06: Sleep and States of Consciousness

Biological rhythms

a periodic, more or less regular fluctuation in a biological system; it may or may not have psychological implications

Circadian

a biological rhythm that occurs once a day; associated disorders: jet lag, second "wind", Sunday night insomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome

Ultradian

a biological rhythm that occurs more than once a day

Infradian

a biological rhythm that occurs less than once a day; associated disorders: PMS, seasonal affective disorder

circadian

QUESTION: What type of biological rhythm is the sleep-wake cycle?

infradian

QUESTION: What type of biological rhythm are bird migration and hibernation?

ultradian

QUESTION: What type of biological rhythm are stomach contractions, appetite, and sleep stages?

Endogenous

biological rhythms generated from within rather than by external cues

Entrainment

the synchronization of biological rhythms with external cues, such as fluctuations in daylight

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

an area of the brain containing a biological clock that governs circadian rhythms; located in the hypothalamus; cues the pineal gland to produce less/more melatonin

Melatonin

a hormone secreted by the Pineal gland; involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms

Pineal gland

produces melatonin (more in darkness, less in light)

Seasonal affective disorder

a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year

Stage 1

the "drift off" or hypnogogic state; brain waves are small and irregular; slow breathing, lower body pressure and temperature; little to no body movement

Stage 2

occasional bursts of activity--sleep spindles; body functions slowed down; sleeper can be easily awakened; sleep talking can occur

Stage 3

Slow and large brain waves; beginning of deep sleep; more difficult to wake

Stage 4

Large brain waves, sleeper is in virtual oblivion, body functions are slowed dramatically; sleepwalking and bedwetting may occur; if awakened the sleeper will experience "sleep inertia/drunkenness"

REM

brain waves that resemble those of an awake person; pulse increase; twitching; increased oxygen; irregular breathing

Paradoxical sleep

REM is also called this because the brains and eyes are active, though the body is paralyzed

Sleep paralysis

in REM, deep dreams occur, but the person does not move because of this phenomenon

Beta

brain waves associated with being awake

Alpha

brain waves associated with being awake/relaxed/dozing off

Theta

brain waves associated with light sleep

Delta

brain waves associated with deep sleep

Sleep spindles

bursts of activities noted in Stage 2 sleep

EEG (electroencephalogram)

this measures brain waves

EOG (electrooculogram)

this measures eye movements

EMG (electromyogram)

this measures muscle tension

polysomnography

a "sleep study"; measures various factors like brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, heart rate (EKG), blood oxygen levels, leg movements, breathing

hypnogram

a form of polysomnography; it is a graph that represents the stages of sleep as a function of time

actigraph

measures body movement

sleep apnea

breathing is interrupted during sleep for periods of 10 seconds or more; happens 100s of times; can be treated by CPAP, zzoma, surgery, or corrective pillows

insomnia

"hyperarousal" when trying to fall asleep or trouble staying asleep; can be treated by a change in activities (behavioral approach) or with pills, antidepressants, and antihistamines

narcolepsy

daytime sleep attacks that occur without warning, may include cataplexy; can be treated by stimulant conditions and scheduled naps (behavioral)

catoplexy

sudden body paralysis sometimes associated with narcolepsy

restless leg syndrome

unpleasant leg sensations; irresistible urges to move lags; can be treated with dopamine, sleeping pills, or narcotic pain medications

REM parasomnias

nightmare disorder and REM sleep behavior disorder (not paralyzed during REM, aka RBD)

non-REM parasomnias

sleep walking (stage 4), sleep talking (most commonly stage 2), sleep terrors (usually stage 4)

treatments (for parasomnias)

rest, relaxation, securing a safe environment, and medications

wish-fulfillment

dream theory of Freud; the satisfaction of a desire through an involuntary thought process; occurs in dreams

information processing (problem focused)

dream theory that states that dreams reflect our daily life (concerns, joys, conflicts, activities); dreams give us a chance to problem solve and develop skilled

cognitive processing

dream theory that states that dreams reflects daily activities; however, unlike in information processing, theses problems are not solved; dreams get more complicated from childhood to adulthood

activation-synthesis

dream theory that suggests the cerebral cortex synthesizes incoming messages from lower parts of the brain; dreams are merely brain mechanisms, they are strange because logical sensations shut down

manifest content

the aspects of our dreams that we consciously experience during sleep and may remember (i.e. plot)

latent content

the unconscious thoughts and wishes being expressed symbolically in dreams

tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of the drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug

physical dependence

a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

psychological dependence

a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions

addiction

compulsive drug craving and use, despite adverse consequences

psychoactive drugs

a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods

depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow bodily functions

stimulants

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions

hallucinogens

psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input

hypnosis

a procedure in which the practitioner suggests changes in a subject's sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings, or behavior; a heightened state of suggestibility

susceptibility test

measures the likelihood that one can be hypnotized

induction

the process undertaken by a hypnotist to establish the state or conditions required for hypnosis to occur

dissociative theory

Theory of hypnosis: a split in consciousness which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

Edward Hilgard

scientist who promoted the dissociation theory of hypnosis

sociocognitive theory (of hypnosis)

(Nicholas Santos) the effects of hypnosis result from an interaction between social influence (conformity, roles) and the abilities, beliefs, and expectations (self-fulfilling prophecy, placebo) of the subject

opiates

drugs that relieve pain and commonly produce euphoria

depressants

What classification of drug? alcohol, tranquilizers

stimulants

What classification of drug? cocaine, meth, ecstasy, caffine

hallucinogens

What classification of drug? LSD, marijuana

opiates

What classification of drug? heroin, morphine, oxycotin, sedative, and barbiturates

dopamine

the key neurotransmitter in the reward pathway

GABA

an inhibitory neurotransmitter that works with excitatory glutamate to control many process; drugs can increase this, which exerts tranquilizing effects on the brain