Myers EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (6th Edition in Modules)

Module 15

Waking and Sleeping Rhythms

James A. McCubbin, PhDClemson University

Worth Publishers

Waking Consciousness

Consciousnessour awareness of ourselves and our environments

Waking Consciousness

Selective Attention focusing of consciousness on a particular stimulus

as in the cocktail party effect

Sleep and Dreams

Biological Rhythms periodic physiological fluctuations

Circadian Rhythm

the biological clock regular bodily rhythms, such as of

wakefulness and body temperature, that occur on a 24-hour cycle

Sleep and Dreams

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep recurring sleep stage vivid dreams “paradoxical sleep”

muscles are generally relaxed, but other body systems are active

Sleep periodic, natural, reversible loss of

consciousness

Sleep and Dreams Measuring sleep activity

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages

Alpha Waves slow waves of a

relaxed, awake brain

Delta Waves large, slow waves

of deep sleep Hallucinations

false sensory experiences

Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep

Hours of sleep

Minutesof Stage 4 and REM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

10

15

20

25

5

Decreasing Stage 4

Increasing REM

Sleep Deprivation

Effects of Sleep Loss fatigue impaired concentrationdepressed immune systemgreater vulnerability to accidents

Sleep Deprivation

2,400

2,700

2,600

2,500

2,800

Spring time change(hour sleep loss)

3,600

4,200

4000

3,800

Fall time change(hour sleep gained)

Less sleep,more accidents

More sleep,fewer accidents

Monday before time change Monday after time change

Accident frequency

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia persistent problems in falling or

staying asleep Narcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks Sleep Apnea

temporary cessation of breathing during sleep

momentary reawakenings

Night Terrors and Nightmares

Night Terrors occur within 2 or 3 hours of

falling asleep, usually during Stage 4

high arousal-- appearance of being terrified

seldom remembered

Dreams: Freud

Dreams sequence of images, emotions, and

thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind

hallucinatory imagery discontinuities incongruities delusional acceptance of the content difficulties remembering

Dreams: Freud

Sigmund Freud--The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) wish fulfillment discharge otherwise unacceptable

feelings Manifest Content

remembered story line Latent Content

underlying meaning

Dreams

As Information Processing helps facilitate memories

As a Physiological Function periodic brain stimulation

REM Rebound REM sleep increases following

REM sleep deprivation

Sleep Across the Lifespan