Chapter 4.3-4.6

Question 1

Biological Rhythms

Answer 1

natural cycles that the body must go through

Question 2

Circadian Rhythm (part of brain)

Answer 2

the sleep-wake cycle that occurs over a 24-hour period

Circadian rhythm is controlled by the hypothalamus (controls the glandular system)

Question 3

Melatonin (purpose and controller)

Answer 3

a hormone that suppresses the neurons that keep us awake and alert, resulting in sleepiness

Release is controlled by the pineal gland

Question 4

Suprachiasmatic

Answer 4

part of the hypothalamus that operates as an internal clock, telling people when to wake up and go to sleep

Question 5

Optimal Sleep (hours)

Answer 5

somewhere around 7-8 hours depending on person, age, and health

Question 6

Microsleeps:

Answer 6

brief sidesteps into sleep that last only a few seconds

Question 7

Theories of Sleep

Answer 7

1) Adaptive Theory

2) Restorative Theory

Question 8

Adaptive Theory (definition and explanation)

Answer 8

humans developed sleep patterns to avoid predators when predators are most active (night)

Predators sleep more and usually during the day without pressure of survival, while prey must sleep less and more efficiently. Nocturnal animals can afford to sleep at night because of their ability to hide during the day

Question 9

Restorative Theory (def and exp)

Answer 9

sleep is necessary to our physical health and serves to replenish chemicals and repair cellular damage

Enhances brain plasticity (ability to change), promotes bodily growth and repair, essential for forming memories and enhancing synaptic connections

Question 10

Takeaways from the sleep theories

Answer 10

Adaptive Theory explains when people sleep and Restorative Theory explains why people sleep

Question 11

Sleep Deprivation (impact on tasks)

Answer 11

significant loss of sleep resulting in concentration problems and irritability

complex tasks (controlled processes) suffer less than simple tasks (automatic processes), as people naturally focus harder

Question 12

Types of Brainwaves (4)

Answer 12

1) Beta-waves: small, fast waves, shown when awake and mentally active
2) Alpha-waves: medium-small waves, shown when someone is becoming drowzy
3) Theta-waves: medium-large waves, shown during the early stages of sleep
4) Delta-waves: large, slow waves, shown during the deepest stages of sleep

BATD

Question 13

Stages of Sleep (4)

Answer 13

1) NI
2) N2
3) N3
4) REM

Question 14

N1 (features)

Answer 14

Light sleep

• transition from Alpha - Theta waves
• may experience hypnogogic images or hallucinations
• Hypnic Jerk: relaxation of muscles causes a falling sensation, so the body reacts in a sudden jolt

Question 15

N2 (features)

Answer 15

further drift into sleep

• body temperature drops, heart-rate slows, shallow and irregular breathing
• Sleep Spindles: brief bursts of neural activity, associated with memory storage and recall
• People will remember being asleep if awoken

Question 16

N3 (features)

Answer 16

deep sleep

• Transition to delta waves, making up 50% of neural activity
• Growth Hormones are released by the pituitary gland
• people are incredibly hard to wake up during this period

Question 17

R: Rapid Eye Movement (def and features)

Answer 17

REM Sleep: stage of sleep where eyes move rapidly beneath the lids and dreams occur (90% of dreams)
- Sleep Paralysis: inability to voluntarily move your muscles during REM sleep (can result in hypnopompic hallucination)

Question 18

REM Behavior Disorder

Answer 18

a rare disorder where mechanism that blocks muscle movement during REM sleep fails, and person is able to thrash around and even act out nightmares

Usually occurs in men over the age of 60, may be a precursor for future neural breakdown (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s)

Question 19

REM vs. NREM Takeaway (4)

Answer 19

• after a physically stressful day people spend more time in NREM sleep, to rejuvenate body
• after an emotionally stressful day people spend more time in REM sleep, to release stress and anxiety
• Babies spend 50% of their time in REM sleep as opposed to 20% in adults
• No one stage is completely responsible for memory formation

Question 20

REM Rebound

Answer 20

increased amounts of REM sleep after being deprived of REM sleep during previous nights

Question 21

Nightmares

Answer 21

bad dreams during REM sleep

Question 22

Night Terrors

Answer 22

rarer than nightmares, person runs or screams without actually waking up (during N3, deep NREM sleep)

Question 23

Sleepwalking/Somnambulism (def and 2 characteristics)

Answer 23

moving or walking around the time of deep sleep

1) partially dependent on heredity
2) wide range of Somnambulism manifestations

Question 24

Insomnia (definition and 6 prevention techniques

Answer 24

the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get quality sleep

1) Go to bed only when sleepy
2) Only spend time in bed when trying to sleep (based on Classical Conditioning
3) Don’t try to hard to sleep or calculate how much sleep you need to get
4) Keep to a regular schedule
5) Don’t take sleeping pills that slow down your Nervous System (can cause REM rebound)
6) Exercise during the day

Question 25

Sleep Apnea

Answer 25

disorder when the person stops breathing for 10 or more seconds, preventing them from getting good sleep (5-25% of adults suffer)

Question 26

Narcolepsy (consequences)

Answer 26

sleep disorder when someone randomly falls into REM sleep during the day without warning (1/2000 people)

can results in Cataplexy: sudden muscle tone loss and injury due to falling