Sleep and the Unconscious Flashcards
Hypnagogic state
Transitional state from wakefulness to sleep; onset of sleep
Hypnic jerk
Sudden sensation of dropping
Hypnopompic state
Entering post-sleep consciousness
Circadian rhythm
A naturally occurring 24h cycle
What’s the circadian rhythm of humans?
A 25.1h circadian cycle of sleep and waking and is linked to the light-dark cycle
Zeitgebers
A cue given by the environment, such as a change in light or temperature, to reset the internal body clock.
Where did the first clues about the human sleep cycle come from?
EEG studies. During waking, there’s an alternation between high frequency activity (beta waves) during alertness and lower-frequency activity (alpha waves) during relaxation. Largest changes in EEG occur during sleep.
What is REM sleep characterized by?
High frequency beta waves, muscle paralysis, period of dreaming, and getting longer throughout the night
REM sleep disorder
Acting out dreams due to lack of muscle paralysis
What is the sleep-wake ratio?
1:2
What are some detrimental effects of sleep deprivation?
Deterioration of memories, mood problems and decrease in cognitive performance
Which stages of sleep is most detrimental to be deprived of?
REM sleep deprivation has the most detrimental effects, followed by slow-wave sleep (stages 3 and 4).
Restorative theory
Suggests sleep allows the brain and body to rest and repair themselves
What is insomnia?
Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep (15% of adults)
How does the ironic process of mental control affect insomnia?
Anxiety about insomnia often exacerbates insomnia
What is the problem with sleeping pills?
They promote sleep but reduce the proportion of REM and slow-wave sleep
Somnambulism (sleepwalking)
A person arises and walks during sleep. Peaks around ages 11-12, 25% of children experience at least one episode
Sleep paralysis
The experience of waking up unable to move
When does sleep paralysis typically occur?
During hypnagogic or hypnopompic sleep
Narcolepsy
A disorder in which sudden sleep attacks occur in the middle of waking activities. Caused by an intrusion of REM sleep into waking and typically lasts 30 s - 30 min. Has a genetic basis.
What are the five major characteristics that distinguish dreaming from waking consciousness?
Intense emotion: usually anxiety
Illogical thought: due to less activity in prefrontal cortex
Meaningful sensation: usually no pain
Uncritical acceptance: we don’t question them
Difficulty remembering
What is day residue?
Dream content that reflects prior waking experiences
What are non-REM dreams?
Mirror past experience in compressed form; taking the past and trying figure how it might relate to the future
What are REM dreams?
Take the past and apply it to the future; associated with amygdala activation and has higher emotional content
What is Freudian dream theory?
Dreams have confusing content because dreams represent wishes and some of these wishes are so taboo they can only be expressed in disguised form
Manifest content
A dream’s apparent topic or superficial meaning
Latent content
A dream’s true underlying meaning