...Stages of sleep Until sleep was accidentally measured researchers had no idea that sleep had different stages, before all they could do was time how long people slept and record their movement to try to interpret whether they are dreaming, etc. There was very limited research in this area until it was discovered that using an electroencephalograph (EEG) which records the average electrical potentials of cells and fibers to record the rise and falls when cells fire in synchrony during sleep. This has shown that there are many different stages that occur during sleep. Loomis, Harvey and Hobart discovered in 1937 that when using EEG at the beginning and also throughout sleep showed clear stages in the change of electrical activity in the brain. This allowed sleep to be measured now as a perpetual process and also showed that sleep appears to be made-up of ‘a complex mosaic of stages or conditions’, (H.W.Agnew,Jr & Webb.B.W, 1973). Humans need approx. eight hours sleep a night, this is different to other animals, however it has been shown that non-human animals also go through similar stages of sleep. During humans’ eight hours of sleep brain activity and eye movement change can be split into different stages. These stages are compared to a state of relaxed wakefulness. Alpha waves are recorded at a frequency of 8 to 12 per second. Alpha waves are present when a human is in a state of relaxed wakefulness. This is known as stage 0, when the human is not quite asleep...
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...Five Making Six Stages of Slumbering Activities in Your Brain By: Bill Pak Section: #1762 (I was allowed permission by you to turn in this term paper due to some personal issues with the original term topic) Ever wondered what in blue blazes your brain is doing when you sleep? Well so far, all the research and experiments that have been made to understand and answer this question have resulted with the so called six stages of sleep. The six stages of sleep starts from Stage 0 to Stage 5. Stage 0 is not really considered a stage since it involves the person of interest being awake. Sequentially, Stage 1 is considered to be the beginning of being asleep. Following Stage 1 is Stage 2 which is well known for its sleep spindles and K-complexes (L & F 8). Afterwards, Stage 3 is considered to be a transition phase towards Stage 4 and both stages are collectively often titled as deep sleep (McPhee 20). Lastly, but not the least, Stage 5 is identified as dream sleep and with REM (McPhee). Each stage is not just discerned by its major aspects, but by the activity in the brain in each stage. Although sleep can be described through the various behavioral changes, the different activities in the brain allow the discerning of each stage during sleep. Each stage is distinguished by various electrical activities and patterns across the brain (L & F 7). These electrical activities and patterns consistently change between each stage (McPhee 17). Obviously, each stage has its own unique...
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...responsible for innumerable bodily functions that are performed during various stages of a day/week/month/year. Examples include bowel movement, digestion, hormone production, menstrual cycle and migration (among birds/animals), to name a few. All these functions follow a particular cyclical pattern. When this process recurs annually, it is known as a circannual rhythm. Similarly, when this process recurs on a daily basis, it is known as a circadian rhythm. The word circadian comes from the Latin words ‘circa diem’, meaning about a day. Circadian rhythms are controlled by a biological clock within our brain. This section of brain is called the 'suprachiasmatic nucleus' (SCN). Signals produced by the SCN travel to different sections of the brain, thus stimulating various functions, such as body temperature, hormone secretion, changes in blood pressure, etc. There are numerous external factors as well, that regulate a circadian rhythm among human beings. These external factors are called zeitgebers (Hawkins & Orlady, 1993). Most common zeitgebers are light and temperature. Others include meal times, various social and physical activities. The most common circadian rhythm known to mankind is the sleep cycle. Sleep is an extremely important physiological phenomenon, during which our body heals and recuperates. Let us begin with understanding what sleep is, and what are the various sleep patterns. Sleep is a revocable state, which is characterized by disconnection and unresponsiveness...
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...Nadira Farha Extra Credit Paper Dr.Adviye Tolunay 11/25/14 “Sleep” Do you ever wonder why you don’t dream when you sleep? The truth is, if you are getting proper amounts of sleep in proper time periods, and not taking medications or using alcohol or illegal substances, you are dreaming. You just don’t remember them unless they wake you. Sleep has been determined like a state optimizes the consolidation of newly acquired information in memory. It depends on the specific conditions of learning and the timing of sleep. Sleep is divided into two states: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM), which involves slow wave sleep (SWS, stage 3 and 4) and the others is lighter sleep which occurs on stage 1 and 2. First, stage 1 When we are preparing to drift off, we go though Alpha and Theta, and have periods of dreaminess, almost like daydreaming, except we are beginning to fall asleep. These are interesting states, in that we experience them throughout the day and some people may have more of these waves than others. Those who practice meditation, or deep prayerfulness, often kind of “hang out” in Alpha. It’s a restful place. During this stage, it’s not unusual to experience strange and extremely vivid sensations or a feeling of falling followed by sudden muscle contractions. These are known as hypnogogic hallucinations. You may even feel like you are hearing someone call your...
