Chapter 7a Flashcards
Sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation inadequate quantity and/ or quality of sleep (inc bad sleep due to light sleep in NREM stage 1 and 2 aka quality)
Full and partial sleep deprivation
Full sleep deprivation when an individual has no sleep within a 24-hour- period
Partial sleep deprivation when an individual sleeps for some duration within a 24-hour-period, but the sleep duration is too short, or the quality of sleep is poor
Sleep deprivation affect behaviour and cognitive effect
Affect’ is a term used in psychology to describe the experience, regulation, and expression of emotions.
- poor emotional regulation; resulting in amplified emotional responses that are out of proportion (exaggerated) in comparison to normal emotional responses • irritability and moodiness • increase in negative emotions • reduced ability to cope with stress • difficulty judging other people’s emotions • reduced empathy towards others • impaired ability to appropriately respond to situations; thus, people may overreact (emotionally) to minor things and experience emotional outbursts • increase in aggression and impatience • increase in mood swings.
effects refer to the changes in actions and the ability to control them that arise from sleep deprivation. Behavioral effects are the observable changes in behavio
- excessive sleepiness during the day • increased likelihood of engaging in risk-taking behaviours • fatigue/lack of energy slowed reaction time • reduced efficiency; thus, it takes more time to complete tasks • reduced motor control and heightened clumsiness, contributing to higher rates of accidents and injuries • involuntary lapses into microsleeps (where the individual briefly falls asleep for a few seconds without awareness of doing so) • diminished social functioning and impaired control of behavior.
Cognitive effects of sleep deprivation 4.1.4.2.3 Cognition refers to the mental processes an individual performs in order to understand and process information. Therefore, cognitive effects refer to the changes in mental processes that arise from sleep deprivation.
- reduced concentration • impairment of short-term memory; thus, diminishing the ability to actively process and mentally manipulate information • diminished ability to perform cognitive tasks, particularly as the duration of the task increases • lapses in attention • impaired decision-making processes and problem-solving abilities • diminished creativity and ability to utilize abstract thought • reduced retention of information; thus, impaired learning and memory processes • irrational and/or illogical thinking • more time spent analyzing situations and a greater likelihood of overlooking important details • impaired visual and spatial ability.
BAC relation to sleep
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of how much alcohol is in a person’s bloodstream. If a person’s BAC is 0.05, there are 0.05 grams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood in that person’s body. Because alcohol is a depressant drug, it will slow down the nervous system and decrease alertness, concentration, reflexes, and decision-making. In this way, the higher a person’s BAC, the more their cognition and affect might be impaired or changed.
Dawson and Reid found that a 0.05 is equivalent to 17 hours of sleep deprivation (partial sleep deprivation) 0.10 is roughly equivalent to 24 hr of sleep deprivation (full sleep deprivation)
Affect and cognitive difference in effects of BAC to sleep deprivation
Affective effects of sleep deprivation compared to blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 4.1.4.3.1
Generally speaking, sleep deprivation negatively affects someone’s emotional functioning, making them more irritable or sensitive. Alcohol on the other hand can have a range of effects on someone’s emotions, including making them feel:
• happy and excited
• angry
• sad.
The impact of alcohol on an individual’s emotional state can differ in the short-term and long-term. In the short-term, alcohol is more likely to have a range of emotional effects as previously described. However, in the long-term, alcohol is more likely to have a dulling effect on emotions as it is a depressant drug.
difficulty judging the emotions of others and experiencing more amplified emotional responses. For sleep deprivation and alcohol
Cognitive effects of sleep deprivation compared to blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 4.1.4.3.2
. A BAC of 0.10 impairs cognition in a way that is comparable to having 24 hours of sleep deprivation (full sleep deprivation), while a BAC of 0.05 impairs cognition in a way that is comparable to experiencing 17 hours of partial sleep deprivation. Such cognitive impairments can include:
• slower mental processes, such as reduced speed in processing and understanding information
• decreased ability to reason and problem solve
• greater difficulty making sense of the world
• reduced ability to make decisions quickly and effectively
• cognitive distortions.
