VCE Psychology Unit 4 Psychology - Sleep

VCE Psychology Unit 4 Outcome 1, Sleep disorders and circadian rhythms

Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD)

A circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by a shift of the major sleep episode to an earlier time compared to desired or conventional sleep times, resulting in sleep onset and awakening much earlier than desired and excessive sleepiness.

Affective Functioning

The attitude or emotion elicited by a stimulus (such as sleep deprivation).

Behavioural Functioning

The effects on behavior elicited by a stimulus (such as sleep deprivation).

Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

A measure of alcohol in the body expressed as grams of alcohol/100 mL of blood.

Blue Light

A color in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by human eyes; common sources are sunlight, phone screens, LED lights, etc.

Bright Light Therapy

A technique for treating circadian rhythm sleep disorders that uses timed exposure of the eyes to light with the aim of shifting an individual's sleep-wake cycle to a desired, more appropriate, or conventional schedule.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder

A sleep disorder involving sleep disturbance primarily due to a mismatch between an individual's sleep-wake pattern and the pattern that is desired or required.

Cognitive Functioning

The effects on cognitive processes elicited by a stimulus (such as sleep deprivation).

Daylight

Natural light from the sun.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS)

A condition in which the major sleep episode is delayed in relation to the desired sleep time or what is considered a conventional time.

Eating and Drinking Pattern

What a person eats or drinks and when.

Emotional Reactivity

The tendency to experience frequent and intense emotional arousal.

Entrainment

The process of adjusting or resetting a biological rhythm to align with external cues or an environmental cycle.

Fixed Shift Work Schedule

When employees work the same shift on a regular, ongoing basis.

Microsleep

A very short period (e.g. a few seconds) of involuntary sleep.

Partial Sleep Deprivation

Involves having less sleep (either quantity or quality) than what is normally required.

Rotating Shift Work Schedule

When employees change shifts every so often to work a mix of day and/or afternoon and/or night shifts.

Shift Work Disorder

A circadian rhythm sleep disorder due to work shifts being regularly scheduled during the usual sleep period, requiring adjustment of sleep and wake times to the work times.

Sleep Debt

The accumulated amount of sleep loss due to insufficient sleep.

Sleep Deprivation

Inadequate quantity or quality of sleep.

Sleep Disorder

Any sleep disturbance that is persistent and regularly disrupts sleep, causing distress or impairment in important areas of everyday life during normal waking hours.

Sleep Disturbance

Any sleep-related problem that disrupts an individual's normal sleep-wake cycle.

Sleep Hygiene

Practices that tend to improve and maintain good sleep and full daytime alertness.

Sleep Inertia

A temporary period of reduced alertness and performance impairment that occurs immediately after awakening, especially after a poor night's sleep and if abruptly awakened.

Sleep Quality

How well a person feels they have slept.

Sleep Quantity

Refers to the amount of sleep a person gets.

Sleep-Wake Cycle Shift

A change (advancement or delay) in the timing of the major sleep episode.

Temperature (Air, Core Body)

The degree or intensity of heat present in a person, substance, or object.

Total Sleep Deprivation

Not having any sleep at all over a short-term or long-term period.

Zeitgeber

An environmental time cue.