chapter 5 Flashcards
consciousness
refers to what we are aware of at any point of time and incudes perception, thoughts and feelings.
infradian rhythms
biological rhythms that cycle over a period longer than a day (like female menstrual cycles)
ultradian rhythms
biological rhythms that cycle over a period shorter than a day (hormone levels)
circadian rhythms
biological rhythms that cycle over a 24 hour period (sleeping/waking cycle)
suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus
the structure is responsible for coordinating our circadian rhythms with exposure to sunlight in the hypothalamus.
pineal gland
releases hormones called melatonin that contributes to our level or alertness. the more melatonin the less alertness and more sleepiness. highest at night
entrainment
the synchronization of biological rhythms with external cues, such as light or temperature
endogenous rhythms
external cues do not modify some of our biological rhythms.
what happens while we sleep?
demonstrates a circadian rhythm, while we are sleeping we go through shorter ultradian rhythms.
polysomnography
these measures include body temperature, breathing rate and sensors for measuring muscle activity and electroencephalogram (EEG)
beta waves
high frequency low amplitude waves that dominate when we are awake and alert
alpha wave
as a person transitions into sleep the frequency slows down a bit and the amplitude of the wave increases a bit
4 stages of sleep
- theta waves: brain waves are slower and amplitude increases, slower breathing
- sleep spindles and k complexes: after 15 mins is when spindles appear which is a burst of high frequency. k complexes are bursts of high amplitude waves
- delta waves: around 20 minutes. low frequency high amplitude waves. continues into stage 4 which is the deepest level of sleep.
REM sleep
over an hour of sleeping and then in reverse to stage 1,
brain waves are faster in this stage, along with heart rate and breathing rates.
stages 1-4 are also referred to as non-rem sleep
sleep deprivation
can lead to determination in mental and physical health
weakens immune system
preserve and protect hypothesis
the idea that sleep serves function of conserving our energy and keeping us out trouble in the nighttime.
our eyes are not well functioned in the dark
animals that sleep the most tend to be at the least risk for getting eaten such as bats and lions
sleep displacement
when we are unable to sleeping during our normal sleeping time. this tends to occur when we travel across time zones.
jet lag: uncomfortable period of adjustment while our biological rhythms synchronize with a new time zone after traveling.
insomnia
inability to sleep. diagnose based on how rested people feel during their waking hours.
types of insomnia
onset insomnia: problems getting to sleep
maintenance insomnia: trouble getting a full nights sleep from waking up too early
terminal insomnia: trouble getting a full nights sleep from waking up too early
secondary insomnia: difficulty sleeping caused by some primary influence like chronic pain, drug use, anxiety or depression
night terrors
- less common. intense emotional reaction during sleep that cause screaming thrashing around and waking up in a state of panic
- not dreams
restless leg syndrome
a persistent urge to continually shift the positions of ones leg.
somnambulism
sleep walking. walking around or engaging in other activities while one is asleep. more common in children
sexomnia
sleep sex
engaging in sexual activity during sleep, including touching oneself or others and talking dirty
REM behavior disorder
physically actingout the action that one is performing as part of the dream