Psychology

Unit 4: Altered States

Lesson 1 Sleep

Obj

ectiv

es Describe the different stages

of sleep Explore REM sleep Review the major sleep

disorders that affect individuals

Voc

abul

ary

Term

s

REM/Non REMParadoxical Sleep Sleep deprivation InsomniaSleep ApneaNarcolepsySomnambulism

Night Terrors

Why

Do

We

Slee

p? Tell me why you believe we

need sleep Or do we not need sleep?

How many hours of sleep

do you get per night?

Wha

t is

Slee

p fo

r?

Scientist still are not sure

Many scientist feel sleep is

needed just as food and water are

needed for survival Rats die after 14 days without

sleep, but the reason for their

deaths were not revealed during

an autopsies. The human record was 11 days,

but the health of the individual

seemed not to be affected

The brain is the only organ that

sleep has been proven to repair

during sleep.

Bac

kgro

und

In 1929, the EEG made non-

invasive study of the brain

possible. 1950s breakthrough occurred in

the laboratory of Nathaniel

Kleitman Was the first person to spend

his time studying sleep

He and his graduate student

set out to find if slow eye

movement continued

throughout the night

What they found is that eye

movement does continue but it

is rapid, now known as REM

RE

M

Rapid Eye Movement-eyes of

sleeping people move rapidly.

Sleep is necessary to learn new

things It is believed that REM helps in

brain growth. We believe that is

why infants require huge amounts

of sleep Most vivid dreams are during

REM We dream 1/5 of the time we are

asleep REM is usually during the second

half of the night

Wha

t is

the

Purp

ose

of R

EM

If we wake someone up during

REM, they will experience REM

Rebound This means that they will make up

for the lost of REM sleep when

they return to sleeping Newborns spend half of their

sleep time in REM, and as we age

our time in REM decreases

Scientist believe REM is very

important in developing permanent memories and

consolidating memories.

Stages of Sleep

Stag

e 1

Also known as waking stage-

relaxed wakefulness The body prepares for sleep-

muscles begin to relax, and

eye movement slows (until

REM) Drowsiness is the best way to

describe this stage Can last from 5-10 minutes

If a person is aroused he/she

will probably not feel rested

Slee

p 2

Light sleep Periods of spontaneous muscle ton mixed with

periods of muscle relaxation

Your heart rate slows Body temperature decreases

Body is preparing for a deep

sleep Hypnic jerk occurs or sensation of falling

Dee

p Sl

eep

Deep sleep stages are stages

3 and 4, with 4 being a deeper sleep than 3.

Stag

es 1

-4

These stages are known as

the Non-REM Sleep Non-REM lasts from 90-120

minutes Each stage is between 5-15

minutes Normal sleep pattern is Stage

1, 2,3,4,3,2 and then REM.

REM sleep occurs 90 minutes after sleep is started

in stage 1.

Stag

e 5

is R

EM

Rapid eye movement Heart Rate becomes erratic

Face, fingers, and legs may

twitch Intense dreaming-as a result

of heightened cerebral activity Muscle immobility is also a

characteristic

Para

doxi

cal S

leep

Another name for REM-because

REM sleep is a mix of brain

excitement and muscle paralysis

It is believed that this lack of

mobility is to keep the body

from acting out the dreams that

occur while the brain is

stimulated Did you ever see a dog having a

dream, where the legs move?

The first period of REM

typically lasts 10 minutes, with

each recurring REM stage

lasting longer, until the longest

REM stage reaches one hour.

Slee

p C

ycle Many people complete four

to five full sleep cycles in a

night REM sleep increases with

each cycle

Slee

p D

epri

vatio

n

Case Study of Randy Gardner, 17

years old set the world record for

sleep deprivation By Day 2-he had trouble focusing

his eyes Day 3-mood change

Day 4-major mood changes, poor

concentration, and even

hallucinations Day 5- more hallucinations

Day 6-8-speech and memory

issues Day 9- fragmented thoughts and

speech, blurred vision, and

paranoia After reaching his goal he slept

for over 14 hours and all memory

issues were repaired

Do we ever really

regain lost sleep?

Thi

ngs

to T

hink

A

bout

!

It is a common misconception

that people can “make up” for

lost sleep You may spend more time in

particular stage of sleep that

your missed out on You should always maintain

the same sleep patterns. Many people feel they can

“catch-up” on sleep on weekends, this actually harms

your sleep habits for the

upcoming week.

The

Im

port

ance

of

Slee

p

Thousands of serious and fatal car and

truck accidents occur each year because

of driver fatigue In the late 1990s, the U.S. Congress

recommended lowering the number of

hours that truck rivers are permitted to

drive at one stretch. In 2003, the government increased the

number of allowable hours from 10 to 11.

The same is true for airline pilot

Airline pilots work about sixteen days per

month For domestic flights, pilots also are

unable to fly more than 8 hours in any 24

hours period, unless they have had at least

8 hours of resting time. This is extended

for longer flights such as international

flights, as long as the pilot has a longer

resting period after the flight.

Sleep Disorders

Inso

mni

a

Chronic problem with

obtaining a sufficient

amount of sleepThere are Three Basic Patterns

of Insomnia1. Initial problems falling

asleep2. Difficulty remaining asleep

3. Persistent early awakenings

Many may believe that they

must obtain 8 hours of sleep

but there is not proof that

there are any major issues if

you obtain less than 8 per

night. Not receiving 8 hours

does not make you an

insomniac

Nar

cole

psy

Sudden and irresistible onset

of sleep during waking hours Person goes from wake to

REM-sleep stages are skipped Can be very troublesome for

a person with work, driving,

and even social situations.

Slee

p A

pnea

Reflective grasping for air that

awakens a person and disrupts

sleep Person can feel sleepy during

the day Person does not necessarily

realizes they were awaken

during sleep Person is not getting enough air

Sometimes a person can even

jump from lack of oxygen

Nig

ht T

erro

rs

Usually occurs during slow

wave sleep Stages 3 and 4 Most common in children 3-

8 May sit upright, scream, and

then stop and go back to sleep No memory of the event

Does not mean that there is

an emotional disorder

Som

nam

bulis

m Sleep walking IS NOT acting out a dream

Also occurs during slow wave sleep, stages 3 and 4

May be affected by stress Often leads to accidents

Rev

iew

Que

stio

n

In 1929, the _____________

made non-invasive study of the

brain possible.  

A.EEGB.MRI

C.PET ScanD.FMRIAnswer: A

Rev

iew

Que

stio

n

Although there are few definitive

answers, researchers do believe

that REM sleep is important in

________________. A.maintaining lifeB.the function of the vital

organsC.consolidating memory

D.developing a high IQAnswer: C

Rev

iew

Que

stio

n

Based on your knowledge of the different sleep

cycles, which of the following is the best

explanation of REM sleep as “paradoxical”

sleep?

A. Because the sleep stages over and over again

in a cycleB.  Because we need it to survive, yet it can

cause us harmC.  Because we have dreams that we do not

rememberD. Because the brain is in a heightened state of

excitement, while the body is virtually

immobile

Answer: D

Rev

iew

Que

stio

n

You are in stage ______ of

sleep if you experience spontaneous periods of muscle

tone mixed with periods of

muscle relaxation. A.Stage 1B.Stage 2C.Stage 3D.REMAnswer: B (Stage 2)

Rev

iew

Que

stio

n

_____________ is a chronic

problem with obtaining enough sleep. A. Night terrorsB. REM sleepC. Sleep apneaD.Insomnia

Answer: D