Ultradian Rhythms

Question 1

What are Ultradian Rhythms?

Answer 1

Biological rhythms with a cycle length of less than 24 hours

Question 2

What are 2 examples of Ultradian Rhythms?

Answer 2

• The Stages of Sleep
• The Basic Rest-Activity Cycle

Question 3

How many Stages of Sleep are there?

Answer 3

5

Question 4

How long does the Stages of Sleep cycle last?

Answer 4

About 90 minutes

Question 5

How many Stages of Sleep cycles does the average person go through each night?

Answer 5

5

Question 6

What characterises each of the Stages of Sleep?

Answer 6

Different levels of brainwave activity which can be monitored using an EEG

Question 7

Describe Stages 1 & 2 of the Stages of Sleep

Answer 7

• Light sleep, where a person can be easily woken
• Brain waves are high frequency and have a short amplitude
• These are known as alpha waves

Question 8

What occasionally happens in Stage 2 of the Stages of Sleep?

Answer 8

There are spontaneous changes in brainwave patterns known as ‘sleep spindles’

Question 9

Describe Stages 3 & 4 of the Stages of Sleep

Answer 9

• Deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, where its difficult to wake a person up
• Brain waves are a lower frequency and have a short amplitude
• These are known as delta waves

Question 10

Describe Stage 5 of the Stages of Sleep

Answer 10

• Brain wave activity closely resembles that of an awake brain
• Brain waves are a lower frequency and have a high amplitude
• These are known as theta waves

Question 11

What occasionally happen in Stage 5 of the Stages of Sleep?

Answer 11

Rapid Eye Movement (REM), which is when the eyes move around

Question 12

In what stage are dreams most often experienced in the Stages of Sleep?

Answer 12

Stage 5

Question 13

Describe the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle

Answer 13

A proposed cycle characterised by periods of alertness followed by periods of physiological fatigue that occurs whilst awake

Question 14

How long does the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle last?

Answer 14

90 minutes, similarly to the Stages of Sleep cycle that occurs whilst asleep

Question 15

Who proposed the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle?

Answer 15

Kleitman

Question 16

What study supports the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle?

Answer 16

• K. Anders Ericsson et al, who observed a group of prestigious violinists
• He found that the best performers tended for practise for 90 minute sessions, with them having breaks in between each session in order to ‘recharge’

Question 17

What evidence supports the Stages of Sleep?

Answer 17

EEG scans, which monitor brainwave activity

Question 18

Why is the evidence supporting the Stages of Sleep considered high quality?

Answer 18

It is empirical and objective, utilising scientific methods and sometimes being concluded in specialised sleep labs

Question 19

Why is research conducted into the Basic Rest-Activity Cycle not considered compelling? (3 Points)

Answer 19

• There is limited research
• There is a lack of objective, empirical evidence
• Research conducted focuses of small, niche samples and so may not be generalisable

Question 20

What evidence complicates research into the Stages of Sleep cycle?

Answer 20

• Tucker et al found significant differences in the duration of each stage between participants, especially the duration of Stages 3 & 4
• This suggests that there are individual differences in terms of the Stages of Sleep

Question 21

What has recent published research (2017) linked less REM or Stage 5 sleep to?

Answer 21

A greater risk of developing dementia

Question 22

What is still unclear in terms of Ultradian Rhythms?

Answer 22

What the endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers are, and the role they play