How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? PDF

🧠 How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? Created @February 5, 2025 11:04 AM Class PSYCHOLOGY 3.5 Consciousness changes during sleep. People commonly think that the brain shuts itself off during sleep but m...

🧠 How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? Created @February 5, 2025 11:04 AM Class PSYCHOLOGY 3.5 Consciousness changes during sleep. People commonly think that the brain shuts itself off during sleep but many brain regions are more active when we acre asleep than when we are awake. Circadian rhythm Circadian rhythms regulate biological cycles into regular, daily patterns. Natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavioral changes our bodies experience in a 24 hour cycle. Circadian rhythms are affected by light and darkness. A small area in the middle of the brain controls circadian rhythms. Stages of sleep Stage N1 sleep- Light sleep. Occurs right after you fall asleep and is very short (usually less than 10 minutes). How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? 1  Some individuals may experience hypnic jerks. Stage N2 sleep- A person can be easily awakened. Lasts from about 30-60 minutes. Represents 45-55% of total sleep time. Stage N3 Sleep- Deep sleep. Sleepers are hard to wake. ECGs reveal large, regular delta waves. Muscle tone, pulse, and breathing rate, decrease in N3 sleep as the body relaxes even further. Stage R or REM sleep- Sleepers experience rapid eye movements, dreaming, and paralysis of motor system. Starts about 90 minutes after a person falls asleep. Brain activity increases (beta wave activity) Over the course of a typical night we cycle though the stages of sleep about five times. 3.6. People dream while sleeping Dreams are products of consciousness during sleep in which a person confuses images and fantasies with reality. On average people spend 6 years of their lives dreaming. REM dreams and non REM dreams Rem dreams are more likely to be bizarre They are more elaborate, vivid, hallucinogenic, and emotional dreams Non-REM dreams feel normal, like everyday life Less vivid than emotional dreams How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? 2  3.9 Sleep Disorders Are Relatively Common Throughout Life. Insomnia A disorder characterized by a repeated inability to sleep. 10-30% of adults are estimated to have insomnia. Insomnia is more common in women than in men and in older adults than in younger adults. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is particularly effective. Changing your habits can be helpful. Sleep apnea A person stops breathing because the throat closes; the condition results in frequent awakenings during the night Narcolepsy A person experiences excessive sleepiness during normal waking hours, sometimes going limp and collapsing. 3.10 Attention to Suggestions May Alter Consciousnesses in Hypnosis. Altered consciousness can involve intense meditation, drug-induced hallucinations, or hypnosis. Hypnosis Trance like state A social interaction during which a person, responding to suggestion, experiences changes in memory, perception, and/or voluntary action. Two theories of hypnosis Sociocognitive theory of hypnosis Hypnotized people are not in an altered state, but they behave in a way that is expected in that situation. How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? 3  Dissociation theory of hypnosis Hypnotized people are in an altered state in which their awareness is separated from other aspects of consciousness. 3.11 Meditation Alters Consciousness and Brain Functioning Meditation A practice where intense contemplation leads to a deep sense of calmness, which has been described as an altered state of consciousness. Concentrative Meditation Emphasizes the concentration of attention by focusing on an object or mantra Mindfullness meditation Includes paying attention in the present moment without judgment Transcendental meditation (TM) Involves silently repeating a personal mantra for 15-20 minutes 2x a day. 3.12 How psychoactive drugs affect the brain Psychoactive drugs Psychoactive drugs are mind-altering substances that activate neurotransmitter systems and change the brains neurochemistry. Drugs have legitimate medical uses, but many are commonly abused outside treatment. Stimulants Increase nervous system activity, in both mental and physical process Interfere with the reuptake of dopamine- confidence, alertness, and sociability How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? 4  Methamphetamine (meth) Block reuptake of dopamine and eventually damages frontal lobes Depressants Decrease nervous system activity in both mental and physical processes. In large doses, depressants can cause sleep, so they are sometimes referred to as sedatives Alcohol is the most widely used depressants Opiates Psychoactive drug that reduces pain and produces pleasurable feelings Opiates include heroin, morphine, and codeine These drugs produce feelings of relaxation, insensitivity to pain, and euphoria Hallucinogens Several drugs have hallucinogenic effects that alter sensation and perception Hallucinogenics Psychoactive drugs that affect perpetual experiences and invoke sensory images even without sensory input. These drugs include MDMA (ecstasy) LSD, mushrooms, and marijuania How Does Sleep Affect Consciousness? 5