Chapter 5 - Consciousness Flashcards
consciousness
our subjective experience of the world, our own bodies, and our mental perspectives
awareness
attention
ability to select relevant information and ignore irrelevant information
contents of working memory
what is in your mind right now; ability to manipulate information
what level of consciousness is sleep?
minimal
what is full consciousness?
aware of environment, internal states, and sensory experiences
what is working memory?
a cognitive system responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information.
It is essential for tasks that require active information processing, such as problem-solving, decision-making, and language comprehension.
what did sleep use to be thought of?
as a state where we turn off completely.
this is not true as we can be aroused in our sleep
what is sleep important for?
health and daily functioning
related to maintaining health, memory, learning, and the immune system
how much of our life do we spend sleeping?
1/3 of our lives
what are the levels of consciousness that involve changing levels of brain activity?
awake - low voltage - irregular, fast
drowsy - 8 to 12 cps - alpha waves
circadian rhythm
cyclical changes that occur on a roughly 24-hour basis in many biological processes
what is the sleep cycle governed by?
circadian rhythm
what influences melatonin production?
exposure to light
when we look at the phone before bed, we are exposing the suprachiasmatic nucleus which makes our body more alert as it is telling our body that it is daytime.
what is the biological clock?
term for the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that controls levels of alertness
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
(SCN) is a small, paired structure in the hypothalamus of the brain that serves as the body’s master biological clock. It regulates the circadian rhythms of many physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone secretion, and core body temperature.
what is the biological clock sensitive to?
nature’s day/night cycles
what are all creatures affected by?
biological clock
what are brain wave patterns measured by?
EEG
what do humans repeatedly pass through?
five stages of sleep
stage 1 sleep
Light stage of sleep
Lasts 5-10 minutes
Move from Alpha waves (relaxed) to Theta waves
Flitting images and sudden jerky movements may occur
stage 2 sleep
broken up by sleep spindles and k complexes
spindles: short, intense bursts of electrical activity
K Complexes: sharp rise and fall in wave amplitude
sleep spindle
a brief burst of brain activity that occurs during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
It’s characterized by distinctive waves on an electroencephalogram (EEG)
they are thought to play a role in memory consolidation and sleep maintenance.
k complex
high-amplitude brain wave that occurs during stage 2 of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
It’s typically triggered by external or internal stimuli and is thought to play a role in protecting sleep by suppressing arousal from irrelevant stimuli.
engaging in processes of deeper sleep
stage 3 & 4 sleep
Deep sleep
Delta waves are more prevalent
Necessary for feeling fully rested
Downregulate blood flow, heart rate, and blood pressure
Stage 5: REM sleep
Rapid eye movements (REM)
Increase in heart rate, breathing
Dreams are most prevalent
Sleep paralysis
what stage of sleep is prevalent 50 % of the time?
3 & 4
what is sleep paralysis?
temporary inability to move or speak that occurs when a person is waking up or falling asleep. It is usually accompanied by vivid hallucinations and is caused by the body’s normal paralysis during REM sleep persisting into wakefulness.
what stage occupies 20 -25% of our sleep?
REM
what is REM behavior disorder?
REM Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder in which a person acts out their dreams during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. It is characterized by a lack of muscle atonia, which normally occurs during REM sleep, and can result in potentially dangerous behaviors such as kicking, punching, or running.
patterns for the sleep stage
Awake - beta waves
calm wakefulness - alpha waves
stage 1 - theta waves
stage 2 - sleep spindles and k complexes
stage 3 & 4 - delta waves
REM sleep
what is sleep good for?
restorative process
sleep and physical health
tissue regeneration; hormones release; immune functions
sleep and mental health
Irritability; stress, anxiety, and even depression can be affected by a lack of sleep
sleep and learning
memory consolidation; emotional memories; trouble focusing if sleep deprived
sleep and problem solving
creative problem solving
Sleep is essential for problem-solving because it helps consolidate and integrate new information and memories, allowing the brain to make new connections and associations that can enhance problem-solving abilities.
sleep and evolution and survival
conserve energy; avoid night
helps to deal with threats throughout the day
how was sleep originally thought to aid memory?
by reducing incoming stimuli
what is sleep now viewed as?
active in consolidating memory
consolidation
the process of making memories more permanent
what was the idea back in the day regarding consolidation?
that new information would alter your memory.
Sleep can give us a break from that.
Now viewed as an active process of consolidation (the process of making memories more permanent)
Can make inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) that memory is consolidating new information
how much sleep do most people need?
7 to 10 hours of sleep
Varies by age
how much sleep do newborns need?
16 hours per day
how much sleep do children need? (10 +) & teens
10 hours per day; 8.5-9 hours per day
how much sleep do university students need?
up to 9 hours
how much sleep do adults need?
7 - 9 hours per day
what is DEC2 gene mutation?
Some people need as few as 4 to 6 hours per day
