CH7 The Importance of Sleep in Mental Wellbeing Flashcards
1
Q
Sleep disturbance
A
- Any sleep-related problem that disrupts an individual’s normal sleep–wake cycle.
- I.e. Problems with sleep onset, waking from sleep.
- Can be temporary, occasional or persistent.
2
Q
Sleep disorder
A
- A persistent sleep disturbance that regularly disrupts sleep
- Causes distress or impairment during normal waking hours.
- Either primary or secondary
3
Q
Primary sleep disorder
A
-
Cannot be attributed to another condition, such as another sleep disorder, a mental health or medical problem, or use of a legal or illegal drug.
- I.e. Experiencing regular awakenings throughout a major sleep episode due to insomnia.
(Insomnia typically involves persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep).
4
Q
Secondary sleep disorder
A
-
Results from another condition
- I.e. Experiencing regular awakenings due to back pain or a bladder problem.
5
Q
Sleep deprivation
A
- Refers to inadequate quantity and/or quality of sleep, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
- Total – no sleep within a 24-hour-period
- Partial sleep deprivation – some duration within a 24-hour-period, but the sleep duration is too short, or the quality of sleep is poorer than what’s normally required to feel fully rested.
(Full sleep dep. differs from total sleep dep.)
6
Q
Sleep quantity
A
- Amount of sleep.
- Objectively measured using time.
7
Q
Sleep quality
A
- How well we have slept
- E.g. how rested or recovered we feel upon waking.
- Subjectively measured through self-reports.
- Objectively measured through number of awakenings during a sleep episode.
8
Q
Sleep debt
A
-
The accumulated amount of sleep loss from insufficient sleep.
- [= Optimal amount of sleep - amount of sleep received]
- Only some of the sleep debt needs to be recovered.
9
Q
Affective effects of sleep deprivation
(A psychological effect)
A
- Changes in emotions and emotional responses.
- Mood changes
- Increased irritability and aggression
- Poor emotional regulation and increased reactivity causing amplified emotional responses
- Heightened anxiety
- Decreased empathy and facial recognition of emotions
10
Q
Behavioural effects of sleep deprivation
(A psychological effect)
A
- Changes in actions and the ability to control them.
- Sleep inertia and reduced alertness upon awakening
- Microsleeps and loss of conscious control of performance
- Slowed reaction time
- Increased risk-taking behaviours and clumsiness
11
Q
Cognitive effects of sleep deprivation
(A psychological effect)
A
- Changes in mental processes.
- Impaired attention span and concentration
- Impaired memory (encoding of STM, not retrieval)
- Poor decision-making and problem-solving caused by irrational thoughts
- Decreased ability to complete simple, monotonous tasks (i.e. overlooking details)
12
Q
Physiological effects of sleep deprivation
A
- Headaches and increased pain sensitivity
- Slurred speech and trembling hands
- Drooping eyelids, staring and inability to focus eyes
- Fatigue and a lack of energy
13
Q
Sleep inertia
A
- A temporary period of reduced alertness and performance impairment that occurs immediately after awakening (from deprived sleep or N3).
- Feelings of grogginess and disorientation
- Slower reaction time
14
Q
Microsleeps
A
- A sleep episode that lasts for a few seconds
- Does not count as a major sleep episode because it does comprise NREM/REM periods.
15
Q
Blood-alcohol concentration (BAC)
A
- Percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream.
- BAC above 0.05 = negative effects on affective and cognitive functioning.
(a)l(c)ohol = affective and cognitive
