Biopsychology: Ultradian rhythms

Question 1

What types of cycle does an Ultradian rhythm have?

Answer 1

cycles which occur under 24 hours

Question 2

What is an example of an Ultradian rhythm?

Answer 2

The sleep cycle - the stages of sleep

Question 3

How many stages of sleep are there are what are they called?

Answer 3

5 Stages

Stages 1 & 2 - Light sleep

Stages 3 & 4 - Deep sleep

Stage 5 - REM sleep

Question 4

What happens in Stages 1 & 2 (light sleep)?
- How hard is it to wake someone up?
- What brain waves are produced & what are they like?
- What waves occur is stage 2
- What can also happen in stage 2

Answer 4

Stage 1
- person may be easily woken
- brain waves are high frequency & have short amplitude (alpha waves)

Stage 2
- alpha waves continue
- but occasional random changes in pattern occur (called sleep spindles)

Question 5

What happens in Stages 3 & 4 (deep sleep)?
- What is this stage also known as?
- How hard is it to wake someone up?
- What brain waves are produced & what are they like?
- What do we experience at this stage?

Answer 5

• also known as slow wave sleep

Stages 3 & 4
- difficult to wake someone at this point
- brain waves have lower frequency but higher amplitude (delta waves)
- dreams may occur

Question 6

What happens in Stage 5 (REM sleep)?
- What happens to the body and brain?
- What brain waves are produced?
- What happens to the eyes?
- What do we experience at this stage?

Answer 6

Stage 5
- body is paralysed but brain activity closely resembles that of the awake brain
- brain produces theta waves
- eyes occasionally move around - rapid eye movement (REM)
- Dreams experienced during REM sleep

Question 7

STRENGTHS of research into Ultradian rhythms

Answer 7

POINT: Has improved understanding of age-related changes in sleep

EVIDENCE:
- sleep scientists have observed that slow wave sleep reduced with age
- Growth hormone mostly produced during SWS & is reduced in older people

EXPLAIN:
- Sleep deficit may explain various issue in old age (suggests by Eve van cauter)
- e.g. reduced alertness, reduced growing)
- In order to increase SWS, relaxation & medication may be used

LINK: Suggests that knowledge of Ultradian rhythms has practical value

Question 8

LIMITATIONS of research into Ultradian rhythms

Answer 8

POINT: Individual differences

EVIDENCE:
- Tucker at el found large differences between participants in terms of the duration of each sleep stage
- particularly in Stages 3 & 4

EXPLAIN:
- Tucker at el suggests that these differences are likely to be biologically determined

LINK: This makes it difficult to describe ‘normal sleep’ in any meaningful way