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Psych 1100 > Variations in Consciousness & Sleep > Flashcards

Variations in Consciousness & Sleep Flashcards

consciousness, sleep, sleep disorders, dreams

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1
Q

Consciousness

A

Consciousness is the awareness of internal and external stimuli.

*it is stream-like in nature (William James; “stream of consciousness”)

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2
Q

Perceptual richness

A

-Consciousness has been measured in animals in terms of perceptual richness

*perceptual richness: extent to which an animal is able to experience a sensory modality (sight, smell, hearing, vision)

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3
Q

Variations in consciousness (different combinations)

A

-attention ≠ consciousness
-it is possible to be conscious but not paying attention

example:
driving (↑consciousness + ↑attention)
vs.
sleeping (↓consciousness + ↓attention)

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4
Q

Mind wandering (definition)

A

def: when thinking veers off-task/thoughts that are not related to what you are intentionally trying to do at a given moment.

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5
Q

Mind wandering (pros and cons)

A

pros: future planning, boredom relief, creativity, etc,.

cons: costly to self (and others)
-in class; could miss important information
-while driving; could put others in danger

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6
Q

When is mind wandering most likely to occur?

A

the beginning and end of the week (mondays & fridays)

*it is estimated that people spend 15 to 50 percent of their time mind wandering

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7
Q

Sleep: circadian rhythms

A

def: 24-hr biological cycles that affect mind & body functions (particularly influential in sleep regulation but also blood pressure, urine production, hormonal secretions, etc.)

-the time of day that you eat + exercise will affect biological rhythms (earlier in the day is ideal for being in synch w/ your body clock)

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8
Q

How does the biological clock work?

A

light hits the retina→activates the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus→sends message to pineal gland→release melatonin (sleep hormone)

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9
Q

Measuring circadian rhythms

A

-circadian rhythms can be computed via wearable technology, measuring body temperature, etc,.

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10
Q

Chronotypes (morningness & eveningness)

A

-morningness-eveningness: individual differences in preference for a given time of day (not everyone has the same optimal sleep time)

-morning[lark]
-evening[owl]
-intermediate

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11
Q

Chronotypes: biological markers

A

-body temp
-cortisol
-melatonin

-morning[lark] (melatonin release, cortisol release, and body temp rises earlier in the day)

-evening[owl] (melatonin release, cortisol release, and body temp rises later in the day)

-intermediate (more productive mid day)

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12
Q

Social jet lag

A

def: refers to the mismatch between an individual’s biological clock (circadian rhythm) and the demands of their social schedule, such as work or school.

-seen in evening owl
-not in sync
-harmful to the body & mind

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13
Q

Chronotype variation across 4 factors:

A
  1. Personality: Big Five variation (e.g., C&E), creativity (owl), persistence (lark).
    *C&E=conscientiousness (lark) and extraversion (owl)
  2. Age: eveningness shift seen at 12-13 yrs old (hanging out w/ friends), morningness shift seen in late adolescence (responsibilities earlier in the day such as work).
  3. Genetic: gene variant differences
    -A-A (lark)
    -A-G (intermediate)
    -GG (owl)
  4. Neural: white matter integrity
    -can become compromised when you’re sleeping later in the day (due to social jet lag)
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14
Q

Researching sleep: 3 methods/devices (in lab settings)

A

*the brain does NOT shut off during sleep; there’s still brain activity

  1. EEG: electroencephalograph - waves (measures brain wave activity via electrodes attached to scalp)
  2. EMG: electromyograph - muscle (records muscle tension & activity)
  3. EOG: electrooculograph - eyes (records eye movements)
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15
Q

Factors that affect sleep variations

A

-income (↑income, ↓sleep)
-married (↓sleep)
-have children (↓sleep)
-age (older adults; require less sleep)
-gender (insomnia more common in women)

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16
Q

What is DEC2 gene mutation?

