4. Sleep and Dreaming Flashcards
Altered state of consciousness (ASC)
state of consciousness that is distinctly different from normal waking consciousness - with a lowered level of awareness of internal and external stimuli
Biological rhythm
a naturally occurring pattern of cyclic changes in a bodily function or state that repeats itself over time
circadian rhythm
a biological rhythm involving changes in bodily functions or activities that occur as part of a cycle with a duration of about 24 hours
consciousness
**awareness **of objects and events in the external world, and of our sensations, mental
experiences and own existence at any given moment
continuum of awareness
scale with total awareness and complete lack of awareness at the two ends, and other states of awareness in between
dyssomnias
sleep disorders involving difficulty initiating, maintaining and/or timing sleep
electroencephalograph (EEG)
a device that detects, amplifies and records electrical activity of the brain
electromyograph (EMG)
device that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of muscles
evolutionary (circadian) theory of sleep
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
induced ASC
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
insomnia
a sleep disorder that typically involves
persistent difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep
Melatonin
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
microsleep
a symptom of sleep deprivation: a very short period of involuntary sleep
that occurs while a person appears to be awake
Normal Waking Consciousness (NWC)
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
NREM sleep
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
Parasomnias
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
Partial sleep deprivation
having less sleep (either
quantity or quality) than what is normally
required
perceptual disengagement
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
psychological construct
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
REM rebound
following a period of lost REM sleep, spending more time than usual in REM sleep when next asleep
REM sleep
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
restorative theory of sleep
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
Reversibility
a sleeper can always be awoken with a strong enough stimulus and therefore ‘reverse back’ to
the waking state quite quickly
Sleep
a reversible behavioural state of perceptual disengagement from and unresponsiveness to the
environment
Sleep apnoea
an involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs during asleep
Sleep debt
accumulated daily sleep loss that is owed and needs to be made up
sleep deprivation
a state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep, either voluntarily or involuntarily
Sleep diary
a self-report record of an individual’s sleep and waking time activities, usually over a period of several weeks
Sleep disorder
any sleep disturbance that regularly disrupts sleep, causing distress or impairment in important areas of everyday life during normal waking hours
Sleep disturbance
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
Sleep hygiene education
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
sleep-onset insomnia
a sleep disorder involving
persistent difficulty falling asleep at the usual sleep time
sleep paralysis
the temporary inability to move and speak during sleep onset or when waking up
sleep walking
somnambulism. getting up from bed and walking about or performing other behaviours while asleep
state of consciousness
level of awareness of
objects and events in the external world, and of our
sensations, mental experiences and own existence at any given moment
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
an area of the hypothalamus that **regulates the timing and
activity of the sleep–wake cycle via light detection from the environment **
total sleep deprivation
not having any sleep at all for greater than 24 hours
ultradian rhythm
changes in bodily functions or activities that occur as part of a cycle shorter than 24 hours e.g. sleep cycles 90-120 minutes
Reticular Formation and Reticular activating system (RAS)
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.
Role of Thalamus in sleep (RAS)
Closes sensory pathways during sleep- limits sensory stimulation to areas of cerebral cortex (maintenance of sleep)
Dreaming
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
Psychodynamic theory of dreams
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.
Activation-synthesis theory of dreams
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.
Nightmares
bad/frightening dreams
occur in REM sleep
usually good recall of experience
usually able to calm down.
more common in children and females
Night Terrors
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.
Parasomnia
a type of sleep disorder which involves engaging in abnormal activities or tasks while sleeping
Somnambulism
Sleep walking
Somniloquism
Sleep talking
Hypersomnia
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.
electro-oculograph (EOG)
device that **detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the eye muscles **
Identify two strengths of the psychodynamic theory of dreaming.
- Occasional therapeutic use
- Contributions to psychology and literature
Identify two limitations of the psychodynamic theory of dreaming.
- lack of empirical (scientific) evidence
- over-interpretation (dreams may be more random that this theory suggests)
Identify two strengths of the activation-synthesis hypothesis.
- More objective & scientific basis than psychodynamic theories
- Provides some explanation as to random nature of dreams
Identify two limitations of the Activation-Synthesis theory of dreaming
- 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
