Sleep Flashcards
why is sleep a psychological construct?
because it is an entity we believe to exist because we can measure its effects but not the entity itself
what is a psychological construct?
an agreed upon description and understanding of psychological phenomena which cannot be overtly measured or observed
what are the states of consciousness?
- normal waking consciousness
- altered states of consciousness
what is normal waking consciousness?
the state of consciousness that most people spend the majority of their time in
- Characterised by the ability to be aware of both internal and external stimuli
what is altered states of consciousness?
a broad term that covers any state of consciousness that differs from normal waking consciousness
what are the types of ASCs?
- induced altered state of consciousness
- naturally occurring states of consciousness
what is consciousness?
the awareness of internal and external stimuli
what are the characteristics of sleep?
- reduced ability to control behaviour
- less accurate understanding of the passage of time
- reduction in the control we have over thoughts
characteristics of REM sleep
- highly active brain & less active body
- virtually paralysed from the neck down
- relatively light stage and the sleeper can be woken fairly easily
- vivid dreaming that can be frequently recalled
- time spent in REM increases as the sleep episode goes on
characteristics of NREM sleep
- sleeper is considered to have a less active brain
- physical movement is possible as the body is more active
- movement decreases as NREM progresses
- dreams are non-vivid and not frequently recalled
- approx 75-80% of a sleep episode is spent in NREM
What are the key characteristics of NREM 1?
- sleeper transitions from being awake into a light sleep
- signified by the hypnagogic state where people experience a sudden jerk
- sleeper looses awareness of themselves and their surroundings
- still aware of faint sounds and can be easily woken
what are the key characteristics of NREM 2?
- sleeper is in a relatively light sleep
- in this stage the sleeper is considered truely asleep due to the type of brain waves occurring
what are the key characteristics of NREM 3?
- sleeper is considered in a deep sleep and difficult to wake
- sleepwalking and sleep talking most likely to occur
what is an electroencephalograph (EEG)?
a device that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the brain
what are the key characteristic of an EEG?
- Electrical impulses are detected by the EEG and then presented as brain wave patterns
- Measure the electrical impulses made by the neurons
- In Normal waking consciousness the EEG will show higher frequency and a lower amplitude
- In an altered state of consciousness the EEG will show lower frequency and a higher amplitude
what is an advantage of EEGS?
useful for sleep studies or diagnoses of patients with brain damage or a neurological or mental disorder, such as tumours, sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s
what is a disadvantage of EEGS?
it measures neural activity underneath a thick skull and therefore is no entirely precise, and it cannot pinpoint or identify dysfunctional areas of the brain like an MRI
what is an electromyograph (EMG)?
a device that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the bodys muscles by attaching electrodes to the skin
What are the key characteristics of an EMG?
-Muscle movement and tension used to identify the different stages of sleep
- REM sleep the EMG will show low activity due to low levels of physiological activity
- During NREM sleep the EMG will show medium/moderate activity as there is some physiological activity
- As NREM progresses an EMG will show lower levels of activity
what is an electro-oculograph (EOG)?
a device that detects, amplifies and records the electrical activity of the muscles around the eye responsible for eye movement
What are the key characteristics of an EOG?
-Movement of eye muscles is measured by electrodes that are attached to the skin above the muscles
- REM an EOG is likely to show high activity
- During NREM sleep an individual doesn’t experience rapid eye movement- EOG is likely to show low activity
what is a sleep diary?
a record containing self-reported descriptions from an individual about their sleeping periods