A

the DEC2 gene mutation aids those who sleep minimally; people with the gene can be most productive on 4-6 hrs of sleep.

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17
Q

Potential effects of sleep deprivation

A

-increased risk of accidents
-hypertension (↑BP)
-diabetes
-neg affect on immune system

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18
Q

Sleep cycle stages (5)

A

1) NREM (N1)
2) NREM (N2)
3 & 4) NREM (N3 & 4)
5) REM

*NREM=non-REM

NOTE: people usually repeat the sleep cycle about four times throughout the night, REM periods get progressively longer.

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19
Q

Sleep cycle stage 1: NREM (N1)

A

brain wave activity: alpha waves (higher frequency) transitions in to theta waves (lower frequency)

duration: 1-7 minutes (shortest stage)

changes: hypnic jerks. body temp, respiration rate, heart rate, and muscle tension start to drop.

20
Q

Sleep cycle stage 2: NREM (N2)

A

brain wave activity: mixed waves, sleep spindles (high spike waves; visible on EEG)

duration: 30-60 minutes

changes: physio continues to drop

21
Q

Sleep cycle stage 3 & 4: NREM (N3 & 4)

A

brain wave activity: delta waves (slower pattern; more spread apart) *SWS (slow wave sleep)

duration: approx 30 min each

changes: more physio drop

22
Q

Sleep cycle stage 5: REM

A

*REM=rapid eye movements (side-to-side/lateral)

brain wave activity: beta waves (high frequency; similar pattern as if you were awake)

duration: varies greatly

changes: deep sleep, extreme muscle relaxation (virtually paralyzed), irregular breathing & pulse rate, vivid dreams.

23
Q

Sleep factors: age (babies vs. old age)

A

“sleep like a baby”
-less stages (only 2; REM & NREM)
-more hours slept (16 hrs/day)
-babies spend more of their time in REM than adults

sleep in old age:
-lighter (N1 & N2)
-less sleep needed (better tolerance of sleep deprivation)
-wake up more frequently throughout the night
-sleep complaints; linked to health issues such as Alzheimer’s

24
Q

Sleep factors: culture & sleep habits

A

monophasic:
-sleep 8 hours at one time
-western cultures

biphasic:
-sleep at night & mid-day rest
-“siesta cultures” (tropical regions)

polyphasic:
-multiple blocks of sleep at different times of the day due to rapid changing conditions
-hunter-gatherers

25
Q

What are the 7 sleep disorders? (that we learned about)

A
  1. insomnia
  2. narcolepsy
  3. sleep apnea
  4. night terrors
  5. somnambulism
  6. REM sleep behaviour disorder
  7. nightmares
26
Q

Insomnia

A

*most common sleep disorder

def: persistent trouble w/ falling asleep or remaining asleep (also can be persistent early morning awakening).

-more common in women
-worsens with age
-1 in 10 people are affected
-linked to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and GI problems
-increased absenteeism

27
Q

Narcolepsy

A

def: falling into short REM sleep bouts involuntarily.

-happens due to orexin loss (neuropeptide) in the hypothalamus
-genetic influence
-extremely dangerous (e.g., while driving)
-treatment: stimulants (not 100% effective)

*relatively uncommon

28
Q

Sleep apnea

A

def: reflexive gasping for air, awakens sleeper & disrupts sleep.

-treatments: drugs, weight loss, surgery, special equipment (CPAP machine)

*CPAP=continuous positive airway pressure machine

29
Q

Night terrors

A

def: abrupt awakenings from NREM sleep, with intense autonomic arousal and panic.

-more common in children (generally outgrow)
-associated with stress
-often temporary

NOTE: occurs in NREM, whereas nightmares occur in REM

30
Q

Somnambulism

A

def: sleep walking (occurs in NREM)

-more common in children
-genetic influence
-can be triggered by drug use, prior sleep deprivation, and stress

31
Q

REM sleep behaviour disorder

A

def: acting out REM dreams (talk, yell, gesture, flail about, or leap out of bed).

