persists into wake-recovery
-paralysis ranges from a few seconds to about a minute

sleepwalking

Sleep disorders:
-nighttime "wandering" while asleep
-stage 3 abnormality-not REM (not a dream)
-person becomes susceptible to fall and injury

sleep spindles

short bursts of brain waves detected in stage 2 sleep

sleep deprivation effects

Long term: Impared concentration, irritability, weak immune system, fatigue, & death

physiological function of dreams

dreams provide the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation to develop and preserve neural pathways, babies spend much of their sleep in REM during critical development

paradoxical sleep (REM)

REM when muscles are deeply relaxed but there are high levels of brain activity