Chapter Seven Flashcards
Biological Rhythms
Periodic physiological fluctuations.
Includes: annual cycles; 28 day cycles; 24 hour cycles; 90 minute cycles
Consciousness
Our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Circadian Rhythm
The biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (like temperature, wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
A pair of pinhead-sized clusters of 20,000 cells that control the circadian clock
Melatonin
Sleep-inducing hormone produced by the brain’s pineal gland
Adenosine
Chemical that inhibits certain neurons, making us sleepy
REM (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep)
A recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also called paradoxical sleep because the muscles are relaxed while other body systems are active.
Alpha Waves
The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Sleep
Periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness- as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.
Hallucinations
False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
Hypnagogic Sensations
Life-like hallucinations that occur shortly after falling asleep (stage 1), such as the feeling of falling or floating
Sleep Spindles
Bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity occurring in stage 2
Delta Waves
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Insomnia
Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.
Affects 10-15% of adults.
Narcolepsy (“numbness seizure”)
A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.
Affects 1 in 2000.
Hypocretin
A neurotransmitter released by the hypothalamus that, when absent, causes narcolepsy
Sleep Apnea
A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.
Affects 1 in 20.
Night Terrors
A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during stage 4 sleep, within 2-3 of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered.
Dream
A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer’s delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it.
Lucid Dream
Dreams in which the dreamer is aware they are dreaming
Manifest Content
According to Freud, the remembered storyline of a dream (as distinct from its latent, or hidden, content)
Latent Content
According the Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream (as distinct from its manifest content). Freud believed that a dream’s latent content functions as a safety valve.
REM Rebound
The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)
Freud’s Wish-Fulfillment Dream Theory
Dreams provide a “psychic safety valve”- expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings; contain manifest (remembered) content and a deeper layer of latent content- a hidden meaning.
Lacks any scientific support; dreams may be interpreted in many different ways.
Information-Processing Dream Theory
Dreams help us sort out the day’s events and consolidate our memories.
Poses the question: Why do we sometimes dream about things we haven’t experienced?
Physiological Function Dream Theory
Regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways.
This may be true, but it doesn’t explain why we experience meaningful dreams.