Unit 6 Notes

States of Consciousness

• Sleep
• Hypnosis
• Drugs

Sleep

• A state of consciousness
• We are less aware of our surroundings
• Why do we daydream?
• The can help us prepare for future events
• THey can nourish our social development
• Can substitue for impulsive behavior
• 
  

Fantasy Prone Personality

• Someone who imagines and recalls experiences with lifelike vividness and who spends considerable time fantasizing

Biological Rhythms

Annual Cycle : Seasonal variation

• 28 day cycles : menstrual cycle
• 24 hour cycle : Our circadian rhythm
• 90 minute cycle : sleep cycles

Circadian Rhythm

• Our 24 hour biological clock
• Our body temp and awareness changes throughout the day

Sleep Stages

• 5 identified stages of sleep 
• Takes 90-100 minutes to pass through all 5 stages
• The brains waves will change according to the sleep stage you are in
• The first four stages are known as NREM
• the 5th is called REM sleep

Stage 1

• Kind of awake, kind of asleep
• Only lasts a few minutes, and you usually only experience it once a night
• Eyes begin to roll slightly
• Your brain produces theta waves ( high amplitude, low frequency (slow))

Stage 2 

• This stage is part of the 90 minute cycle and occupies approximately 45-60& of sleep
• More Theta waves that get progressively slower
• Begin to show sleep spindles ( short bursts of rapid brain waves)

Stages 3 and 4

• Slow wave sleep
• you produce Delta waves
• If awaken you will be very groggy
• Vital for restoring body's growth hormones and good overall health
• May last 15-30 minutes
• It is called "slow wave" sleep because brain activity slows down dramatically from the "theta" rhythm of stage 2 to a much slower rhythm called "delta" and the height or amplitude of the waves increases dramatically

REM sleep (Stage 5)

• Rapid eye-movement
• Brain is very active

Sleeping Disorders

Insomnia

• Persistent problems falling asleep
• Affects 10% of the population 

Narcolepsy

• Suffers from sleeplessness and may fall asleep at unpredictable or inappropriate times
• Directly into REM sleep
• Less than .001% of population

Sleep Apnea

• A person stops breathing during their sleep
• Wake up momentarily, gasps for air, then falls back to sleep
• Very common especially in heavy males

Night Terrors

• A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified
• Occurs in stage A, not REM, and are not often remembered

Sleepwalking

• sleepwalking is a sleep disorder affecting an estimated 10% of all humans at least once in their lives
• sleepwalking most often occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stages 3 or 4) early in the night