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States of Consciousness. Chapter 5. The Sleep Cycle. Circadian Rhythm : Regular bodily rhythm that occurs on a 24-hour cycle Occurs in five stages Stage 1 Brief May experience hallucinations or falling sensation. Stage 2 About 20 minutes
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States of Consciousness Chapter 5
The Sleep Cycle • Circadian Rhythm: Regular bodily rhythm that occurs on a 24-hour cycle • Occurs in five stages • Stage 1 • Brief • May experience hallucinations or falling sensation
Stage 2 • About 20 minutes • Characterized by periodic bursts of rapid, rhythmic brainwave activity • Stage 3 • Brief, transitional
Stage 4 • Brain emits large, slow delta waves • About 30 minutes • Hard to awaken • Leave non-REM sleep and ascend through Stages 3 and 2
REM sleep - rapid eye movement sleep • Rapid, irregular breathing and eye movements • Vivid dreams commonly occur • Essentially paralyzed
Sleep Cycle -cont- • Repeats itself about every 90 minutes • Stage 4 gets briefer and REM and Stage 2 periods get longer
Functions of Sleep • Protection • Restores and repairs brain tissue • Restores and rebuilds memories • Feeds creativity • Growth
Problems of Sleep Deprivation • Can cause • Irritability • Slowed performance and reaction time • Impaired creativity, concentration and communication • Weight gain • Illness • Chronic sleep debt changes metabolic and hormonal functioning to mimic aging
Sleep Disorders • Insomnia • Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep • Effects 1/10 adults • Treated with better sleep habits and prescription drugs • Narcolepsy - uncontrollable sleep attacks • Sleep attacks usually last less than 5 minutes • Effects 1/2000 • Treated with prescription drugs
Sleep apnea - breathing temporarily stops during sleep • Associated with obesity • Effects 1/20 • Treated with a CPAP air machine • Night terrors - occur during Stage 4 sleep • Child usually has no recollection of this happening and it disappears w/age
Why do we dream? • To satisfy our own wishes • Freud’s belief; not accepted by most psychologists • To file away memories • To develop and preserve neural pathways • To reflect cognitive development
Hypnosis • 20% of population is highly hypnotizable • Hypnosis cannot: • Enhance recall of forgotten events • Force people to act against their will • Help drug or alcohol addictions • Hypnosis can: • Help headaches, asthma, obesity and stress related skin disorders • Relieve pain
Drugs and Consciousness • Misconceptions about addiction • Addictive drugs do not quickly corrupt • Addictions can be overcome voluntarily
Psychoactive Drugs • Depressants – drugs that calm neural activity and slow body functions • Alcohol, barbiturates, opiates • Stimulants – temporarily excite neural activity and arouse body functions • Caffeine, meth, nicotine, cocaine, ecstasy
Hallucinogens – distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input • LSD, Ecstasy, marijuana
Influences on Drug Use • Biological predisposition • Psychological factors • Feeling that life is meaningless • Significant stress or depression • Social influences • Barron environment – nothing else to do • Access to plentiful, cheap drug supply • Access to money