1.5 sleep

consciousness

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

sleep

a periodic, natural loss of consciousness — as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation

circadian rhythm

our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle

beta waves

the brain waves most active when one is fully awake

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state, present during the lightest stage of sleep (NREM 1)

theta waves

brain waves associated with a transition phase of NREM (2)

delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep (NREM 3)

NREM sleep

non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep

hypnagogic sensations

bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep (NREM 1)

REM sleep

rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The affected person may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times

somnambulism (sleepwalking)

walking, talking, etc while asleep with no recollection of these events afterwards during the deepest stages of sleep

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder in which normal REM paralysis does not occur; instead, twitching, talking, or even kicking or punching may occur, often acting out one's dream

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating)

blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

dual processing

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

parallel processing

processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously; brain multitasks across different aspects of stimulus without conscious effort

sequential processing

processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, adjusts melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness

hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

dream

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind

activation synthesis theory

dreams are brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity during REM

restoration theory

body and brain can recover energy and resources and repair body used during the day (evolutionary approach, sleep emerged to preserve energy and protect us during day)

consolidation theory

dreaming is part of process of processing memories (memory is moving from short term to long term memory (hippocampus))

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