Key terms Flashcards
Physical repair
Returning the body to a normal, healthy state
Slow wave sleep
A type of deep sleep where brain activity is slow
Emotional stability
Feeling normal and psychologically healthy
Sleep stages
Distinct periods of sleep which make up a cycle
REM
A stage at the end of the sleep cycle where sleepers’ eyes jerk and brain activity is high, leading to more dreaming in this stage than others
Endogenous pacemakers
Internal biological clocks that manage bodily rhythms
Exogenous zeitgebers
Features of the environment - either physical or social that help to manage bodily rhythms
Hypothalamus
A part of the brain that controls a number of key bodily functions
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
A part of the brain that regulates circadian rhythms
Melatonin
A hormone released in the brain that is responsible for regulating sleep
Pineal gland
An endocrine gland, found in the brain, which produces melatonin
Sleep disorders
Behaviours which affect the normal patterns of sleep
Sleep onset insomnia
Problems falling asleep
Sleep maintenance insomnia
Problems staying asleep
Freudian theory
A theory that looks at behaviour as a product of the dynamics of different parts of the personality
Unconscious mind
The part of the mind that people are not aware of but holds thoughts and memories
Repression
The process of pushing unpleasant thoughts and experiences into the unconscious mind
Wish fulfilment
Satisfying urges and desires
Dreams
A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep
Manifest content
What is actually experienced in a dream in terms of visual, auditory and other information
Latent content
The true meaning of a dream that is hidden in the manifest content
Activation synthesis theory
An explanation of dreams that focuses on the random activation of neurons and the brain’s efforts to make sense of this through synthesis
Pons
A part of the brain that operates as a message station
Brainstem
The central trunk of the brain that continues down to the spinal cord
Synthesise
To make sense of and give meanings to dreams
Insomnia
Inability to get asleep or stay asleep
Sleep hygiene
Strategies that support a good night’s sleep
Sympathetic nervous system
A division of the nervous system that controls the fight or flight response when faced with stress
Parasympathetic nervous system
A division of the nervous system that regulates organ and gland functions during rest, and counters the response of the sympathetic nervous system
