Sleeping and Dreaming Flashcards
Predation Avoidance
Desire to sleep reduced when threats are percieved (hotel room, unfamiliar environment)
Memory Consolidation
Hippocampus uploads recent experienced to the cortex creating new synaptic connections
Brain self-cleaning
During sleep, space in the brain expand, allowing more fluids in, brain “flushes out” waste products that build up over time
Metabolic Repair
Deep sleep allows the body to repair itself
Restorative Theory of Sleep
Sleep allows the body to maintain and repair itself
Adaptive Theory of Sleep
Sleep evolved as a way to avoid nocturnal predators
Why do we sleep unconsciously?
May be necessary for consolidating memories (Software update reset)
Unihemispheric Sleep
Allows birds to continue to fly and be conscious while getting rest
All things with a brain…
SLEEP
Circadian Rhythm is set by…
amounts of light experiences throughout the day
Circadian Rhythm
Daily pattern of sleep - alertness levels vary throughout day,
Sleep stages
STAGES 0-4 and REM
Awake and alert
Beta waves
Awake but drowsy
Alpha Waves
Stage 1 (Light Sleep)
Mix of theta waves and alpha waves - only lasts a few minutes (dreams are disconnected thoughts)
Stage 2
more theta waves w/ sleep spindles and k-complexes
Muscle tension in the body is being relaxed
Stage 3 (Slow Wave Sleep)
delta waves - Metabolic activity drops, slow heart rate and breathing
Stage 4
slowest delta waves, “knocked out” deep sleep has more restorative functions.
REM (Rapid Eyemovement)
mix of beta, alpha, and theta waves - high brain activity - similar to wakefulness
Myoclonic Jerk
Sudden motor movement in response to the feeling of falling (when falling asleep)
Hypnagogic hallucinations
Hallucinations while you are in the process of falling asleep (I have heard music)
Hypnopompic hallucinations
Hallucinations right before opening your eyes
Insomnia
May enter early stages are sleep but have difficulty getting extended slow wave sleep - May also have difficult time returning to sleep after REM
Sleep apnea
During slow wave sleep, breathing stops forcing sleeper to briefly wake up interrupting slow wave sleep
Non-REM dreams are mostly…
mundane
Dreams typically occur during…
REM sleep
Threat simulation theory proposes that dreams…
serve an evolutionary function - dreams are a way to stimulate survival threats
An issue with threat simulation theory is that…
you’d expect most dreams to be negative, but most dreams are mundane and not negative
Freud’s dream interpretations
dreams gave insight into the unconscious mind
- interpretations were about primitive urges and sexual
thoughts
Cognitive Approach
Dreams are modified versions of the same thoughts we have when awake - But no “control” over our thoughts since we are unconscious
Problem-focused approach of dream interpretation
Dreams express current concerns - not symoblic messages
Activation–Synthesis theory
dreams are caused by random patterns of brain activity
Retro-selective theory
¡ Dreams are not continuous experiences
¡ While asleep, many “dreams” occurring simultaneously
¡ While unconscious, brain simultaneously processes many things at once
Restorative Theory of Sleep
Sleep allows the body to maintain and repair itself (does not explain why sleep has to be unconscious)
