4. Sleep and Dreaming

Question 1

Altered state of consciousness (ASC)

Answer 1

state of consciousness that is distinctly different from normal waking consciousness - with a lowered level of awareness of internal and external stimuli

Question 2

Biological rhythm

Answer 2

a naturally occurring pattern of cyclic changes in a bodily function or state that repeats itself over time

Question 3

circadian rhythm

Answer 3

a biological rhythm involving changes in bodily functions or activities that occur as part of a cycle with a duration of about 24 hours

Question 4

consciousness

Answer 4

**awareness **of objects and events in the external world, and of our sensations, mental
experiences and own existence at any given moment

Question 5

continuum of awareness

Answer 5

scale with total awareness and complete lack of awareness at the two ends, and other states of awareness in between

Question 6

dyssomnias

Answer 6

sleep disorders involving difficulty initiating, maintaining and/or timing sleep

Question 7

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Answer 7

a device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of the brain

Question 8

electromyograph (EMG)

Answer 8

device that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of muscles

Question 9

evolutionary (circadian) theory of sleep

Answer 9

a theory on the purpose
and function of sleep proposing that sleep evolved to enhance survival by protecting an organism through making it inactive during the part of the day when it is most risky or dangerous to move about; also called
circadian theory

Question 10

induced ASC

Answer 10

state of consciousness intentionally
achieved by the use of some kind of aid, such as
through meditation, hypnosis or substance use;
compare with naturally occurring state

Question 11

insomnia

Answer 11

a sleep disorder that typically involves
persistent difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep

Question 12

Melatonin

Answer 12

a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in relation to the amount of light that is detected; influences alertness and drowsiness and timing of the sleep–wake cycle

Question 13

microsleep

Answer 13

a symptom of sleep deprivation: a very short period of involuntary sleep
that occurs while a person appears to be awake

Question 14

Normal Waking Consciousness (NWC)

Answer 14

state of consciousness
associated with being awake and aware of objects and events in the external world, and of one’s sensations, mental experiences and own existence

Question 15

NREM sleep

Answer 15

non-rapid eye movement sleep conventionally subdivided into four stages involving increasingly deeper sleep and constituting about 75–80% of a typical night’s sleep

Question 16

Parasomnias

Answer 16

sleep disorders characterised by the
occurrence of inappropriate physiological and/or psychological activity during sleep or sleep-to-wake transitions; see also sleep apnoea and sleep walking

Question 17

Partial sleep deprivation

Answer 17

having less sleep (either
quantity or quality) than what is normally
required

Question 18

perceptual disengagement

Answer 18

state in which a sleeper
has no awareness of sensory stimuli in their external environment of which they are usually conscious in
the waking state

Question 19

psychological construct

Answer 19

a concept that is ‘constructed’ to describe specific ‘psychological’ activity, or a pattern of activity, that is believed to occur or exist but cannot be directly observed

Question 20

REM rebound

Answer 20

following a period of lost REM sleep, spending more time than usual in REM sleep when next asleep

Question 21

REM sleep

Answer 21

rapid-eye movement sleep during which the eyeballs rapidly move beneath closed eyelids; constitutes about 20–25% of a typical night’s sleep and is the period in which most dreaming occurs

Question 22

restorative theory of sleep

Answer 22

a theory on the purpose and function of sleep proposing that sleep provides ‘time out’ to help us recover from depleting activities during waking time that use up the body’s physical and mental resources

Question 23

Reversibility

Answer 23

a sleeper can always be awoken with a strong enough stimulus and therefore ‘reverse back’ to
the waking state quite quickly

Question 24

Sleep

Answer 24

a reversible behavioural state of perceptual disengagement from and unresponsiveness to the
environment

Question 25

Sleep apnoea

Answer 25

an **involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs during asleep**

Question 26

Sleep debt

Answer 26

**accumulated daily sleep loss** that is owed and needs to be made up

Question 27

sleep deprivation

Answer 27

a **state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep**, either voluntarily or involuntarily

Question 28

Sleep diary

Answer 28

a **self-report** record of an individual’s **sleep and waking time activities**, usually over a period of several weeks

Question 29

Sleep disorder

Answer 29

any sleep disturbance that **regularly disrupts sleep, causing distress or impairment in important areas of everyday life during normal waking hours**

