Nightmare Pysch

Consciousness

Awareness of ourselves and our environment: sleep, wakefulness, altered states (hypnosis, drugs, meditation)

Dual processing

conscious and unconcious

Circadian Rythm

24 hour biological clock

Regulates temperature and alertness

Influenced by age light exposure

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

controls circadian rythm, affects melatonin release

NREM-1

Light: Easy to wake, hypnagogic sensations (falling/floating)

NREM-2

Light: Sleep spindles; still easy to wake

NREM-3

Deep: Delta waves; hard to wake; possible urination

REM

Rapid Eye Movement - Brain active, vivid dreams, sleep paralysis, “paradoxical sleep” - 100 minutes per night

Sleep Theories

1. Protects – evolutionary survival

2. Recuperation – restores tissue and neurons

3. Memory Storage – consolidates memories

4. Creative Thinking – boosts insight

5. Growth – pituitary releases growth hormone

Stats

• 1/3 of life = ~25 years sleeping

• Ideal sleep: 9 hours

• 69% college students = tired

• 12–18-year-olds with ≤5 hrs = 71% higher depression risk

• Sleep loss increases weight gain (↑ghrelin, ↓leptin, ↑cortisol)

• 20% of U.S. car accidents = driver fatigue

Effects of Sleep Loss

• Fatigue

• Impaired focus & memory

• Weight gain

• Weakened immune system

• Slower reaction time

• Emotional instability

Peter Tripp

201 hours awake - hallucinations

Randy Gardner

11 days awake - mood and concentration issues

Insomnia

trouble falling/staying asleep - treated w/GABA agonists (Ambien)

Narcolepsy

Sudden sleep attacks - linked to low orexin; treated w/stimulants

Sleep Apnea

Stop breathing during asleep, deprives slow wave sleep

Night Terrors

Intense fear, high arousal - NREM 3

Sleepwalking (Somnambulism)

Walking during sleep - NREM 3, occurs from sleep deprivation usually

Sleep Talking (Somniloquy)

Talking in sleep - Any stage

Manifest content

remembered story of a dream

Latent content

hidden meaning of a dream

Why We Dream

• Wish Fulfillment (Freud)

• Information Processing – memory consolidation

• Physiological Function – maintain neural pathways

• Activation-Synthesis – brain makes sense of random signals

• Cognitive Development – reflect mental growth
  🌀 REM rebound: more REM after sleep deprivation

Pyschoactive drugs

alter mood/perception

Tolerance

need more to achieve effect

Addiction

compulsive use despite harm

Withdrawal

discomfort when stoppin

Alcohol

disinhibition, memory diruption, reduced self-control (depressant)

Barbiturates(sedatives/tranquilizers)

calming, induces sleep (depressant)

Opiates (heroin, morphine)

mimic endorphins, “pinned” pupils, addictive (depressant)

depressants

slow body functions, reduce neural activity

stimulants

excite neural activity, increase alertness (caffeine)

Nicotine

highly addictive; increases dopamine

leads to strong tolerance and withdrawal (stimulant)

Cocaine

neurotransmitters (increase dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine) (stimulant)

Crack Cocaine

Faster and more intense high than cocaine (stimulant)

Methamphethamine

increase dopamine (huge high then crash) (stimulant)

Ecstasy (MDMA)

increase in dopamine and serotonin | “club drug” (stimulant)

hallucinogens

distort perceptions, evoke sensory images

LSD

intense hallucinations, “near death” sensations (hallucinogen)

Marijuana (THC)

relaxes, enhances senses, impair memory (hallucinogen)

Smoking Statistics

• 🔺 Chance of dying increases 50%

• 💀 8 million deaths annually

• 🚬 250 million packs smoked per day

• 💭 8 out of 10 smokers want to quit

• 💪 1 in 7 will successfully quit

• ⏳ 6 months to quit = 10% relapse after 1 year

• 💔 Correlates highly with depression and divorce