Chapter 5 (part 2) - Purpose of Sleep Flashcards
what is sleeping good for?
a restorative process
sleeping and physical health
helps our tissues and muscles regenerate
hormones are released which helps us to regulate the body in a variety of ways.
how does sleeping help mental health?
we need sleep to function properly.
Irritations such as stress, anxiety, and even depression can be affected by lack of sleep.
without sleep, normal and everyday things won’t seem tolerable.
how does sleep help learning?
memory consolidation; emotional memories; trouble focusing if sleep deprived. Attention is impacted with less sleep; our mind will wonder and we may doze off.
evolution and survival
conserve energy; avoid night
how does sleep help learning?
memory consolidation; emotional memories; trouble focusing if sleep deprived. Attention is impacted by less sleep; our minds will wander and we may doze off.
what is short-term sleep deprivation?
can impact you over time
not overly significant
- Groggy; feel “out of it”
- Irritability
- Loss of concentration
- Problems with judgment
- Driving Errors
- Physically tired
- Can lead to “sleep debt”
what is long-term sleep deprivation?
- more serious
- will also experience the same symptoms as
short term sleep deprivation - More prone to accidents (driving; workplace)
- More likely to suffer from the disease
- Early mortality
how can we sleep better?
Stick to a sleep schedule
Use light to your advantage
Create a sleep space
Get ready for sleep with relaxing activities
how do we stick to a sleep schedule?
- keep routine on weekends
- regulate the internal clock
- better patterns will help with long-term health
how to use light to your advantage
- expose yourself to light in the morning
- avoid bright light, such as screen, before bed
- when we start at technology this will send signals to the suprachiasmatic Nucleaus
- expose yourself to light in the morning (regulate circadian rhythm)
SCN
(SCN) is a small group of cells located in the hypothalamus of the brain. It is considered to be the master clock that regulates the circadian rhythms of the body, which are the internal biological rhythms that cycle approximately every 24 hours.
create a sleep space
- the bed is for sleeping
- keep it cool: 15 - 19 degrees c (cool external environment)
- no noise or lights
- exercise not a good idea before bed
get ready for sleep with relaxing activities
- read, take a bath, music, medication
- avoid stimulating activities right before bed, such as work and exercise
when should we avoid stimulants?
within 4-6 hours of sleep
Coffee/caffeine, nicotine
what should we avoid before bed?
heavy meals near bed time
- within 3 hours
- light snack If hungry
what should we do during the day so we sleep better?
exercise
- vigorous best but any will do
- movement regulates the body
what is insomnia?
difficulty falling and staying asleep
symptoms of insomnia
Trouble falling asleep (>30 minutes to fall asleep)
Waking up too early in the morning
Waking up during the night and having trouble returning to sleep
what percent of people report chronic insomnia?
9-15% of people report chronic insomnia
possible causes of insomnia
Poor nighttime routine
Some medications; Alcohol consumption
Anxiety, including lack of sleep
what is subjective insomnia?
people who complain they lack sleep but show normal patterns of sleep
why are sleeping pills questionable?
Some people may need them, but they can cause problems:
- some pills are known to cause memory issues
- possible to develop a tolerance and need more
- can be associated with forms of dementia
Psychotherapy may be as or more effective
what are night terrors?
sudden walking episodes characterized by screaming, perspiring, and confusion, followed by a return to deep sleep. usually only last a few minutes
who do night terrors typically affect?
children
what is sleep walking?
- walking while fully asleep
- walk like a fully awake person; slightly clumsier
- children sleepwalk more than adults
- sleepwalking occurs during non-REM sleep
- often involves mundane activities
what do scientists not know?
why we dream
- most people report dreaming
what are some ideas as to why we dream?
- processing emotional memories
- integrating new experiences with established
memories - learning new strategies
-stimulating threatening events
- reorganizing and consolidating memories
what is Freud’s Dream Protection Theory?
Dreams are the guardians (protectors) of sleep
- dreams allow primal urges to be expressed without disturbing sleep
- a way to fulfill deep-routed wishes
dreams serve as a defense mechanism to protect the unconscious mind from repressed thoughts and desires that may be too threatening or anxiety-provoking to face directly in waking life. According to this theory, the manifest content of a dream (the actual events and images that are experienced) serves as a disguise or distortion of the latent content (the underlying unconscious wishes or fears).
how does the dream work to disguise the content?
Freud believed that dream work, which is the process by which the unconscious transforms the latent content of a dream into manifest content, uses various mechanisms to disguise the true meaning of the dream.
what is manifest content?
the images and details of the dream
what is latent content?
the dream’s true meaning
what does understanding dreams require
careful interpretation
how was Freud’s dream protection theory disproved?
dreams are often negative so therefore not fulfilling wishes
Freud thought sexuality plays the dominant role in human life; 90 of dreams are not sexual
what is activation-synthesis Theory?
