Biological rhythms Flashcards
What are the 3 biological rhythms?
Circadian, infradian and ultradian
What is a circadian rhythm?
What is an infradian rhythm?
What is an ultradian rhythm?
What is an example of a circadian rhythm?
The sleep/wake cycle
What is are 2 examples of an infradian rhythm?
The menstrual cycle and seasonal affective disorder
What is an example of an ultradian rhythm?
What did Siffre investigate?
Investigated how the absence of external cues could affect biological rhythms
How did Siffre investigate how the absence of external cues could affect biological rhythms?
He spent 2 months in a cave without access to daylight
What were the findings from Siffre’s cave study?
His circadian rhythm was notably disrupted
he went into the cave 16 July 1962, came out 14 September 1962, however he thought the day he came out was the 20 August
What are the hormones that create the menstrual cycle?
Oestrogen, progesterone and luteinizing hormone
What are the 4 smaller cycles the menstrual cycle is broken into?
Menstruation, follicular phase, ovulatory phase and luteal phase
Research for mentruation
What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
A mood disorder that is related to the change in seasons, begins and ends around the same time each year
What treatment is used for seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
Light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy, medication
Roughly, how long is does the sleep cycle last?
90 minutes
What happens during stages 1 and 2 of the sleep cycle?
→ Light sleep where the person may be easily woken
→ Brainwave patterns start to become slower and more rhythmic (alpha waves) becoming even slower as sleep becomes deeper (theta waves)
What happens during stages 3 and 4 of the sleep cycle?
→ Involve delta waves which as slower still and have a greater amplitude than earlier wave patterns
→ Deep sleep or slow wave sleep
→ Difficult to rouse someone at this point
What happens during stage 5 of the sleep cycle?
→ REM (rapid eye movement) sleep
→ The body is paralysed yet brain activity speeds up significantly in a manner that resembles the awake brain
→Jerky activity of the eyes under the eyelids
What does REM research suggest about dreaming?
Research has suggested that REM activity during sleep is highly correlated with the experience of dreaming
What did Randy Gardener do?
Went 11 days (264 hours) without sleeping at 17 years old
How did Randy Gardener stay awake for so long?
He had people around him keeping him awake, he did not consume any stimulants
What did Randy Gardener experience due to being awake for 11 days?
Mood swings, memory and attention lapses, loss of coordination, slurred speech and hallucinations
