Understand the internal and external influences on sleepncluding strengths and weaknesses of sleep cycle explanations Flashcards
What are Bodily Rhythms?
ULTRADIAN RHYTHMS
- A cycle which lasts less than one day
- Example:
CIRCADIAN RYHTM
- A cycle which happens approximately every 24 hours
- Example:
What are Circadian Rhythms
Circadian Rhythms are controlled by a biological clock in the brain known as SCN. The SCN is strongly influenced by the daily change between sunlight and darkness. In the morning sunlight tells us to wake up and darkness tells us to sleep. At what time people choose to sleep will affect circadian rhythms.
How do you know when to get up and go to sleep
Evidence suggests we have a few ENDOGENOUS internal clocks EG: for mood, activity levels, and temperature. The biological clock for our sleep-wake-cycle can be controlled by external cues such as LIGHT.
External Cues in our environment that control our biological clocks are called EXOGENOUS ZEITGEBERS.
Zeitgebers
An external cue for our sleep-wake cycle ( most obvious one is light)
Ultradian rhythms
Rhythms that occur in a period of fewer than 24 hours, such as a sleep cycle
Circadian rhythms
Human body rhythms that have a daily 24-hour cycle, such as the sleep-wake cycle
Sleep-wake cycle
A circadian daily rhythm generally triggered by the day-night cycle
Sleep cycle
90 minutes to go to the different stages including REM sleep- ultradian rhythm
Endogenous
Internal pacemakers; our biological clock
Hormones
Chemical messengers taking messages through the bloodstream
Melatonin
A hormone involved in setting circadian rhythms, including the sleep-wake cycle and blood pressure
Pineal gland
A small endocrine gland that produces melatonin. An endocrine gland produces a hormone that is secreted ( produce) into the bloodstream
Exogenous
External cues in the environment that affect our biological clock