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...Psych 1301 Wa#4 Ch. 4: 1. Write a 500 word description of our sleep cycle. You will want to include a description of each of the stages of sleep as well as REM sleep. 2. Discuss 2 of the disorders of sleep and then describe any personal experience you have had with any. 3. Discuss what four things/ways one might alter their consciousness. Be very descriptive in your answer. 4. Describe signs of drug abuse/addiction. 1. Sleep is a very essential part of the human lifestyle, humans spend up to one third of their life sleeping. Our body functions on the "biological clock", this is called the circadian rhythms which is dictated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), this allows our body to get into a rhythm, giving our body a timeline so to speak. This is what makes us feel hungry around noon because our body is used to lunch and it also is what makes us sleepy at night time. When our body feels this need to sleep, we begin our phases of sleep. "Going to sleep" is when you lose all awareness of what is around you. The beginning stage the "going to sleep" or "twilight' stage us really just an extreme state of relaxation, compared to what your brain is like when laying on the beach. After this initial stage the body then goes into Stage 1. Stage 1 has very tight brain waves that are very low in height very much like those of someone who is alert and excited, however when someone is alert and excited their muscles are normally tense, their pulse is rapid and eyes...
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...Discuss sleep in terms of the normal sleep cycle. Please be sure to address the stages of sleep and physiological correlates associated with each stage. The normal sleep cycle is in four stages. Alpha waves begin the sleep process, there are highs and lows from 8- to 12-Hz EEG waves considered low-voltage, high-frequency waves of “dozing off”, as we fall asleep, we move in to the stage 1 of sleep. The stage 1 sleep EEG is a type of low-voltage, high-frequency signal with a gradual increase in EEG voltage and a decrease in EEG frequency progressing from stage 1 through stage 4. Stage 1 sleep is where REM sleep takes place. The brain activity during this time increases in various parts of the brain primarily in the cerebrum, with an increase...
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...Nursing Management of Sleep Disorders March 2013 INTRODUCTION Sleep is the state of natural rest observed throughout the animal kingdom, in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians, and fish. In humans, other mammals, and many other animals that have been studied - such as fish, birds, ants, and fruit-flies - regular sleep is necessary for survival. The capability for arousal from sleep is a protective mechanism and also necessary for health and survival. DEFINITION Sleep can e defined as a normal state of altered consciousness during which the body rests; it is characterized by decreased responsiveness to the environment, and a person can be aroused from it by external stimuli. INCIDENCE & CHARACTERISTICS: Sleep is generally characterized by a reduction in voluntary body movement, temporary blindness, decreased reaction to external stimuli, loss of consciousness, a reduction in audio receptivity, an increased rate of anabolism (the synthesis of cell structures), and a decreased rate of catabolism (the breakdown of cell structures. Almost a third of the general population has some problems with sleep during any given year. More than half of the 9000 participants in a study of sleep in elderly persons (65 years or older) reported the following as sleep pattern disturbance that they experience most of the time: • Trouble falling asleep • Frequent awakening • Waking too early • Needing to nap • Not feeling rested These disturbances may be secondary...
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...Sleeping and Dreaming Rebecca Limon PSY 240 January 14, 2014 April Kindall Sleeping and Dreaming There are four stages of sleep. These stages are known as EEG: stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4. When transitioning from alert wakefulness to stage 1, there are alpha waves that punctuate the low voltage, high frequency waves of alert wakefulness. The EEG voltage will increase gradually, while the EEG frequency will decrease gradually, as the individual progresses to stages 2, 3, and 4. According to Ch. 14 of Biopsychology, the stage 2 sleep EEG has a slightly higher amplitude and a lower frequency than the stage 1 EEG; in addition, it is punctuated by two characteristic wave forms: K complexes and sleep spindles. Each K complex is a single large negative wave (upward deflection) followed immediately by a single large positive wave (downward deflection)—see Cash and colleagues (2009). Each sleep spindle is a 1- to 2-second waxing and waning burst of 12- to 14-Hz waves. The stage 3 sleep EEG is defined by the occasional presence of delta waves—the largest and slowest EEG waves, with a frequency of 1 to 2 Hz—whereas the stage 4 sleep EEG is defined by a predominance of delta waves. Once sleepers reach stage 4 EEG sleep, they stay there for a time, and then they retreat back through the stages of sleep to stage 1. There are five common beliefs about dreaming. These beliefs include the following, the first belief is that there are some people who believe that dreams...
