Altered States of awareness: Flashcards
from lowest to highest what is the awareness continuum?
sleep, arousal, highly stressed
what is the natural cycle of sleep called?
the circadian rhythm
what is an exogenous rhythm?
regulated by external events in the environment
what is an example of exogenous rhythms?
seasonal changes, tidal patterns
what is an endogenous rhythm?
regulated by internal events
what is an example of endogenous rhythms?
heart rate, menstrual cycles
what are some reasons for change in your circadian rhythm?
temperature, hormone secretion, blood pressure
what is the science behind the circadian rhythm? (sunlight hits the…)
sunlight hits the retina sending information down to the optic nerve to a cluster of 20,000 neurons inside of the brain’s hypothalamus.
what is the cluster of 20,000 nerves in the hypothalamus called?
suprachiasmatic nucleus
where is melatonin secreted?
in the pineal gland
what is the pineal gland?
it is a small endocrine gland in the centre of the brain
how do we achieve synchronicity in our sleep awake cycle?
the circadian rhythm is sensitive to elements of the environment such as light
what are three factors that are likely to influence the circadian rhythm?
secretion of melatonin, exposure to light, body temperature
what are the sleeping habits due to melatonin of an infant?
an infant, the melatonin secretion is more regular especially after the third month after birth
what are the sleeping habits due to melatonin of aging humans? (teenagers)
there is delayed melatonin secretion meaning falling asleep later and waking up later
what are the two main theories of sleep?
the repair and restoration theory and the evolutionary/ adaptive theory
what happens in the first sleep stage?
light sleep
slight eye rolls
hypnotic jerks
theta waves
what happens in the second sleep stage?
sleep spindles increase
very simple dreams
sleepwalking
continued theta waves
what happens in sleep stage three?
the transitional period of light to heavy sleep
20%-50% are delta waves
what happens in sleep stage four?
body temp at its lowest
muscle paralysis
reverts 1-4 a few more times before REM
50% delta waves the rest are theta
what happens in stage five sleep (REM)?
rapid eye movement
vivid dreams
can’t tell the difference on a scan if you are asleep or awake
what is sleep deprivation?
when you don’t get enough sleep to function properly
what does sleep deprivation affect?
cognitive function
decision making
attention
what can cause sleep deprivation?
sleep disorders
depression
repeated awakenings from noise
what are the symptoms of short term sleep deprivation?
daytime tiredness
unable to cope with stress
blurred vision
what are the symptoms of long term sleep deprivation?
depression
decreased productivity
paranoia and hallucinations
name two sleep disorders?
insomnia
parasomnia
what are the causes of insomnia?
mass anxiety
emotional problems/ depression
drugs/ stimulants
what are the four steps of the insomnia cycle?
sleep bad
feel fatigued and stress
compensate unhealthy habits
habits affect the ability to sleep
what are some tehcniques to help treat insomnia?
no napping
avoid alcohol and coffee 5 hours before bed
keep a consistent sleep schedule
what is parasomnia?
behaviours that occur during sleep such as…
nightmares
night errors
sleepwalking
is parasomnia considered a sleep disorder?
no, only if it disrupts a persons sleep over an extended period of time. three or more months
what are the two kinds of sleep therapy?
sleep restriction therapy
stimulus control therapy
what is sleep restriction therapy?
psychological intervention
restricting the amount of time spent in bed will lead to more effective sleep
what is stimulus control therapy?
retraining the person to associate bed with sleep
only being in bed when sleeping or feeling sleepy
what is an example of good sleep hygiene for daytime habits?
no napping
minimal caffeine and alcohol
look at bright light soon after waking up
what is an example of good sleep hygiene for sleeping environments?
bed large enough/ comfortable
hide lock to prevent clock watching
what are three permitted naps?
power nap
emergency nap
preventative nap
what s arousal?
a physiological and psychological state of being awake and reactive to stimuli
what is the science behind arousal?
different neural systems collectively are called the arousal system.
how many neural/ arousal systems are there? and what are they?
4 acetylcholine norepinephrine dopamine serotonin
where are the neural/ arousal systems kept in the brain?
the brain stem, cortex which is in the brains neurotransmitters
why is it called arousal?
when in action the receiving neural areas become sensitive to signals hence being called arousal
what is the graph called in association to optimum arousal levels?
the yerk Dodson law of arousal and task performance
what happens if your arousal levels are too low?
you become understimulated and are bored
what happens if your arousal levels are too high?
you become overstimulated and are highly stressed
what is the difference between stimulants and depressants and how do they affect your task performance?
stimulants like coffee increase anxiety levels
depressants like alcohol can lower stress levels
how is arousal measured?
speed and accuracy tasks
brain activity- EEG
what is stress? what is the event in stress called?
psychological response to events that make you feel threatened
the event doesn’t cause the stress, it is the perception
the event is called the stressor
What is the system we use when we sense danger?
rapid automatic response (fight or flight)
if stressed and in fight or flight mode, what is the released hormone?
adrenaline
what is the autonomic system split into?
sympathetic nervous system
parasympathetic nervous system
what is the sympathetic nervous system?
speeding up the body’s functioning
responsible for the response to fight-flight or fright
this system speeds up heart rate, perspiration and slowed digestion
what is the parasympathetic nervous system?
responsible for maintenance of energy
returning body to rest after arousal takes place
what does GAS stand for?
general adaptation syndrome
what are the three stages of GAS?
alarm- release of neurotransmitters and hormones preparing the body for high levels of activity
resistance- body trying to resist high levels of arousal from initial alarm
exhaustion- body reserves are depleted more issues to the body can occur
what are some internal causes of stress?
bad self talk
unrealistic expectations
what are three different scans for objective quantitative measures?
EEG- brain activity
EOG- ocular movement
EMG- muscle response
what are some subjective qualitative measures for sleep and arousal?
self-reported:
- questionnaires
- focus groups/ Delfi technique
what are two ethical issues that can be associated with experiments with sleep?
duty of care to sleep-deprived patience
research on vulnerable populations
