Psychology: Sleep

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

hyponsis

a social interaction in which one person (the subject) responds to another person’s suggestions that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.

dissociation

a split in consciousness, which allows somoe thoughts and behaviors to occur stimutaneously with others

sleep

periodic, natural loss of consciousness - as distinct from consciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hiberation (Adapted from Dement, 1999).

What is confirmed by EEG recordings?

The brain’s activity cortex responds to sound stimuli even during sleep.

circadian rhythm

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

approximately how often do we go through the distinct sleep stages?

Every 90 minutes, we go through 4 sleeping stages.

REM

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.

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

NREM

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

hallucinations

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

hyponagogic sensations

sensory experiences that occur w/o a sensory stimulus

During NREM-2, what are sleep spindles?

bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity

what occurs during NREM-3 and describes delta waves?

Slow wave sleep, 30 minutes period of deep sleep. The large, slow brain waves associated w/ deep sleep.

What occurs physiologically during REM sleep?

Your genitals become very arroused during REM sleep.

Why is REM sleep sometimes called paradoxical sleep?

The body is internally aroused, w/ waking-like brain activity, yet asleep and externally calm.

Hour many hours do we spend dreaming per year?

600 hours

Sleep patterns are both ___ and ___ influenced.

genetically, culturally

suprachiasmatic nucleus

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

how is melatonin related to sleep?

Melatonin is produced at night.

Five reasons we need sleep:

sleep protects, sleep helps us recuperate, sleep helps restore and rebuild our fading memories of the day’s experience, sleep feeds creative thinking, sleep supports growth

Problems students face if they don’t get enough sleep

low energy, falling asleep in class, higher risk of depression, function below peak, prone to mistakes, “slow”

How can lack of sleep = weight gain

it increases ghrelin, a hunger-arousing hormone, and decreases hunger-suppressing, leptin. Also increases cortisol, a stress hormone that makes you fat, increases appetite.

how does lack of sleep affect our physical health

can suppress immune cells that fight off viral infections and cancer

insomnia

reoccurring problems in falling asleep or staying awake

narcolepsy

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

sleep apnea

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

sleepwalking and sleeptalking

childhood disorders

night terrors

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, this occurs during NREM-3 sleep, within two or three of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered.

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder in which normal REM paralysis does not occur; instead, twitching, talking, or even kicking and punching may occur

dreams

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. They are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer’s delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering them.

for both men and women, 8 in 10 dreams are marked by__

at least one negative event or emotion

Five explanations of why we dream:

to satisfy our own mind’s, to file away memories, to develop and preserve neural pathways, to make sense of neural static, to reflect cognitive development

information processing

dreams help us start out the day’s events and consolidate our memories

physiological function

regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways

activation synthesis

REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories

cognitive development

dream content reflects dreamers’ cognitive development their knowledge and understanding

psychoactive drugs

a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods

substance abuse disorder

continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk.

four indicators of substance abuse disorder

impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and drug action

tolerance

the diminishing effect w/ regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take longer and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuign an addictive drug ore behavior

alcohol

depressant

Highs: initial high followed by relaxation and disinhibition

Adverse: depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions

heroin

depressant

Highs: rush of euphoria, relief from pain

Adverse: depressed physiology, agonizing withdrawal

caffeine

stimulant

Highs: increased alertness and wakefulness

Adverse: anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia in high doses; uncomfortable withdrawal

Meth

stimulant

Highs: euphoria, alertness, energy

Adverse: irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures

cocaine

stimulant

Highs: rush of euphoria, confidence, energy

Adverse: cardiovascular stress, suspciousness, depressive crash

nicotine

stimulant

Highs: arousal and relaxation, sense of well-being

Adverse: heart disease, cancer (from tars)

marijuana

mild hallucinogen

Highs: enhanced sensation, relief of pain, distortion of time, relaxation

Adverse: disrupted memory, lung damage from smoke

Ecstacsy (MDMA)

hallucinogen

Highs: euphoria, disinhibition

Adverse: brain damage, depression, fatigue