Chapter 3 of AP Psychology

Why do we sleep?

We sleep for rest/recover, growth, waste removal, mental health, and memory

How much sleep should each category of people have? (Babies, Children, Teens, and Adults)

1. Babies: A lot

2. Children: 10-12 hours

3. Teens: 8-10 hours

4. Adults: 7-9 hours

What are circadian rhythms?

24-hour biological clock

What disturbs the sleep?

1. Jet Lag 

2. Blue Light (Light hits the retina (eyes), which then simulates the hypothalamus then the Pineal gland, which then lowers melatonin)

What are the stages in sleep?

1. Stage 1: Alpha Waves

2. Stage 2: Sleep Spindles (random bursts of neural activity)

3. Stage 3 and 4: “Deep Sleep”- Delta Waves, Sleep Ineritia

4. R.E.M Sleep: Rapid Eye Movement

How many times are the cycles?

In an average night of sleep it occurs 3-7 timers (about 90 mins per cycle)

What is R.E.M rebound?

body compensating for lost REM; REM occurs faster because of this

Why do dreams occur?

1. Evolution

2. Information-Processing (memory)

3. Activation Synthesis (random neural firing)

4. Psychoanalytic (manifest content [storyline], latent content [meaning])

What are some sleep disorders?

1. insomnia - cant sleep

2. Sleep Apnea- stop breathing; need to wear CPAP

What are circadian rhythms (more detailed)?

our biological clock; regulates our bodily rhythms that occur on a 24 hour clock

What is melatonin?

is a natural hormone produced by the brain that regulates the body’s sleep wake cycle 

What is Stage 1 of the Sleep Cycle?

Alpha Waves; light sleep, characterized by drowsiness and occasional eye movements

What is Stage 2 of the Sleep Cycle?

deeper sleep with increased brain activity (sleep spindles) and decreased eye movements

What is Stage 3 and 4 of the Sleep Cycle?

Delta Waves; “deep sleep”, brain waves are slow and large and eye movements are rare

What is REM (more detailed)?

rapid eye movement sleep; a reoccurring sleep during which vivid dreams commonly occur

What are Alpha Waves?

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed awake state

What are Delta Waves?

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

What is REM rebound (more detailed)?

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

What are the effects of sleep loss?

causes emotional dysregulation, cognitive impairments, and higher risks for mental health disorders 

What are sleep disorders?

common mental health conditions that affect a person’s ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or experience quality sleep

What is insomnia?

reoccurring problems in falling or staying asleep

What is sleep apnea?

a sleep disorders characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakening

What is narcolepsy?

a sleep disorders characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times

What are night terrors?

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and a appearance of being terrified

What is dreaming?

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleep person’s min

What is activation synthesis?

REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories which our sleeping brain waves into stories

What is information processing?

dreams help us sort out the day’s events and consolidate our memories

What does psychoanalytic mean?

is a theoretical approach and therapeutic method that focuses on understanding and treating mental health issues by exploring the unconscious mind

What is manifest content?

the remembered story line of a dream

What is latent content?

the underlying meaning of a dream

What are drugs?

substances that when taken in or administer into one’s system affect mental processes (ex: perception, consciousness, cognition, or mood and emotions) 

What is tolerance?

the diminishing effect when regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect

What is dependence?

is a state of relying on something or someone for emotional, psychological, or physical needs

What are depressants?

drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates that reduces neural activity and slow body functions

What is Alcohol?

a depressant which can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in your brain and affect your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors

What are barbiturates?

drugs that depress central nervous system activity reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement

What are benzodiazepines?

a class of medications that act as central nervous system depressants

What are opiates?

Opiates and their derivatives; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

What are stimulants?

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions

What is caffeine?

a stimulant that enhances alertness and attention

What is nicotine?

a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco

What is cocaine?

a powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria

What is amphetamine?

drugs that stimulate neural activity , causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes

What is MDMA?

a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen; produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short term health risk and long term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition

What are hallucinogens?

psychodellic (“mind manifesting”) drugs that distort perception and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory imput

What are hallucinations?

is a sensory perception that occurs without an external stimulus (ex: Schizophernia )

What are delusions?

is a fixed false belief that is maintained despite evidence is the contrary ('“pretending something is true when it is not”)

What is THC?

the major active ingredient in marijuana;triggers a variety of effects including mild hallucinatios

What is psilocybin?

a hallucinogenic substances obtained from certain types of mushrooms 

What is LSD?

a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid