unit 4 aos1 Flashcards
consciousness
awareness of something either internal or external to oneself, and of our sensations, mental experiences, and own existence
states of consciousness
a state of awareness with variations in level and associated with distinguishable psychological and physiological characteristics
normal waking consciousness (NWC)
state of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of objects and events in the external world, of one’s sensations, and mental experiences
altered state of consciousness (ASC)
any state of consciousness that is distinctly different from normal waking consciousness or any waking state in terms of levels of awareness and experience
naturally occurring
altered states of consciousness that are naturally occurring in the course of everyday activities without the need for aid
sleep, dreaming during sleep, daydreaming during wakefulness
induced
a temporary change in one’s normal mental state without being considered unconscious. intentionally brought on
alcohol, medically induced, hypnosis
example of induced and naturally occurring states being mutually inexclusive
sleep is both naturally occurring but can be induced by medication
sleep
a regularly occurring altered state of consciousness that typically occurs naturally and is primarily characterised by partial or total suspension of conscious awareness
psychological construct
a concept or explanatory model that describes specific psychological activity or a pattern of associated activities. based on scientific and measurable events or processes, or on behaviours/mental processes inferred from data but not observed directly
why is sleep a psychological construct
sleep cannot fully be directly observed
it is based on scientific empirical evidence
electroencephalography (EEG)
a method of studying brain wave patterns by recording the electrical activity of the brain
DETECT
AMPLIFY
RECORD
ELECTRICAL IMPULSES
brain waves
spontaneous, rhythmic electrical impulses that come from different brain areas
beta waves
associated with alertness and intensive mental activity during normal waking consciousness
also in REM
alpha waves
awake and alert but mentally and physically relaxed and internally focused
theta waves
very drowsy state
when awake and engaged in creative activities
delta waves
associated with deep, dreamless sleep or unconsciousness
electromyography (EMG)
a method of studying the electrical activities of muscles during sleep
DARE
electro-oculargraphy (EOG)
a method of measuring eye movements during sleep
DARE
sleep diary
a self report record of an individual’s sleep and waking time activities
biological rhythms
a naturally occurring cycle of psychological, physiological, or behavioural changes
circadian rhythm
ultradian rhythm
biological clock
innate timing that regulates one or more biological rhythms
link between biological rhythms and biological clocks
each biological rhythm is maintained and controlled by a biological clock
eg sleep is controlled by innate timing
examples of biological rhythms
core body temperature
blood pressure
blood sugar levels
hunger
sleep-wake cycle
menstruation
biological mechanisms that influence the sleep wake cycle
circadian rhythm
ultradian rhythm
melatonin
supra-chiasmatic nucleus
circadian rhythm
a biological rhythm involving physiological, psychological, or behavioural changes that occur as part of a 24 hour cycle
endogenous
originating within an organism (sleep-wake cycle)
exogenous
originating outside the organism (external time cues)
ultradian rhythm
a biological rhythm involving physiological, psychological, or behavioural changes that occur as part of a cycle shorter than 24 hours
heartbeat, respiration,
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
an area of the brain’s hypothalamus that regulates the timing and activity of the sleep-wake cycle (and other biological rhythms)
its position enables it to respond to light and control melatonin production
roles of the SCN
- The SCN receives info from the eyes about the amount of light, then sends neuronal messages to the nearby pineal gland to secrete more or less melatonin in the blood
- SCN uses feedback on the amount of melatonin in the body to modify the output of melatonin and regulate the overall sleep-wake cycle
- SCN also regulates body temperature and release of hormones like cortisol
melatonin
a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in relation to the amount of light detected
alertness and drowsiness
NREM sleep
non rapid-eye movement sleep with three stages involving increasingly deeper sleep
REM sleep
rapid-eye movement
hypnogram
a sleep graph typically showing sleep stages in relation to time
average time of each sleep cycle
90 minutes
sleep onset
transition period from being awake to asleep
sleep latency
amount of time it takes to transition from being awake to being asleep
characteristics of NREM stage 1
- light sleep
- low arousal threshold
- hypnic jerks
- slow heart rate, breathing, muscle activity
- slow, rolling eye movements
characteristics of NREM stage 2
- moderate sleep (gradually becomes deeper)
- eye movements stop
- continued slow heart rate, breathing, muscle activity
- sleep spindles
- moderate arousal threshold
characteristics of NREM stage 3
- deep sleep
- high sleep threshold
- no eye movements
- heart rate, breathing, muscle activity are at their lowest
- delta waves are predominant
characteristics of REM
- rapid, jerky, coordinated eye movements
- brain waves similar to wakefulness
- fast heart rate
- high blood pressure
- sleep looks relaxed
- occasional twitches, no skeletal muscle movements
- variable arousal threshold (N2 ,N3)
changes in sleep with age
- infants have a sleep onset in REM
- time spent sleeping decreases with age
- REM decreases with age
- NREM decreases with age
- NREM3 reduces in adulthood
- infants experience cyclical sleep at 3 months
- first REM period is skipped for 2-5 y/os
- adolescents have more irregular sleep
- adults have more fragmented sleep
- slower sleep onset in adults
sleep deprivation
inadequate quantity or quality of sleep
partial sleep deprivation
involves having less sleep (quantity or quality) than whats normally required
may occur periodically over the short-term or long-term
total sleep deprivation
not having any sleep at all over a short or long time period
sleep debt
the accumulated amount of sleep loss due to insufficient sleep
sleep debt does not continue to grow to an amount that must be entirely repaid
effect of sleep deprivation on affective functioning
- irritation
- short temper
- impaired emotional regulation and reactivity
- amplified emotional responses
- impaired recognition of facial emotions
effect of sleep deprivation on behavioural functioning
- sleep inertia
- grogginess
- slow reaction time
- fatigue
- difficulty maintaining concentration
- blank expression
- nodding head
effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive functioning
- reduced alertness
- reduced cognitive functioning
- reduced sustained attention
- inability to divide attention
- more mistakes in simple tasks compared to complex tasks
- inability to think clearly
- difficulty problem solving
- impaired learning and memory
link between BAC and sleep deprivation
17 hours of wakefulness = BAC of 0.05
24 hours of wakefulness = BAC of 0.10
BAC
a measure of alcohol in the blood expressed as grams of alcohol/100 mL of blood
cognitive effects of BAC and sleep deprivation
reduced hand eye coordination
lack of concentration
affective effects of BAC and sleep deprivation
negative mood
mood then affects concentration and cognitive performance
circadian rhythm sleep disorders
a sleep disorder involving sleep disturbance thats primarily due to a mismatch between an individual’s sleep-wake pattern and a desired sleep-wake pattern
delayed sleep phase syndrome
a condition where the major sleep episode is delayed in relation to the desired sleep time or whats considered a conventional time
advanced sleep phase disorder
a circadian rhythm disorder where there is a shift of the major sleep episode to an earlier time compared to the desired or conventional time
results in early sleep onset and awakening
shift work disorder
a circadian rhythm disorder due to work shifts being regularly scheduled during the usual sleep period
work shifts overlap with sleep periods
bright light therapy
a technique for treating circadian rhythm disorders that uses timed exposure of the eyes to the light with the aim of shifting an individual’s sleep wake cycle to a desired, more appropriate, or conventional schedule
variables for bright light therapy
Generally, the three important variables are to use the light at the right time of day at the right intensity for the right amount of time.
zeitgebers
environmental time cues
sleep hygiene
practices that tend to improve and maintain good sleep and full daytime alertness
sleep hygiene
practices that tend to improve and maintain good sleep and full daytime alertness
entrainment
process of adjusting or resetting a biological rhythm to align with external cues or an environmental cycle
three features of light usage
- intensity
- when we’re exposed to it
- how long we’re exposed to it for
what age group is advanced sleep phase syndrome most common in
adolescents
hypnic jerks
muscle twitches in NREM1
arousal threshold
how easily we can be woken up, where the higher the threshold the harder it is to wake up
sleep spindles
brief bursts of electrical activity in NREM2
sleep inertia
temporary disorientation after waking up in NREM3
characteristics of NREM1
- low level of bodily arousal
- decrease in heart rate, breathing, body temperature, muscle tension, slow eye movements
- hypnic jerks
- low arousal threshold
characteristics of NREM2
- continued slow heart rate, breathing, and muscle activity
- body temp continues to fall
- no eye movements
- low arousal threshold but higher than NREM1
characteristics of NREM3
- heart rate and breathing are at their lowest, muscles barely move, no eye movements, delta waves
- sleep inertia
- highest arousal threshold
symptoms of DSPS
- sleep onset insomnia
- difficulty awakening
- excessive sleepiness
symptoms of ASPD
- early sleep onset
- evening sleepiness
- awakening earlier than the desired time
symptoms of shift work disorder
- insomnia
- excessive sleepiness
symptoms of REM
- spontaneous bursts of rapid eye movement
- beta wave patterns, fast heart rate, blood pressure rises, breathing is shallower, occasional twitches
- paradoxical sleep
- muscle tone is at it lowest
- arousal threshold is variable, but closest to NREM 2/3
