AP Psych: Unit 1B Sleep and Sensation Vocab: 1-23

Consciousness

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

Circadian Rhythm

regulates sleep, wakefulness, temperature, and other bodily functions on a 24 hour cycle

Jet lag

a disruption of the circadian rhythm caused by traveling across time zones, leading to fatigue, poor concentration, and trouble sleeping

NREM

non rapid eye movement sleep

N-REM Stage 1

hypnagogic sensations

Hypnagogic Sensations

brief, vivid experiences like falling or jerking that occur as your’e drifting into N-REM stage 1 sleep

N-REM Stage 2

20 mins; the body begins to relax, yet you can still be woken up relatively easily

N-REM Stage 3

deepest stage of NREM sleep with delta brain waves; important for physical restoration

Sleep Spindles

short bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity that occur during NREM stage 2 sleep and help with memory consolidation

Delta Waves

large, slow brain waves that occur during deep sleep (NREM Stage 3) that are linked to restoration

REM Sleep

last sleep cycle stage with vivid dreams, rapid eye movements, and active brain waves; body remains paralyzed

REM Rebound

the increase in REM sleep following REM deprivation

Activation Synthesis Theory

the idea that dreams result from random neural activity in the brain, which the mind tries to make sense of by creating a story

Consolidation Theory

dreams help us sort, process, and store information gathered throughout the day; and stabilizes memories 

Memory Consolidation Theory

REM and deep NREM sleep helps organize and store memories

Restoration theory

sleep repairs the body and brain, restoring energy and releasing growth hormones

Sleep Deprivation

a lack of adequate sleep that impairs memory, reaction time, and immune function

Suggestion to fix sleep deprivation

maintain a consistent sleep schedule, avoid caffeine or screens before bed, and use relaxation techniques (meditation) to promote sleep

Insomnia Disorder

ongoing problems in falling or staying asleep that lead to fatigue and daytime impairment

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder involving sudden, uncontrollable sleep attacks during waking hours

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder when the muscle paralysis of REM sleep fails, causing people to act out their dreams

Sleep Apnea

a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, causing brief awakenings and poor sleep quality

Somnambulism (sleepwalking)

NREM stage 3 sleep disorder where a person walks or performs actions while asleep