Consciousness Flashcards
consciousness
awareness of the world and self
circadian rhythm
the cycle in biochemical, physiological, and behavioral processes of living entities
set by light
regulated by melatonin
owls
night people
more commonly are younger or extroverts
larks
morning people
more commonly are older or introverts
sleep
reduced or absent consciousness, suppression of sensation, less reactions to stimuli, and the elimination of voluntary activity
parts of the brain involved in sleep
hypothalamus
thalamus
reticular formation
stages of sleep
awake awake and drowsy stage 1 stage 2 stage 3 stage 4 REM
how long do stages 1-4 last?
50-70 mins
how long does REM sleep last?
10-15 mins
how much does the average American sleep per night?
6.8 hrs
why do we sleep? (hypotheses)
reduce danger
conserve energy
restore body resources
remove brain toxins
dreams
involuntary brain activity during sleep
reported as ideas, images, emotions, and sensations
common dreams
flying naked in a crowd not being prepared being trapped being chased dying falling
are dreams mostly negative or positive?
negative
parts of the brain involved in dreaming
pons
amygdala
hippocampus
Freud’s wish fulfillment
dreams express unacceptable feelings and desires
information processing
dreams select and test cognitive options
activation synthesis
dreams are stories that the waking brain weaves about neural activity that is evoked during REM sleep
memory consolidation
dreams preserve neural pathways
parasomnias
sleeping disorders that involve abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and dreams
sleeptalking
parasomniac sleep disorder that occurs in any stage of the sleep cycle
sleepwalking
parasomniac sleep disorder that occurs when the brain is partially aroused
night terrors
parasomniac sleep disorder that occurs in the non-REM stages of sleep
nightmares
parasomniac sleep disorder that occurs in the REM stage of sleep
dyssomnias
sleeping disorders characterized by abnormal sleeping patterns
narcolepsy
dyssomniac sleep disorder that causes uncontrollable attack of REM sleep during the day
sleep apnea
dyssomniac sleep disorder that causes periods of stopped breathing during sleep
insomnia
dyssomniac sleep disorder that causes difficulty to fall or stay asleep
how to sleep better
maintain consistent hours of sleep avoid caffeine or food before sleeping relaxing bedtime routine only use the bed for sex and sleep get out of bed if you can't sleep
meditation
practice that brings mental processes under greater voluntary control
enhances calmness, clarity, concentration, and well-being
increases the amount of theta and alpha waves
decreases the amount of beta waves
mindfulness
paying attention in a particular way on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally
