psych unit 1 part 2

consciousness

awareness of external events and internal sensations which occurs under conditions of arousal

ex: being aware that you feel cold in class

circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle)

a biological sleep cycle that repeats every twenty-four hours without external cues

ex: naturally feeling groggy waking up at 6 after waking up at 9 every day.

types of consciousness (sleep/wake)

the three levels of awareness- consciousness, preconscious, and unconscious

ex: focusing on a teacher’s lecture in the present

disruptions to circadian rhythm (jet lag)

out-of-sync 24 hour sleep/wake cycles

ex: not being used to daylight savings time and sleep schedule being disrupted.

sleep stages (with EEG patterns

the stages of sleep marked by specific brain wave patterns

ex:

• awake (beta waves): fast brain waves when alert

• stage 1 (alpha waves): drowsy brain waves before falling asleep

• stage 1 (theta waves): light sleep with sudden bursts of brain activity, sleep spindles and low amp with high frequency

• stage 3 and 4 (delta waves): deep, slow-wave sleep hard to wake up, high amp with low frequency

• REM sleep: dream stage with high brain activity, low amp with high frequency

NREM stages 1-3

non-dreaming stage moving from light to deep sleep

ex: waking up easily in stage 1 vs. groggy in stage 3

hypnogogic sensations

transition from wakefulness to sleep where body hasn’t fully shut down, but mind is falling asleep

ex: being asleep in class and suddenly waking up flinching because of dream of falling.

REM sleep (paradoxical sleep)

rapid eye movement, non-official 5th stage of sleep where dreaming usually occurs and you are closer to being awake

dreaming

mental stories or images during sleep

ex: making up a story about going to school in your mind while sleeping

REM rebound

more REM sleep that helps the body recover after REM deprivation. 

ex: falling into REM sleep in an after-school nap due to staying up late the night before from studying.

Activation synthesis dream theory

throw that REM sleep triggers impulses that create random visual memories, which our sleeping brain makes into stories

consolidation dream theory

theory that dreams help us sort out day’s events and store/organize memories

sleep function (consolidation/restoration)

allows brain to retain and consolidate memories, process information, and support cognitive thinking

ex: getting 8 hours of sleep before an exam so brain can consolidate what you studied

sleep disruption effects

reduced alertness, brain activity, attention span, and cognitive performance.

sleep disorders

medical conditions that disrupt normal sleep patterns

insomnia

inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, usually related to stress & anxiety

ex: lying in bed unable to sleep for the 5th night in a row because of anxiety for upcoming event

narcolepsy

a disorder in which a person suddenly falls into REM sleep during waking hours

REM sleep behavior disorder

a disorder in which a person can physically act out dream behavior during REM sleep and is not “paralyzed”

ex: acting out a conversation that is happening in dream during REM sleep

Sleep apnea

a disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly

ex: waking yourself up at might from choking

somnambulism

a disorder where a person repeatedly sleep walks, talks and/or eats in deep sleep

ex: a child sitting up and mumbling words and then returning back to deep sleep