Unit 1.1: Consciousness and Sleep

Vocabulary flashcards covering consciousness, dual processing, biological rhythms, stages of sleep, sleep disorders, and dream theories.

Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment, including thoughts, feelings, memories, sensations, and our surroundings.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with cognition, such as thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Dual Processing

The principle that information is simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Parallel Processing

The processing of multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously, typically used to handle routine business.

Sequential Processing

The processing of one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time, typically used for new information or difficult problems.

Wakefulness

A state of consciousness representing the tip of the iceberg, characterized by active processing, short-term memory, active memory, and the stream of consciousness.

Sleep

The periodic, natural loss of consciousness that is distinct from coma, anesthesia, or hibernation.

Biological Rhythm

Periodic fluctuations in physiological functioning tied to planetary rhythms and time, such as annual cycles, 24-hour cycles, and 90-minute cycles.

Circadian Rhythm

Internal biological clocks that regulate bodily functions, temperature, strength, and alertness on a 24-hour cycle.

Melatonin

A sleep-inducing hormone produced and released by the pineal gland when light levels decrease.

Ultradian Rhythm

A biological cycle that repeats more than once a day, such as the 90-minute human sleep cycle.

Stage N1 Sleep

The initial light stage of NREM sleep lasting about 5 minutes, marked by alpha waves, slowed breathing and heart rate, and hypnagogic hallucinations.

Hypnagogic Hallucinations

Vivid sensory phenomena occurring during Stage N1 sleep, such as myoclonic jerks, muscle twitches, or the sensation of falling.

Stage N2 Sleep

An intermediate stage of NREM sleep lasting about 20 minutes, characterized by theta waves and sleep spindles.

Sleep Spindles

Sudden bursts of rapid, rhythmic brainwave activity occurring in Stage N2 sleep that aid in long-term memory processing.

Stage N3 Sleep

The deepest stage of NREM sleep lasting about 30 minutes, dominated by delta waves, where physical restoration occurs and no memories are formed.

Delta Waves

Large, slow brain waves associated with deep Stage N3 sleep that promote healing and physical repair.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage where vivid dreams occur, heart rate rises, and brain waves resemble wakefulness while skeletal muscles are paralyzed.

Paradoxical Sleep

Another term for REM sleep, reflecting the contradiction of an internally active, awake brain paired with paralyzed body muscles.

Insomnia

A recurring sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable, sudden sleep attacks that cause a person to lapse directly into sleep.

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder marked by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings, often correlated with snoring and obesity.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

A sleep disorder where normal muscle paralysis during REM sleep fails, causing individuals to physically act out their dreams.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking; a condition occurring during Stage N3 deep sleep where an individual physically moves around without conscious awareness or memory.

Night Terrors

A sleep disorder predominantly affecting children, marked by high physiological arousal and intense panic during Stage N3 sleep, distinct from nightmares.

REM Rebound

The tendency for the amount of REM sleep to increase following periods of REM sleep deprivation.

Manifest Content

According to Sigmund Freud, the remembered storyline and apparent images of a dream.

Latent Content

According to Sigmund Freud, the hidden, underlying psychological meaning and unconscious wishes symbolized by a dream.

Activation-Synthesis Theory

A neurobiological dream theory proposing that dreams are the brain's attempt to synthesize and make sense of random neural static generated during REM sleep.