Dreams reflect brain activation during sleep and the forebrain’s attempt to combine the fragments of information into a narrative
what are dreams not about? (activation-synthesis Theory)
not about wishfulfillment
Activation:
incomplete signals are sent to LGN of Thalamus
what is the LGN of thalamus?
a small but essential structure located in the thalamus of the brain. It is part of the visual pathway and relays visual information from the retina to the visual cortex. The LGN receives input from the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain, and then projects this information to the primary visual cortex via optic radiations.
what is activation? (activation-synthesis Theory)
incomplete signals are sent to LGN of Thalamus
What is synthesis? (activation-synthesis Theory)
forebrain assembles the incomplete signals into a narrative.
often dreams are not logical
according to Hobson (2009), what do dreams reflect?
“Proto consciousness”
what is “proto consciousness”?
Preconsciousness refers to the level of mental processing that occurs outside of our conscious awareness but can be readily brought into consciousness with little effort or attention.
Neurocognitive Theory:
Dreams are the meaningful product of our cognitive capacities, which shape what we dream about
Age (range) specific dream content
what does Neurocognitive theory suggest?
suggests dreams are meaningful. Dreams are based on life experiences and may represent real or imagined realities.
What you dream about may not be the exact reality. We are dreaming about the things that matter or what we experience in the real world, not necessarily what is most important to us.
who tends to have more simple dreams?
young people as they don’t have as many life experiences in the real world. Adults have much more complex dreams which suggests that we are dreaming about important experiences in life.
This points to the act that we can adapt to life experiences
Dream continuity Hypotheses:
there is continuity between sleeping and waking experiences; dreams mirror life circumstances
People can dream of regular activities that reflect what is happening in their lives
what is “typical” in regard to dream continuity?
When people spend more time doing something in normal time, they usually dream about those activities much more
what are the hippocampus and amygdala related to?
related to conscious experience
what do scientists disagree on? (dreams and consciousness)
how directly dreams reflect waking consciousness
what is there evidence towards?
activation and dream continuity hypothesis
what is lucid dreaming?
experience of becoming aware that one is dreaming
bizarre content can trigger awareness that one is in a dream
what does lucid dreaming theory suggest?
that becoming consciously aware of dreams is a learnable skill
we can control the content and direction of dreams
LaBerg et al, 1981 (lucid dreaming)
Previous evidence linked dreamers’ gaze to particular movements of the eyes in REM sleep
Asked participants to execute distinctive
patterns of voluntary eye movements when they realized they were dreaming - - these patterns appeared
LaBerge et al, 1981 (what happens when they shine a red light?)
When you look around in your dream there are predictable eye movements
will shine red light while dreaming to let you know you’re in a dream state and can then respond with eye movements
It’s been suggested that lucid dreaming disturbs normal sleep patterns
what is meditation?
states of consciousness characterized by tranquility and a detachment from the external world
encourages well-being and knowledge if the self
what are the types and techniques od meditation?
Concentrative: focus on breathing, a word, or object
Mindfulness: focus on momentary experience without judgment
Absence of thought: free the mind of any thoughts
What does research suggest in regard to meditation?
Generally positive effects
Brain-imaging studies show increased cortical thickness in people who meditate
Age-related decreases in cortical thickness were absent in regular meditators
without hard control group it’s difficult to understand what has helped
what is hypnosis?
set of techniques that provides people with suggestions for alterations in the perceptions, thoughts, feeling and behaviors
what is hypnotic induction?
minimizes focus on external stimuli and created relaxation
not a __; but some effects beyond placebo
not a trance
improvements in some therapies
pain relief
what do people differ in?
their hypnotizability
Low: 15-20% follow 0-4 suggestions
Medium: 60-70% following 5-8 suggestions
High: 15-20% follow 9-12 suggestions
what are some misconceptions about hypnosis?
- Hypnosis produces a trance
- Hypnosis is a unique state of consciousness
- Hypnosis is a dreamlike state
- Hypnotized people are unaware of their surroundings
- Hypnotized people forget what happened during hypnosis
- Hypnosis enhances memory
What have humans been using drugs for?
to alter consciousness for thousands of years
what do drugs contain?
chemicals that are similar to endogenous chemicals
what is the effect of drugs affected by?
psychological and genetic variables
why is the use of drugs problematic?
both legal and illegal dugs can be abused
what is the diagnosis of substance use disorder?
when a person experiences recurrent, significant impairment or distress associate with one or more drugs
what is the new diagnostic category of substance abuse disorder and what does it include?
includes both substance abuse and substance dependence
what does substance abuse cause?
use causes recurrent problems in the home, at work, school, or with the law
what does substance dependence include?
symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal
what is tolerance (substance abuse)
reduction in the effect of a drug as a result of repeated use, requiring users to consume greater quantities to achieve the same effect
what is physical dependence?
non-physiological dependence on a drug occurs when continued use of the drug Is motivated by intense cravings
what are depressants?
depress or reduce stimulation in the central nervous system
alcohol nd sedative - hypnotics
what is alcohol considered?
the most widely consumed and abused drug
80% of Canadians over 15 used alcohol in the last year
what are the effects of alcohol?
