All Years Content

Sleep Hygiene

refers to healthy habits, behaviours + environmental factors that can be adjusted to support healthy sleep patterns

Sleep Deprivation

a term to describe a state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep, including voluntary or involuntary sleeplessness and circadian rhythm sleep disorders

Sleep Deprivation: Sleep environment

sleeping environment (environmental factors such as noise, light + temperature)

Sleep Deprivation: Shift Work

shift work disrupts natural circadian rhythm through trouble aligning sleep-wake cycles with varying hormone levels

Sleep Deprivation: Drugs

drugs influence as body is in a different state between cycles as they wear off

Caffeine: stimulate nervous system to make it harder to sleep + contribute to insomnia
Alcohol: causes fragmented, non-restorative sleep
Medications: cause daytime drowsiness

Sleep Deprivation: Stressors

increase sleep latency, inhibit relaxation through worry, can disrupt routines

Acute Sleep Deprivation

a short term/severe lack of sleep over a 24 hour period or a few consecutive dats (5-6 hours of sleep generally)

Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation

physiological: decreased/slower reflex speed, vision impairment

psychological: decreased positive mood, difficulty regulating mood, increased irritability, shorter attention span, impairs selective attention

Chronic Sleep Deprivation

when an individual routinely sleeps less than the time required for optimal functioning, a deficient sleep pattern that continues for three months or longer

Effects of Chronic Sleep Deprivation

physiological: increased risk of heart disease (high blood pressure + cholesterol levels can lead to coronary heart disease) and obesity (increased calorie + carbohydrate consumption), increase in appetite
psychological: insomnia (higher sleep interruptions, difficulties falling asleep, deteriorating sleep quality) increased anxiety, poor memory, difficulty with concentration, mental health disorders (links to anxiety + depression due to negatively impacted emotional regulation)

Behavioural Treatment of Insomnia

create a healthy sleep environment (17-19*, low light, free from distractions to avoid creating a cognitive link)
management of electronic devices

consistent sleep patterns: controlled by circadian rhythm, hormone secretion are synchronised to this, consistent patterns regulate circadian rhythm to increase duration of sleep to prevent sleep deprivation (sleep similar time, no napping, have bedtime routine)

He et al. Aim 2020

to assess the effects of restricting mobile phone use before bedtime on sleep, pre-sleep, arousal, mood and working memory

He et. al Method

Sample- 38 individuals with poor sleep quality, convenience sampling

randomly assigned to intervention group with restrictions or a control group with none

intervention happened for 4 weeks, where group had to stop using a phone 30 mins before bedtime

He et al Findings

reduces pre-sleep arousal, negative mood + sleep latency
increases sleep duration + speed/accuracy of working memory performance

He et al Limitations

the short intervention period does not examine long term effects
limited variety of sample characteristics due to the exclusion criteria- affect generalisability
self-reported data collection is subjective and can be biased

He et al Contributions/strengths

rigorous experimental design

Sleep

a period of loss of altered consciousness (when the brain is in a relative state of rest + is reactive primarily to internal stimuli)

Sleep: Evolutionary

the theory that sleep evolved because it helped our ancestors to survive

predators were more active so it is dangerous to be awake

Criticisms Evolutionary Theory

assumes that sleep is useful but not essential (all species sleep)
the loss of awareness during sleep make animals more vulnerable to predators + unable to respond to external stimuli

Sleep: Restorative

a theory that sleep allows the body and brain to repair, recover + restore themselves
supported as many processes (memory consolidation, enhanced strength + immune response, regulated hormones, self-repair + recovery, energy conservation + storage) only occur when you are asleep

Criticisms Restorative Theory

assumes that it is needed for recovery when humans are physically active, but sleep length remains relatively consistent regardless of activity during the day
assumes that the body rests, but the brain is active, increased blood flow + energy expenditure

Similarities + Differences between theories of sleep

both state that sleep is important to an organisms survival + wellbeing
one repairs brain + body and consolidates memory, while one is about conserving energy + protection from predators

Sleep-Wake Cycle

a natural, biological recurring pattern that regulates the timing of sleep and wakefulness over a 24 hour period (regulated by circadian rhythm, body temperature, metabolic rate + hormone release)

Circadian Rhythm

the body cycle that lasts around 24 hours + control the nocturnal release of hormones such as melatonin

NREM 1

lightest stage of sleep, begins when more than 50% of alpha waves are replaced with low-amplitude mixed-frequency activity
brain waves- theta waves
muscle tension- muscle tone is present in skeletal muscle, activity slows down + occasional twitching occurs
breathing- regular rate
eye movement- reduced
time- lasts around 1-7 minutes, easily woken

NREM 2

muscle tension- begins to relax
heart rate + body temperature- begin to drop
time- lasts around 10-25 minutes + lengthens with each successive cycle
bruxism (teeth grinding) occurs
the brain + body begin to repair

