sleep & dreams unit

ap psychology

consciousness

the spectrum of awareness, ranging from fully awake to altered states like sleep, hypnosis or daydreaming

what’s daydreaming good for

helps with creativity, problem solving, memory, and preparing for future events

how much time do we spend sleeping

1/3 of our lifes

Melatonin by the pineal gland 

hormone that regulates the sleep cycle 

when is melatonin released

mostly at night, levels drop during the day

sleep deprivation

fatigue, weakened immune system, impaired concentration, irritability, slower reaction time, memory loss

REM rebound

when deprived of REM sleep, you spend extra time in REM (rapid eye movement) during the next sleep cycle to make up for it 

insomnia

trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

somnambulism

sleepwalking or sleep talking; common in children

sleep apnea

breathing stops during sleep; person wakes repeatedly. common in men, linked to obesity

night terrors

intense panic or screaming during deep NREM-3 sleep ( not REM) ; common in children, usually not remembered 

oneirology

the scientific study of dreams

what percentage of dreams are negative??

about 50%

manifest content

the storyline or literal content of a dream

latent content

the hidden meaning of a dream (Freud )

what is Freud’s dream theory

dreams reflect unconscious/ subconscious desires and conflicts

activation synthesis theory

dreams are the brain’s attempt to make sense of random neutral firing

information processing theory

dreams helps us process and consolidate memories

lucid dreams 

dreams where you are aware you’re dreaming and may control them 

REM sleep purpose

mental housekeeping, memory consolidation and emotional processing

what happens during REM sleep

vivid dream, brain is active, but body is paralyzed by the pons

how is REM sleep different from deep sleep

REM = brain active, body paralyzed; deep sleep (NREM-3) = body relaxed like a “rag doll”

circadian rhythm

a natural 24-hour biological cycle that regulars sleep/ wake patterns

jet lag 

disruption of circadian rhythm from changing time zones 

hypnagogic sensations

sudden muscle twitches/ jerks when falling asleep 

how much sleep do babies need?

about 16 hours

how much sleep do children/ teens need?

9-14 hours

how much sleep do adults need?

7-8 hours

how much sleep do elderly people need?

fewer hours, but still need good quality sleep

awake state 

fully alert and able to respond to the environment 

NREM-1

light sleep, hypnagogic sensations (falling, jerks)

NREM-2

deeper sleep, sleep spindles appear, bursts of brain activity

NREM-3

physical restoration, body repair, immune support, growth hormone release, hardest to wake from

Delta waves

brain waves that occur n deep sleep (NREM-3)

one sleep cycle 

90 minutes 

sleep stages change over the night

early cycles - more deep NREM-3 - later cycles - more REM sleep

sleepwalking and night terrors

sleep disorders can occur in deep sleep