Sleep, Dreaming and Circadian Rhythms Flashcards
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
reveals brainwaves
Electrooculogram (EOG)
Records eye movements seen during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
Electromyogram (EMG)
Detects loss of activity in neck muscles during some sleep stages.
Emergent Stage 1 EEG:
accompanied by REM and loss of muscle tone. called REM sleep.
sleep spindles
12-14 Hz
Stage 3 and 4 also known as
slow wave sleep (SWS)
REM Sleep and Dreaming
80% of awakenings from REM lead to dream recall. External stimuli can be incorporated into dreams. Dreams run on “real time.” Virtually everyone dreams.
Sleepwalking (somnambulism), sleeptalking and bedwetting (enuresis) occur more frequently
during Stage 4 than during REM sleep, when core muscles are relaxed.
Freud’s explanation of dreams:
dreams are triggered by unacceptable repressed wishes. Our dreams (Manifest dreams) are disguised versions of our real dreams (Latent dreams). Interpreting dreams would expose the latent dreams and cure the patients.
Activation-Synthesis
Modern alternative to Freud’s explanation of dreams. Dreams due to cortex’s attempt to make sense of random brain activity.
Recuperation theories
Wakefulness causes a deviation from homeostasis, resulting in physiological and behavioral disturbances. Sleep is needed to restore homeostasis. After sleep deprivation, missed sleep will be regained.
Circadian theories
Sleep is the result of an internal timing mechanism that evolved to protect us from the dangers of the night. Missed sleep cause little or no disturbances. Little or no compensation for missed sleep.
Good correlation between the time an
animal needs to feed, and how vulnerable it is during sleep.
Conclusions of sleep
1) all animals sleep, 2) all species sleep, sleep does not serve some special higher-order human function, 3) duration of sleep varies among species, sleep is not necessarily needed in large quantities, 3) no clear correlation between sleep time and activity levels, body size, or body temp.
Circadian rhythms
about a day. Virtually all physiological, biochemical, and behavioral processes show some circadian rhythmicity (sleep, temp, hormones).
Zeitgebers
environmental cues that entrain circadian cycles (light-dark, tides).
without zeitgebers
, animals display “Free-Running Rhythms”, usually longer than 24h, ~ 25h.
Human’s free-running circadian sleep-wake cycle lasts
25.3 hrs.
Jet lag
zeitgebers are accelerated during east-bound flights (phase advance) or decelerated during west-bound flights (phase delay). Phase delays are tolerated better.
shift work
zeitgebers unchanged, but sleep-wake cycle must be altered. These changes may result in large phase shifts.
Jet lag and shift work produce
fatigue, sleep disturbances, physical & cognitive deficits.
melatonin
is synthesized in the pineal gland. not a sleep aid, but may be used to shift circadian rhythms. Melatonin levels follow circadian rhythms controlled by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus.
Can the effects of Jet Lag be prevented or minimized?
Melatonin and Light therapy.
Pineal gland triggers
seasonal reproductive changes in fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians – human function is unclear.
Resetting biological clock with bright lights
morning: earlier sleep, phase advance
afternoon: little effect
evening: later sleep, phase delays
Resetting biological clock with melatonin pills
morning: later sleep, phase delays
afternoon: earlier sleep, phase advance
evening: little effect
The Recuperation theory (wakefulness has a debilitating effect) predicts that sleep deprivation will cause:
1) Long periods of wakefulness will produce physiological and behavioral disturbances.
2) These disturbances will grow steadily as deprivation continues.
3) The missed sleep will be regained.
The Circadian (evolutionary) theory predicts that sleep deprivation will cause:
1) There will be no debilitating effect, except for tendency to fall asleep.
2) Tendency to sleep will be during normal sleeping time.
3) There will be little or no compensation for the loss of sleep.
3-4 hours of deprivation in one night
Increased sleepiness. Disturbances of mood. Poor performance on tests of vigilance.