Module 5.1 - Sleep Flashcards
consciousnes
a persons subjective awareness, including thoughts, perceptions, experiences of the world and self-awareness
moment to moment experiences
consciousness
can we experience altered states of consciousness?
Yes
true or false: mental activity only occurs when we are conscious
FALSE: mental activity can occur even when we are not conscious
Biological rhythms
patterns of behaviour - ranging from hormones to over actions - that cycle within days, weeks, months or years
what are biological rhythms often adapted to?
cycles in an organisms environment
what are the 3 types of biological rhythms?
1) Infradian rhythm
2) Ultradian rhythm
3) Circadian rhythms
Infradian rhythm
any rhythm that occurs over a period of time longer than a day
circannual rhythm means what?
literally means “a yearly cycle”
what is an example of the infradian rhythm?
menstrual cycle
ultradian rhythm
any rhythm that occurs more frequently than once a day
what is an example of the ultradian rhythm?
heart rate, urination and some hormonal activity occurs in 90-120 minute cycles
circadian rhythms
internally driven daily cycles of approx 24 hours affecting the physiological and behavioural processes
what is an example of the circadian rhythms?
sleep-wake cycle and fluctuations in hunger
suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
a part of the hypothalamus that receives input from the retina about light levels
what gland does the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) communicate with?
Pineal gland
what hormone does the pineal gland release?
melatonin
melatonin
a sleep related hormone whose levels peak at night time and are reduced during wakefulness
where does information about melatonin go?
hypothalamus
entrainment
when biological rhythms become synchronized to external cues such as light, temperature or even a clock
endogenous rhythms
biological rhythms that are generated by our body independent of external cues such as light
what does your degree of alertness depend on?
where you are in your circadian rhythm
as people age they tend to require less sleep, particularly from the stage known as _________.
REM sleep
what are the 2 ways of measuring sleep?
polysomnography and electroencephalography (EEG)
Polysomnography
a set of objective measurements used to examine physiological variables during sleep
what can polysomnography include?
heart rate, eye movements, respiration rate, muscle contractions and brain activity
Electroencephalography (EEG)
a device that measures brain waves using sensors attached to the scalp. these waveforms are described by their frequency and amplitude
how do the stages of sleep in humans work?
humans move from stage 1 through stage 4 and then cycle back to stage 1
REM sleep
a stage of sleep characterized by quickening brain waves inhibited body movement and rapid eye movements (REM)
Stage 4 sleep
= “deep sleep”
when is stage 4 sleep most common?
early in the night
when is REM sleep most common?
just before we wake up
Restore and Repair Hypothesis
the idea that the body needs to restore energy levels and repair any wear and tear experienced during the days activities
what does lack of sleep eventually lead to?
cognitive decline, emotional disturbances and impaired functioning of the immune system
how does sleep save us energy?
sleep weakens the connections between neurons, thus reducing activity at night
how long do lions sleep at nigh?
15-18 hours
how long do gazelles sleep at night?
approx 4 hours
preserve and protect hypothesis
the idea that 2 more adaptive functions of sleep are preserving energy and protecting the organism from harm
sleep deprivation
occurs when an individual cannot or does not sleep
what 2 things can sleep deprivation be due to?
external causes (noisy neighbours) or internal causes (studying all night)
sleep displacement
occurs when an individual is prevented from sleeping at the normal time although she may be able to sleep earlier or later in the day than usual
Jet Lag
the discomfort a person feels when sleep cycles are out of synchronization with light and darkness
true or false: it is typically easier to adjust when travelling east
FALSE: it is typically easier to adjust when travelling west because it is easier to stay up later than to go to sleep earlier
what was the first modern attempt to study dreams?
Freud’s 1899 book “The Interpretation of Dreams”
Manifest Content
involves the images and storylines that we dream about
Latent Content
the symbolic meaning of a dream built on suppressed sexual or aggressive urges
Problem Solving Theory
the theory that thoughts and concerns are continuous from waking to sleeping, and that dreams may function to facilitate finding solutions to problems encountered while awake
activation-synthesis hypothesis
suggests that dreams arise from brain activity originating from bursts of excitatory messages from the pons, a part of the brainstem.
what is the activation portion of the activation-sythesis hypothesis?
bursts of excitatory messages from the pons (a part of the brain stem)
what is the synthesis portion of the activation-synthesis hypothesis?
the cortex tries to make sense of the images, sounds and memories stimulated by this activity
what percent of our total sleep does REM and dreaming make up?
20-25%
True or false: students have more REM during the finals period than during the summer
True
Insomnia
a disorder characterized by an extreme lack of sleep
how many Canadians have insomia
1/7 or 3.3 million people
true or false: Insomnia is defined by a specific amount of sleep
FALSE: insomnia is not defined by a specific amount of sleep; it is related to the degree to which a person feels rested
onset insomnia
trouble falling asleep
maintenance insomnia
middle of the night, wake up, unable to fall back asleep
terminal insomnia/early morning insomnia
wake up much earlier than wanting to and unable to fall back asleep
nightmares
particularly vivid and disturbing dreams that occur during REM sleep
what can nightmares be related to?
anxiety and emotional reactivity
True or False: nightmares are more common in females
true
Night Terrors
intense bouts of panic and arousal that awaken the individual, typically in a heightened emotional state
Restless Legs Syndrome
a persistent feeling of discomfort in the legs and the urge to continuously shift them into different positions
what could restless legs syndrome be a result of?
iron deficiency
somnambulism (sleep-walking)
a disorder that involves wandering and performing other activities while asleep
when does sleep walking occur?
during NREM sleep, stages 3 and 4 and is more prevalent during childhood
REM behaviour disorder
the acting out of ones dreams
Sexomnia (sleep sex)
engaging in sexual activity such as the touching of the self or others, vocalizations, and sex themed talk while in stage 3 and 3 sleep
Sleep Apnea
a disorder characterized by the temporary inability to breath during sleep (apnea literally translates to “without breathing”)
True or false: sleep apnea is more common in females and thinner people
FALSE: sleep apnea is more common in males and overweight individuals
what is sleep apnea generally caused by? What are rare cases of sleep apnea caused by?
generally caused by obstructed airways, however, in rare cases sleep apnea can be caused by brainstem dysfunction
narcolepsy
a disorder in which a person experiences extreme daytime sleepiness and even sleep attacks
how many canadians experience narcolepsy
30,000 canadians
what is narcolepsy related to?
the hormone orexin which maintains wakefulness
cataplexy
complete loss of muscle tons
sleep hygiene
healthy sleep related habits that often allow people to overcome sleep disturbances in a matter of a few weeks