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...Week Six Sleeping and Dreaming PSY/240 Sleeping and Dreaming Sleep is considered a natural state in which there is reduced consciousness, reduced sensory activity, and inactivity of all muscles. Sleep is needed for the body to recharge, grow, and is essential for health and well-being. There are three standard psychophysiological measures of sleep and they define the stages of sleep. They are the electroencephalogram (EEG), the electrooculogram (EOG), and the neck electromyogram (EMG). There are four different stages of EEG sleep. Stage 1 EEG is a low-voltage, high-frequency signal slower than being awake. When going from stage to stage the EEG voltage increases and the EEG frequency decreases. Once a person goes from stage 1 to stage 4, the cycles of sleep go back and forth throughout the stages while a person is sleeping. Each cycle is about 90 minutes long. REM sleep is associated with stage 1 EEG while NREM sleep is a combination of all other stages. Stages 3 and 4 are considered slow-wave sleep or SWS due to the delta waves. During REM sleep people have rapid eye movements. Dreaming occurs during the REM stage of sleep. Some people believe that external stimuli can affect their dreams. Some people believe dreams are quick and only last a few minutes, while research suggests they last as long as the person is dreaming. Some people say they do not have any dreams, but more than likely they just do not remember their dreams. Penile erections...
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...A Good Night’s Sleep- What is sleep? Sleep is defined as unconsciousness while are brain is still active processing and rejuvenating period. Sleep is a physical and mental resting period in which a person is unaware of their environment. In a normal sleep our body is changing by decreasing body temperature, blood pressure and other body functions. Sleep is very important to us and everyone for that matter because we all need to sleep and rest our bodies. It’s so important because it’s a vital biological function without sleep we know that our bodies are unable to function the way we want them to. We lose lack of day-time alertness, drowsiness and more susceptible to health problems such as stroke, diabetes, obesity and even depression. In the article ("Good night’s sleep") they discuss about College students sleeping patterns changing for example, not getting enough sleep. I felt that the article didn’t have information about sleeping patterns when there has been research about sleeping patterns. In 2002 Canadian Community health survey found that 18% of people sleep 5 hours or less a day. Sleep is put into two parts one being called non-REM and REM (Rapid Eye Movement). Non-REM consists of four stages of sleep, each deeper than the last. REM is when you are at the most active sleeping you are dreaming and your eyes are moving rapidly. Our sleep patterns consist of stages 1-4. Stage one last about 5 minutes, easily awaken. Stage 2 first stage of sleep about first 25 minutes...
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...Chapter Overview 5.1 Overview: Consciousness, Brain Activity, Levels of Awareness CONCEPT LEARNING CHECK 5.2 Stages of Sleep CONCEPT LEARNING CHECK 5.1 Consciousness and Psychology 5.3 Dreams Theories of Dreams Dreams as a Reflection of Unconscious Wishes 5.2 Sleep Biological Rhythms and Stages of Sleep Sleep Theories Effects of Sleep Deprivation Sleep Disorders Insomnia Sleep Apnea Narcolepsy Parasomnias CRITICAL THINKING APPLICATION Dreams as Interpreted Brain Activity Dream Contents CONCEPT LEARNING CHECK 5.3 Theories of Dreams 5 Learning Objectives States of Consciousness 5.1 5.2 Define consciousness. Describe how consciousness relates to psychology. Describe the changes in brain wave activity that occur during the different stages of sleep. Understand why sleep deprivation is harmful. Understand why deep sleep is important. Understand why REM sleep is important. Describe some common sleep disorders. 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Describe the two main theories of dreams. Explain the two theories of hypnosis. Discuss the effects and benefits of meditation. List and describe the four categories of psychoactive drugs. Describe the effects of psychoactive drugs on the nervous system. 5.4 Hypnosis Critical Thinking About Hypnosis Theories of Hypnosis Altered State of Consciousness Role Playing Divided Consciousness 5.6 Drug Use Mechanism of Action of Psychoactive Drugs Depressants Alcohol Narcotics/Opiates Summary of...