NREM 3

brain waves- delta waves, lowest frequency + highest amplitude, deepest stage of sleep, sleepwalking may occur
muscle tension- completely relaxed + repair (body repairs + grows regrows tissues, builds bone + muscle + strengthens the immune system)
heart rate + body temp- continue to decline
time- lasts from 20-40 minutes, if woken will have sleep inertia (transient phase of mental fogginess- impaired mental performance for 30 mins to 1 hour)

REM

brain waves- beta waves, similar to brain during wakefulness, brain is highly active, increased brain oxygen use + increased brain metabolism (up to 20%)

time- starts 90 mins after you fall asleep + gets longer throughout the night - first is 10 mins and last can go for up to an hour

eye movement- rapid but they do not send visual information to the brain

more difficult to be aroused by sensory stimuli

muscle tension- decrease of tone/tension, can experience muscle paralysis or limp skeletal muscles

breathing rate- more erratic + irregular

heart rate + blood pressure + body temp increase

Importance of REM

Dreaming: more vivid than non-REM dreams

Emotional Processing: amygdala activates during REM sleep

Memory Consolidation: during REM sleep the brain processes new learning + motor skills from the day to commit to some to memory + maintain and choose what to delete

Wakefulness Preparation: activates central nervous system to assist in waking up

Stress (Selye)

the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it

Eustress

a positive or beneficial stress response that is perceived as motivational or energising, and is associated with situations that are challenging but within an individuals coping abilities and resources

Distress

negative or harmful stress responses that impedes our ability to perform at an optimal level, that is detrimental in nature and generates physical and psychological maladaptation

GAS model

used to describe the physiological changes/response that the body automatically goes through in an attempt to alleviate the impact of any stressor

Alarm

the initial response to a stressor

Shock Stage

during/after the exposure to stressor, stress resistance falls below normal levels and body acts as though injured

Counter-Shock

the activation of the sympathetic nervous system to prepare for a flight or fight response to which the body releases adrenaline and cortisol

Resistance

the second stage of the GAS model in which tries to return to homeostasis or adapt to the stressor if it is unable

Exhaustion

where the bodies physical, emotional and mental resources are depleted to the point where the body no longer has the strength to fight stress

Strengths of GAS model

identifies biological processes associated with stress responses rather than just psychological

first to highlight that stress has a major impact on the immune system + links between stress and an increased risk of illness

Limitations of GAS model

too much emphasis on biology of stress response + doesn’t take into account psychological factors that explain subjective experiences

based on animals + may not be able to be generalised to humans

assumes that stress responses are psychologically uniform however, evidence says that different stressors can elicit different physiological responses and may not be as non-specific

Stress (Holmes + Rahe)

a significant life event or change that demands response, adjustment or adaptation

Social Readjustment Scale (SRRS)

consists of 43 common life events which are scored according to the degree of personal adjustment they demand of the person experiencing them

Social Readjustment

measures the intensity + length of time necessary to accomodate a life event regardless of the desirability of the event

Method SRRS

asked 394 participants to provide a numerical estimate for each of the 43 items, list includes both eustress + distress

mean value of 10 to 100 Life Changing Units (LCU) to rep. perceived magnitude of each event

adding up LCU’s of events an individual has experienced can predict likelihood of experiencing a major health breakdown in the subsequent 2 years
0-149: low risk, no significant stress

150-199: mild stress

200-299: moderate stress

300+: major stress

Contributions SRRS

agreement of adjustment required is highly consistent, even cross-culturally

has been used in research + clinical settings to explore relationship between life stressors + health outcomes

raise awareness of impacts of major life events on stress

increased scores are related to increased likelihood of stress-related issues

Limitations SRRS

not all events apply to every age group

subjectivity + bias: relies on self-reported perceptions of stressfulness related with life events, variations in scoring

limited predictive power: there is a weak correlation between SRRS scores + illness

does not account for personal differences

SRRS only focus’s on major life events, neglecting chronic stressors or daily hassels that can impact individuals

Strengths SRRS

SRS provides standardised method for assessing life events + their perceived stressfulness, allows for comparison across populations

has a positive correlation with health, suggests validity in predicting stress-related health problems

Appraisal

a mental evaluation/interpretation of a situation in which one judges somethings importance and whether it matches their goals

Coping

refers to cognitive + behavioural efforts made by individuals to manage the demands of a stressful situation

Lazarus + Folkman 1984

Transactional Theory of Stress + Coping (TTSC) - presents stress as a product of a transaction between an individual and their complex environment

Methods of Coping

method of coping refers to the cognitive + behavioural efforts made by individuals to manage/overcome demands of stressful situation

Problem Focused Coping

practical steps taken to manage the stressor + attempting to deal with the problem itself

Emotion Focused Coping

how individual manages their emotional responses to the stressor, changes the impact of stressor on individual but not the nature of the stressor (through attempt to change/reduce the negative emotions with it)