Increases feeling of relaxation, elevates mood, make people more “social” (talkative)
Impairs judgment
Higher doses lead to impairment of thinking, concentration, and motor coordination
Driving impairment
what are sedative-hypnotics?
Sedative hypnotics are a class of drugs that are used to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and induce sleep. They work by depressing the central nervous system, which can lead to a decrease in brain activity and a general feeling of calmness and drowsiness
what are the 3 types of sedative-hypnotics?
barbiturates
nonbarbiturates
benzodiazepines
barbiturates
Barbiturates are a class of drugs that act as central nervous system depressants. They were commonly used as sedatives and hypnotics in the past, but have been largely replaced by benzodiazepines and other newer drugs due to their high potential for abuse, addiction, and overdose.
Barbiturates work by enhancing the effects of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which leads to a decrease in brain activity and a general feeling of relaxation and sedation. They can also be used as anticonvulsants to prevent seizures.
what are nonbarbiturates?
Non-barbiturates are a class of drugs that act as central nervous system depressants but are structurally different from barbiturates. They are often used as sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and induce sleep.
One example of a non-barbiturate sedative-hypnotic is zolpidem (brand name Ambien). This drug is commonly prescribed for the short-term treatment of insomnia and works by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA, which leads to a decrease in brain activity and a general feeling of relaxation and sedation.
what are benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that act as central nervous system depressants and are used primarily for their anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and sedative effects. They work by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA, which leads to a decrease in brain activity and a general feeling of relaxation and sedation.
what are sedative-hypnotics prescribed for?
anxiety and insomnia
barbiturates can also be used as an anesthesia
what are sedative-hypnotics used for?
used recreationally or because dependence develops through medicinal use
what can sedative-hypnotics cause?
difficulties with memory, moto functions, and attention
which sedative-hypnotic can lead to death?
barbiturate overdose
how do stimulants work?
excite the central nervous system
- nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines
what does nicotine do?
relaxation and alertness
they are addictive
what does cocaine do
euphoria, sense of enhances mental and physical abilities, self-confidence
decrease in hunger and fatigue
addictive; especially concentrated (crack)
what does cocaine do
euphoria, sense of enhances mental and physical abilities, self-confidence
decrease in hunger and fatigue
addictive; especially concentrated (crack)
what are amphetamines?
prescribed for ADHD
used recreationally; avoid euphoric “rush”
what are methamphetamines?
highly addictive and destructive
commonly known as meth, is a powerful stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.
what are narcotics?
act on opioid receptors in the brain
drugs that relieve pain and induce sleep
what are some examples of opiate drugs? (narcotics)
heroin, morphine, codeine, fentanyl
what are narcotics typically used for?
medically to treat pain
have a depressive effect on nervous system
what happens with withdrawal and overdose on narcotics?
high doses can be lethal
synthetic opiates (ex: fentanyl) are one of the most common causes of overdose deaths
what are examples of psychedelics?
LSD, Psilocybin Mushrooms, Mescaline, MDMA
what are psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a class of psychoactive drugs that can alter an individual’s perception, mood, and cognitive processes. These drugs can cause profound changes in thought processes and sensory perception, often resulting in a heightened state of consciousness.
what is hallucinogenic?
causing dramatic alterations of perception, mood, and thought
what do psychedelics create?
create euphoria, feeling of connectedness or “oneness”, intense sensory experiences
why is the term hallucinogenic/hallucinogens disliked?
its not accurate - causes distortions of reality, not hallucination
why is set and setting important when using psychedelics?
has to do with the mindset you have going into the experience as well as the environment
what is research investigating?
therapeutic effect
death anxiety, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
MAPS
what is marijuana?
also known as cannabis, is a psychoactive drug that is derived from the Cannabis plant. It is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs worldwide and is also used for medical purposes in some jurisdictions.
what is THC?
cannabinoid that causes psychoactive effects
what is marijuana typically used for?
recreationally for the “high”
feelings of relaxation and well-being
enhances sensory experiences
increased appetite, sleepiness
what are the negative effects of marijuana?
fatigue. memory impairment reduces concentration, anxiety, paranoia
what are the long-term negative effects of marijuana?
memory deficits; mental health issues in susceptible people; psychological dependence
what is being investigated in regard to marijuana?
therapeutic uses
pain, anxiety, PTSD, epilepsy, spasticity (e.g, in MS patients nausea)
