AP Psychology Unit 1B Sleep & Dreams

restorative theory

biological perspective, says that we sleep bc it promotes processes that refresh body and mind

says that NREM (typically dreamless) is for bodily restoration and REM (dreams) is for mind restoration

what is the evolutionary perspective?

based on circadian rhythm, says that our biological clock is synced ith the 24 hour cycle and sleep is built into our system

what is circadian rhythm?

internal clock around 24 hrs long, repeats itself

what are circadian rhythms

related to wakefulness and sleep, controlled by suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

what is SCN

suprachiasmatic nucleus, cluster of neurons in hypothalamus

what is NREM sleep?

quiet, typically dreamless, no rapid eye movements, body repairs and regrows tissue, builds bone and muscle, strengthens immune system

what is REM sleep?

rapid eye movements

dreaming

voluntary muscle activity is suppressed=paralysis

paradoxical sleep

brain becomes more active

small and fast brain waves

heart rate, BP, respiration increase

muscle twitches

what is free-running circadian rhythm sleep disorder?

disorder where circadian rhythm isn’t on 24 hour schedule anymore

people exposed to environment without external cues or who experience changes to their typical triggers may develop circadian rhythm longer than 24 hrs often up to 1 hr off schedule
example - jet lag, job change to night shift,

what is state 1 of the sleep cycle?

transition from awake to early sleep, hypnagogic hallucinations/myoclonic jerks

what is stage 2 of the sleep cycle?

next 20 minutes after stage 1 of sleep cycle

rhythmical breathing

small muscle twitches

slowed brain activity

sleep spindles

what are sleep spindles?

quick bursts of brain activity, lasts for 1-2 seconds, memory consolidation (transferring short-term memory to long-term memory)

what are stages 3/4 of sleep cycle?

delta wave sleep

for the next 35 mins after stage 2

heart rate, BP, breathing drop to lowest levels

physical restoration, tissue repair, immune system strengthening, release of HGH

sleep cycle order

stages 1-4, then 3, 2, 1, REM

how long is the first REM stage?

around 30 mins

how long is the entire sleep cycle?

90 mins

what happens after the first 90 mins of sleep cycle?

sleepers cycle between REM and NREM sleep throughout the night

as the night progresses, NREM sleep decreases and REM sleep increases

what is REM rebound sleep?

less time we spend in REM sleep one night, the longer we’ll spend in it the next

what is insomnia?

can’t sleep, stay asleep, or you don’t feel well rested when you do sleep

what is sleep apnea?

repeatedly stops breathing when sleeping

what is REM sleep behavior disorder?

acting out a dream, physically/vocally

what is narcolepsy?

sleep disorder

excessively sleepy during the day

fall asleep randomly in the day

arousals trigger sleep (laughter, anger) but narcoleptics can fall asleep any time

sometimes if lose muscle control it’s called cataplexy and they enter REM sleep

what is KLS

kleine levin syndrome

rare disorder

excessive sleep (hypersomnia)

cognitive/behavioral changes

may sleep 20 hours per day during an episode

usually lasts a few days or weeks

what is activation synthesis theory?

says dreams are meaningless

result of random neural impulses that are put into a story format by the brain to try and make sense of them

what is manifest content?

literal storyline and events that occured in a dream

what is latent content?

interpretation of unconscious wishes and desires that created the dream

what is consolidation theory?

says dreams are useful for organizing and coordinating memories (as well as mental and physical health)

what is psychoanalytic theory?

says dreams are the subconscious attempt to work through life issues in a disguised and less stressful way

if you can interpret symbols of your dreams you might be able to figure out solutions to your problems