psych chapter 2b exam 3

how would you characterize the amount of brain activity during sleep (how much does it decrease on average)?

only a 20% decrease in responsiveness of neurons

what happens in stage one of sleep?

only lasts about 10 minutes. people do not believe that they’re asleep

what happens in stage two of sleep?

aware of having been asleep. body temperature drops. lasts roughly 20 minutes.

hypnic jerk

relaxing of tensed up muscles. become too relaxed, and tense up quickly

what happens in stage 3 of sleep?

starting to enter deepest stage of sleep. lasts up to 40 minutes

what happens in stage 4 of sleep?

deepest sleep. breathing, pulse, brain at its lowest. lasts 30-40 minutes. difficult to wake up

what is sleepwalking?

episodes of behavioral responses without awareness

what are night terrors?

sudden episodes of intense fear and panic during deep sleep, often resulting in screaming and confusion, typically in children. (3% of adults experience this)

what are nightmares?

stage of sleep, simple images, flailing motions, frequently not remembered

90% of dreams occurs during what stage of sleep?

REM stage

what happens to your motor muscles and why is it a good thing?

your motor muscles become paralyzed which is good for safety and preventing sleepwalking

what happens in your eyes during sleep?

they shift back in forth as you look around in your dream. this is called rapid eye movement

what is REM behavioral disorder?

mechanism that inhabits muscle movements during REM sleep is impaired causing individuals to act out their dreams physically.

how does REM behavioral disorder differ from sleepwalking?

unlike sleepwalking, which occurs during non-REM sleep, REM behavioral disorder involves acting out dreams during REM sleep, which is characterized by a lack of muscle paralysis

what stage of sleep are you most likely to be in when you wake up in the morning?

REM stage

what is activation synthesis hypothesis

A neurobiological theory suggesting that dreams result from the brain's attempt to create meaning from random neural activity during REM sleep.

what are the 3 overall sources of brain activation that are occurring during REM?

1. pons

2. brain also processing normal “maintenance” information

3. memories activated to be strengthened

true or false: less recent memories are more likely to be activated

false

how does the activation-synthesis hypothesis characterize dreams?

dreams are constructed based on rules learned through previous with environment

what is the cause of dreams about falling?

during sleep, vestibular system (fluid in your ear) providing information about being on your back. this can trigger sensations of falling when the brain misinterprets these signals.

what is the cause of dreams about teeth falling out?

dreams about this are constructed in order to interpret; sensory information from grinding teeth

who popularized the notion that dreams are symbols?

Sigmund Freud

what were the two important components of dreams?

1. manifest content (what happened))

2. latent content (what it really meant)

is there evidence to support the claim that the content of dreams can consistently be linked to certain symbols?

no

the first sleep theory is ____ which means what?

sleep protects. It suggests that sleep is a safety mechanism that prevents individuals from engaging in activities that could endanger them during times of vulnerability

the second sleep theory is ____ which means what?

sleep helps us recover. sleep gives your body and brain the chance to repair, rewire, and reorganize. it helps the body heal from infection and restore the immune system

the third sleep theory is ____ which means what?

sleep helps us restore and rebuild fading memories of the day's experiences. our memories are consolidated during slow-wave deep sleep, by replaying recent learning and strengthening neural connections. sleep reactivates recent experiences stored in the hippocampus and shifts them for permanent storage elsewhere in the cortex

the fourth sleep theory is ____ which means what?

sleep feeds creative thinking. a full night's sleep boosts our thinking and learning. after working on a task, then sleeping on it, people solve problems more insightfully than do those who stay awake

the fifth sleep theory is ____ which means what?

sleep supports growth. during slow-wave sleep, the pituitary gland releases a hormone we need for muscle development

what is insomnia

ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep

what is narcolespy

sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness

what is sleep apnea

stopping breathing repeatedly while sleeping often leading to poor sleep quality and daytime fatigue.