Consciousness, Sleep Stages, and Biological Rhythms: Psychology Key Concepts

Consciousness

Awareness of ourselves and our environment; the ability to reflect on thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment. And filtering this information through our mind

Nonconscious

Body processes we don't think about, like heartbeat, respiration, and digestion.

Preconscious

Information not currently in awareness but retrievable (memories, stored knowledge).

subconscious (Subliminal)

Mental processes just below awareness that influence behavior.

Mere exposure effect

We prefer things we have been exposed to before, even unconsciously.

Priming

Exposure to a stimulus influences response to later stimuli.

•Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

Knowing you know something but not being able to retrieve it.

Unconscious

Deep level of thought and desire we are unaware of (Freud's hidden memories and drives; his main idea of psychoanalysis, information is repressed ).

Cognitive Neuroscience

The study of brain activity linked with mental processes such as thinking, memory, and consciousness.

Dual Processing

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

Blindsight

Ability to respond to visual stimuli without consciously seeing it.

Parallel Processing

Processing many aspects of a problem at the same time.

Sequential Processing

Processing one aspect of a problem at a time, often used for new or complex problems.

Sleep

A natural periodic state of rest involving reduced consciousness and slowed body functions.

Biological Rhythms

Regular cycles of physiological and psychological processes.

Circadian Rhythm

The body's 24-hour biological clock regulating sleep/wake cycles, body temp, etc.

Stages of Sleep (process):

•Alpha waves

Relaxed, awake state.

Stage 1

Light sleep, may include hallucinations (falling/floating). N1 Sleep; beta waves; 5 min

Stage 2

Deeper sleep; sleep spindles (bursts of brain activity) N2; 20 minutes; skeletal muscles relax

Stage 3/4

Deep sleep; large, slow delta waves begin. N3; 40 min; most important because growth hormones are released; important for the immune system

Stage 4

Deepest sleep, mostly delta waves; hard to awaken.

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep; vivid dreams, active brain, paralyzed body; theta and beta waves; paradoxical sleep;

Hypnogogic Sleep or sensations

hallucinations people experience while falling asleep: for example falling in your sleep; happens in stage 1

Sleep Patterns

genetic part of dreams; how much we sleep; how long

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

Brain structure in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm by responding to light and regulating melatonin.

Reasons for Sleep (6)

1.Protects (kept ancestors safe at night).

2.Helps us recuperate (restores tissue).

3.Restores memories (consolidates learning).

4.Feeds creative thinking (problem solving).

5.Supports growth (growth hormone released).

6.Aids brain plasticity (strengthens neural connections).

Sleep Deprivation

insufficient sleep/deprived of good sleep that can cause sleep debt

Sleep Debt

The brain keeps track of lost sleep, and missed sleep must eventually be repaid.

Effects on Us (7)

1.Fatigue and reduced productivity.

2.Irritability and mood changes.

3.Weak immune system.

4.Impaired memory and focus.

5.Slower reaction times (risk of accidents).

6.Weight gain (hormonal imbalance).

7.Increased risk of health problems (hypertension, diabetes).

Sleep Disorders

1.Insomnia

Inability to fall or stay asleep. Cause: caffeine (maybe late at night), stress, alcohol, smoking; Help?: exercise, deep sleep, regular sleep patterns

Narcolepsy

Sudden, uncontrollable sleep attacks. Reticular formations; what can help: exercise, medications and regular sleep patterns

Sleep Apnea

Repeated stopping of breathing during sleep.SID: sudden infant death syndrome; Treatment: CPAP machine

Sleep walking (Somnambulism)

Walking or performing activities during deep sleep.

Happens in N3 Deep Sleep

Night Terrors

episodes of screaming and intense fear during deep sleep, not remembered. Happens in stage 3 deep sleep; NOT Nightmares

REM Sleep behavior disorder

Acting out their dreams during REM,

Dreams:

sequence of visions, emotions, thoughts, that pass through a sleeping person's mind; Stage: REM Sleep

Lucid Dreams

Dreams where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming and may control them; how to cause: sleep pre diary (write down what you want to dream about)

Nightmares

Frightening dreams that wake the sleeper from REM sleep.

Dream Analysis/Interpretation (Sigmund Freud)

He proposed that they have two levels. Believed that the dreams come from the unconscious.

Manifest Content

The remembered storyline of a dream.

Latent Content

The hidden, symbolic meaning of a dream.

Activation-Synthesis Theory

Dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.

Information Processing Theory

Dreams help us sort out the day's experiences and consolidate memories.

REM Rebound

After sleep deprivation, people spend more time in REM sleep when allowed to rest.

Endocrine system

The endocrine system is one of the body's major communication and regulation systems. Unlike the nervous system, which uses fast electrical impulses, the endocrine system relies on chemical messengers called hormones, secreted directly into the bloodstream by specialized organs called endocrine glands. These hormones travel through the blood to target organs, where they regulate processes like growth, metabolism, reproduction, and stress responses. Controlled by the hypothalamus

Biological rhythms

Regular, natural cycles in the body that repeat over time.

Annual cycle

Yearly changes in behavior or mood, such as feeling more tired or eating differently in different seasons.

28-day cycle

A monthly rhythm, like the menstrual cycle.

Circadian rhythm

A 24-hour internal clock that controls sleep and wake patterns.

90-minute cycle

The repeating pattern of sleep stages that happens several times each night.

N1

Beta waves (5 minutes). Produces slower waves

Hypnagogic sensations: Seeing things as your falling asleep

N2

Bodily functions like your heartbeat slow down (20 minutes)

Sleep spindles:Sharp spikes in EEG reading

N3(Deep sleep)

Delta waves (40 minutes). really difficult to wake someone up. Releases growth hormone in kids and fortifies immune system

REM Sleep(Paradoxical sleep)

Theta+beta waves(10-25 minutes) Dream state, your eyes move while your eyelids are closed. Sexually arouses the body

Suprachiasmic nucleus

Cell cluster in hypothalamus which controls circadian rhythm

Decreases melatonin production when light is hitting your eyes

What does sleep do

1.Protective

Protected us from predators

Humans have horrible night vision

2.Body tissues

Helps restore body tissues and helps recuperate anything our body needs

3.Brain

Strengthens neural connections and helps repair and reorganize the brain

Helps consolidate memories

4. Thinking

Feed your creative thinking

Dreams feed our creative thinking

5. Pituitary gland

Helps to develop growth

6. Energy

Sleep deprivation

Sleep debt

8 hours

Brain

Affects immune system

Lower immune system

Fat cells

Produce more of them and they don't burn off

Joints

Heart

Increases heart strain and blood pressure

Stomach

Increases the hunger arousal hormone called grelin

Muscles

Muscle strain

How deep you sleep/how much is genetic