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...Matthew Carreno 11-29-13 Period 4 AP Psychology Unit 5 Cornell Notes What do our internal rhythms create? | Our internal biological rhythms create periodic physiological fluctuations | Specifically, What does the circadian rhythms regulate? | The circadian rhythm’s 24-hour cycle regulates our daily schedule of sleeping and waking, in part in response to light on the retina, triggering alterations in the level of sleep-inducing melatonin. | What are the sleep stages? | Another biological rhythm is the sleep stages. | What are the five steps of the sleep stages? | we descend into transitional Stage 1 sleep, often with the sensation of falling or floating. Stage 2 sleep (in which we spend the most time) follows about 20 minutes later, with its characteristic sleep spindles. Then follow Stages 3 and 4, together lasting about 30 minutes, with large, slow delta waves. All these stages are referred to as NREM sleep. Reversing course, we retrace our path, but with one difference: About an hour after falling asleep,we begin periods of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. | Where does dreaming most prominently occur? | Most dreaming occurs in this fifth stage (also known as paradoxical sleep) of internal arousal but outward paralysis. | Which stage shortens REM sleep length? | During a normal night’s sleep, periods of Stages 3 and 4 sleep shorten and REM sleep lengthens. | What are the harmful effects of sleep deprivation? | Sleep deprivation causes fatigue and...
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...relation, sleep patterns as in why do we need sleep, rhythms of sleep , sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, dreams and why do we dream. Sleep, as a human or animal we need to sleep because our body regenerates its self when it’s at rest. Humans spend at least one-third in an altered state of consciousness. When we are tired we crave to go to sleep just as if we are hungry we crave food. We can’t live without both. No human can stay p past twenty hours without feeling like they are about to crash. No one knows exactly why we need sleep but it plays and important part in restorative function. When humans are asleep there are rhythms of sleep. Circadian rhythm is a biological rhythm that last about 24 hours. There are 4 stages the sleeper enters when they fall asleep. Stage one is when the brain gives you the signal your muscles to relax. It also gives off that your heart is to beat slower and when that happens your temperature begins to drop. Stage 2 is a light sleep. You’re not fully asleep but you can be awakening. Stage 3 you are in a deeper sleep. Your blood pressure begins to get lower because your brain gives off that message. Even though the body temperature is getting lower the human that is asleep won’t notice. In this stage you can be woken but it won’t be as easy. Stage 4 the human is in a deepest sleep. If someone tried to waken this sleeper it would be very hard. If the sleeper awakens they will be very confused for a few minutes. Some may sleep walk or...
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...to your individual awareness of your unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations and environment. Your conscious experiences are constantly shifting and changing. It is prosperity of particular parts of the brain, not of the brain as a whole. The awareness of various cognitive processes and making decision. For example, in one moment you may be focused on reading this article. Your consciousness may then shift to the memory of a conversation you had earlier with a co-worker. Next, you might notice how uncomfortable your chair is or maybe you are mentally planning dinner. Cognitive Process: | Cognitive processes are very important for human behavior. It is about knowledge and the way people use their knowledge. For example, sleep, looks dream are count in cognitive process. Consciousness as a social phenomenon: Consciousness is that we aware of ourselves of our thoughts, our perceptions, our actions, our memories and our feelings. Historically, people have taken three philosophical positions about the nature of consciousness. The first and earliest position is that consciousness is not a natural phenomenon, (natural phenomenon is that subject to the laws of nature that all scientists attempt to discover: laws involving matter and purely physical forces. This position says that consciousness is something supernatural and miraculous, not to be understood by human mind. The second position is that consciousness is a natural phenomenon but also that, for...
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...There is much to be learned about the ins and outs of sleep such as how much it provides for the body and the brain and how to best manage a person’s ability to “sleep well”. Examining sleep from a parent’s perspective is something I never thought about before. However, I know first-hand how proper sleep, and lack of proper sleep may affect children’s behavior. I clearly recall being in the hospital when my oldest was only a day old, walking the floors trying to soothe him to sleep. Even now, at four, he still wakes in the middle of the night and comes down the hall to my room. My two-year old daughter is better with her sleep. However, she began climbing out of her crib just after turning two and we made the move to a toddler bed shortly after. It is quite a challenge for her to fall asleep; when she does, she does not stay in her room and wakes up during the night. It occurs to me that my son has never learned to become a good sleeper and it has affected many areas of his life. He is often tired but refuses to sleep; he is cranky and quick to show emotions in extremes with very large tantrums. These symptoms are more contained and less noticeable when he sleeps through the night and/or goes to sleep at a reasonable time. Similarly, my daughter refuses to sleep and misses naps, or has shortened them considerably when she does nap. We observed that after a night of multiple waking, and/or short or missed naps, she will have what we have learned are possibly Night Terrors...
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