Question 30

Sleep disturbance

Answer 30

any sleep-related problem that **disrupts an individual’s normal sleep–wake cycle, including problems with sleep onset, waking from sleep and abnormal behaviour occurring during sleep**

Question 31

Sleep hygiene education

Answer 31

a behavioural therapy for people with sleep disorders that involves **providing information about practices that tend to improve and maintain good sleep and full daytime alertness**

Question 32

sleep-onset insomnia

Answer 32

a sleep disorder involving persistent difficulty falling asleep at the usual sleep time

Question 33

sleep paralysis

Answer 33

the temporary inability to move and speak during sleep onset or when waking up

Question 34

sleep walking

Answer 34

**somnambulism**. getting up from bed and walking about or performing other behaviours while asleep

Question 35

state of consciousness

Answer 35

level of awareness of objects and events in the external world, and of our sensations, mental experiences and own existence at any given moment

Question 36

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

Answer 36

an **area of the hypothalamus** that **regulates the timing and activity of the sleep–wake cycle via light detection from the environment **

Question 37

total sleep deprivation

Answer 37

not having any sleep at all for greater than 24 hours

Question 38

ultradian rhythm

Answer 38

changes in bodily functions or activities that occur as part of a cycle **shorter than 24 hours** ***e.g. sleep cycles 90-120 minutes***

Question 39

Reticular Formation and Reticular activating system (RAS)

Answer 39

Major purpose: **MAINTAIN sleep via regulatation of cortical arousal ie alertness- increase or decrease. ** Influences when we are asleep or awake by restricting the amount of stimulation the cerebral cortex receives. In doing so, it allows us to stay asleep.

Question 40

Role of Thalamus in sleep (RAS)

Answer 40

Closes sensory pathways during sleep- **limits sensory stimulation to areas of cerebral cortex** (**maintenance** of sleep)

Question 41

Dreaming

Answer 41

a physiologically and psychologically conscious state that occurs during sleep and is often characterized by a rich array of sensory, motor, emotional, and other experiences

Question 42

Psychodynamic theory of dreams

Answer 42

Sigmund Freud. Dreams represent **wish fulfilment and unconscious desires** Dreams have a **manifest content**- what the dream is really about but also have a **latent content-** a hidden meaning.

Question 43

Activation-synthesis theory of dreams

Answer 43

a ** neurobiological theory** of dreams. suggests that **dreams are created by changes in neuron activity that activates the brainstem during REM sleep, then the cerebral cortex makes sense of this via a storyline.**

Question 44

Nightmares

Answer 44

**bad/frightening dreams occur in REM sleep** usually good recall of experience usually able to calm down. more common in children and females

Question 45

Night Terrors

Answer 45

**sudden awakening from sleep in extremely distressed state**, occurs in stages 3 and 4 NREM Sleep only. Afterwards may speak incoherently, panic and be difficult to console.

Question 46

Parasomnia

Answer 46

a type of sleep disorder which involves **engaging in abnormal activities or tasks while sleeping**

Question 47

Somnambulism

Answer 47

Sleep walking

Question 48

Somniloquism

Answer 48

Sleep talking

Question 49

Hypersomnia

Answer 49

Involves **excessive sleepiness when awake or sleep of excessive duration**; may be chronic or occasional; **12 hours or more sleep per day** Causes - insomnia, depression, substance abuse, sleep apnoea.

Question 50

electro-oculograph (EOG)

Answer 50

device that **detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the eye muscles **

Question 51

Identify two strengths of the psychodynamic theory of dreaming.

Answer 51

- Occasional therapeutic use - Contributions to psychology and literature

Question 52

Identify two limitations of the psychodynamic theory of dreaming.

Answer 52

- lack of empirical (scientific) evidence - over-interpretation (dreams may be more random that this theory suggests)

Question 53

Identify two strengths of the activation-synthesis hypothesis.

Answer 53

- More objective & scientific basis than psychodynamic theories - Provides some explanation as to random nature of dreams

Question 54

Identify two limitations of the Activation-Synthesis theory of dreaming

Answer 54

- Dismisses the possibility that dreams have meaning (and this may not be an accurate dismissal) – overemphasis on randomness - Neglects other potential roles of dreams e.g. memory consolidation, problem-solving