-commonly dream about being chased (violent)
-more common in men
-usually occurs in late adulthood (50s-60s)
-occurs due to brainstem deterioration

NOTE: the brainstem is responsible for (paralysis-like) muscle relaxation during REM, body movement should not occur.

32
Q

Nightmares

A

def: anxiety-filled REM dreams that wake people

-more common in children
-stress-related (is the most common symptom of PTSD)
-occurs in REM

33
Q

REALITY CHECK: effects of sleep deprivation

A

misconception: effects of partial sleep deprivation are generally insignificant.

reality: sleep deprivation impairs attention, motor skills, decision making, and memory. & increases risk of many kinds of accidents.

*sleep loss=increased vulnerability to a variety of diseases and elevated mortality.

34
Q

Common treatments for insomnia

A

one of 2 sedatives: benzodiazapenes or nonbenzodiazapenes

issues:
-OD
-carryover effects (drowsy next day)
-dependency
-withdrawal

35
Q

Alternatives to sedatives

A

-melatonin
-magnesium
-CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)
-avoid blue-light before bed (tv & electronics)
-no afternoon caffeine
-black-out curtains

36
Q

REALITY CHECK: dangerous to wake sleep walkers?

A

misconception: sleepwalkers are acting out their dreams and it is dangerous to wake them.

reality: sleepwalking does not occur in conjunction with dreams & waking them is much safer than letting them wander about.

37
Q

Dreams (definition) & nature of our dreams

A

def: mental experiences with various characteristics (events, characters, etc,.)

-dreams are generally very mundane; common themes, often self-centered (through your own eyes, about your own life)

38
Q

Dream content & cultural variation

A

most common:
-chased or pursued
-sexual experiences
-falling
-school, teachers, studying

cultural variation:
example: Siriano people have food shortage; common to dream about hunting or food acquisition

39
Q

What are the 3 key dream theories? (and who is the associated theorist?)

A
  1. Wish Fulfillment (Freud)
  2. Problem-Solving (Cartwright)
  3. Activation-Synthesis Model (Hobson)
40
Q

Dream theories: Wish Fulfillment

A

-theorist: Freud
-dreams fulfill residual goals of the day

2 key terms:
-manifest=what you’re dreaming about
-latent=meaning/interpretation of a dream

41
Q

Dream theories: Problem-Solving

A

-theorist: Cartwright
-dreams may aid in over-coming barriers in problem-solving (e.g., more creative thoughts)
-critique: a dream might just be about a problem, not always a solution

42
Q

Dream theories: Activation-Synthesis Model

A

-theorist: Hobson
-dreams are side effects during REM sleep; a by-product of periodic neural activation

critiques:
-meaningfulness (not all dreams are random, some are meaningful/relevant)
-occasional dreaming occurs in NREM

43
Q

REALITYCHECK: fatal dreams

A

misconception: if you fall from a height in a dream, you’d better wake up on the plunge downward, because if you hit the bottom, the shock to your system could kill you in your sleep.

reality: no one has ever testified to experiencing a fatal dream. this myth presumably exists because many people do awaken during the downward plunge, thinking that they’ve averted a close call.

*people do have dreams about their own death—and live to tell about them.

44
Q

Can short naps be refreshing?

A

it depends on:
-nap length (no longer than 30-45 min)
-type of sleep (stages 3-4=beneficial)
-time of day (not too late in the afternoon)

positive effects:
-improved attention + memory
-creativity

45
Q

What’s the significance of snoring?

A

can be caused by:
-allergies
-certain drugs
-weight (or weight gain)

treatments:
-weight loss
-CPAP machine

46
Q

Why don’t some people remember their dreams?

A

-wake time matters (people tend to remember the last dream they had before waking)
-people only recall specific types of dreams

Psych 1100 (7 decks)

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