Adaptative Coping

beneficial and protective to health

decrease adverse impacts of stress + reduce stress

face the stressors to deal with them to promote long term benefits

Maladaptive Coping

reduce short term stress but can affect physical/physiological health in the long term

avoids dealing with stressors that are causing the problem

Stressors

any stimulus that challenges or threatens an individual, thus causing a feeling a of stress that is subjective between individuals

Psychological Stressors

internal factors such as behaviours and thoughts that come from our own psychological mindset, expectations and personal circumstances

Environmental Stressors

stimuli external to the individual that can illicit a stress response that may or may not be controllable by the individual

Social Stressors

social behaviours and situations that are related to physical and psychological strain that arise from interactions with others and the social environment (prosocial are designed to benefit others)

Cultural Stressors

can relate to acclimating to a foreign culture in a new country or encountering different lifestyles and value systems that may threaten the model you have lived with all your life

Nature of Stressor

the nature and controllability of a stressor depends on perceived ability of an individual to influence or control the situation causing stress

Duration of Stressor

the duration of a stressor refers to the length of time it persists or remains present in an individuals life, longer it operates the more severe its effects (acute= short term, chronic = ongoing)

Strength of Stressor

the magnitude or intensity of the impacts that it has on an individuals wellbeing (heigthened physiological arousal)

Alziehmers

a biological process that begins with the appearance of a buildup of proteins in the brain, causing brain cells to die and the brain to shrink over time

brain regions affected by Alziehmers

affects the hippocampus (formation of new memories + ability to retain recent info) cerebral cortex (planning, language, reasoning, decision making + communication) amygdala (emotion regulation for mood swings, anxiety + depression)

Symptoms of Alziehmers

repeat statements and questions, social withdraw + lack of trust, change in sleeping behaviours, anger/agressions + delusion

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

brain disease caused by repeated head injuries causes death of nerve cells within the brain due to build up of tau, tau becomes abnormally folded and causes clumps leading to cell death and brain atrophy

CTE effects

Behaviour: impulsive, aggressive

Emotion: apathy/depression, instability, suicidal thoughts

Thiamine Deficiency

common in people that consume excessive amounts of alcohol (have poor nutrition due to the inflammation of stomach lining which impedes bodys ability to absorb vitamins.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

a brain disorder caused by a lack of thiamine, commonly caused by chronic alcohol misuse

Thiamine

helps brain cells produce energy from sugar

symptoms of WKS

memory loss, difficulty forming new memories, confusion

Behavioural Changes: motor impairment, visual problems, hallucinations, impaired planning and decision making

Emotional Changes: apathy, reduced motivation, emotional blunting, altered emotional responses

Brain Structures WKS

hippocampus and cerebellum most notably (movement, language, sleep, memory, motivation)

sensory register

basic information received from senses which can leave impressions even after the stimuli has disappeared

short term memory

the information you are aware of that can be held on to for a short period for conscious use

maintenance rehersal

remembering info for immediate use by increasing duration of STM, involves constant repetition

elaborative rehearsal

active processing and encoding of information by associating it with other info in LTM to make it more meaningful

long term memory

a relatively stable, permanent store of information that can be accessed and manipulated at will

declarative memory

stating how things are or what you remember, requires conscious effort for retrieval, involves facts, data and events

semantic memory

a form of declarative memory that stores general knowledge, memory for meanings

episodic memory

a form of declarative memory that stores information about specific scenes from your personal experience, knowing when, where and what

procedural memory

the memory of the process involved in how to complete a task

Working Memory Model

a model that represents the short term memory involved in temporarily storing and managing multiple pieces of information needed to carry out complex cognitive tasks

Central Executive

• suppresses irrelevant information

• deals with cognitive tasks like arithmetic and problem solving

• controlled by frontal lobes

Phonological Loop

• the part of the working memory that deals with spoken, auditory and written materials

• stores and processes sound of language (inner ear or phonological store)

• rehearses this silently (inner voice or articulatory control process)

Visual-Spatial Sketchpad

stores visual and spatial information, constructs and manipulates visual images like details of shapes, colours and motion, and represent visual maps

• displays and manipulates visual + spatial info held in LTM

• occipital lobe

Episodic Buffer

a temporary store that is capable of holding and integrating information from the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and LTM into a single structure
ability to think about past, plan for future and solve problems relies on maintaining episodic representations

depth

the meaningfulness extracted from the stimulus

shallow memory

only involves maintenance rehearsal + leads to short-term retention of information (structural + phonemic)

structural

when we encode the physical qualities of something e.g. size, capital letters

phonemic

encoding the sound of the words

deep memory

involves elaboration where new info is remembered by linking it to existing information

semantic

processing the info by what it means, encode meaning + relate to words with similar meaning

latency

the time it takes to answer a question