States of Consciousness Sleep Hypnosis Drugs

Consciousness Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Why do we daydream? They can help us prepare for future events. They can nourish our social development. Can substitute for impulsive behavior

Life has Biological Rhythms Annual Cycles: seasonal variations (bears hibernation, geese migrate, seasonal affective disorder) 28 day cycles: menstrual cycle. 24 hour cycle: circadian rhythm 90 minute cycle: sleep cycles.

Circadian Rhythm-24 hour biological clock Body temperature & awareness changes throughout the day. It is best to take a test or study during your circadian peaks. How can the circadian rhythm help explain jet lag? Bright lights help reset our biological clocks Sunday night insomnia-- staying up late Friday & Saturday and not being able to sleep on Sunday night.

Now we only get a few hour sleep! Thanks Thomas Edison! Now we only get a few hour sleep!

Sleep Stages There are 5 identified stages of sleep. It takes about 90-100 minutes to pass through the 5 stages. The brain’s waves will change according to the sleep stage you are in. The first four stages are known as NREM sleep.. The fifth stage is called REM sleep.

How much sleep do we need? We all need different amounts of sleep depending on our age and genetics. But we ALL sleep- about 25 years on average. How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep?

Can you just make up lost sleep in one night?

Why do we need sleep? (Two theories) Ecological Niche: back in the day, darkness meant death, those that slept did not go out, thus did not die. Sleep protects us.

2. Sleep helps us recuperate and restores the breakdown of our body. During Sleep, our brain is active repairing the and reorganizing itself and consolidating memories. Sleep is food for the brain.

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep. Not the once-in-a-while (I have a big test tomorrow) having trouble getting to sleep episodes. As many as 10 to 15% of people suffer 60 Million

Insomnia-- fixes Relax before bedtime, using dimmed light Avoid caffeine. (Milk provides raw materials for the manufacture of serotonin– which facilitates sleep) Sleep on a regular schedule Exercise regularly– but not at night Don’t worry about an occasional sleepless night Get up and fix whatever it is that you are worrying about

Narcolepsy Uncontrollable sleep attacks. Lapses directly into REM sleep (usually during times of stress or joy).

Sleep Apnea A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and consequent momentary reawakenings. 1 in 20 suffer– mostly overweight men This can happen over 400 times a night How do you know: Do you snore at night? Feel tired during the day? Do you have high blood pressure

Night Terrors A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified. Occur in Stage 4, not REM, and are not often remembered.

Sleepwalking Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder effecting an estimated 10 percent of all humans at least once in their lives. Sleep walking most often occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stage 3 or stage 4 sleep) early in the night.

Dreams We spend 6 years of our lives in dreams

Manifest Content The story line of our dreams. Sometimes traces the previous days’ experiences.

Latent Content Unconscious drives and motives Dream Interpretation

Why do we Dream? Three Theories

Activation-Synthesis Theory: Why do we dream? Freud’s Wish-Fulfillment Theory Dreams are the key to understanding our inner conflicts. Ideas and thoughts that are hidden in our unconscious. Manifest and latent content Information-Processing Theory Dreams act to sort out and understand the memories that you experience that day. REM sleep does increase after stressful events. Activation-Synthesis Theory: During the night our brainstem releases random neural activity, dreams may be a way to make sense of that activity.

REM Rebound The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation. What will happen if you don’t get a good nights sleep for a week, and then sleep for 10 hours? You will dream a lot.

Hypnosis Can relieve pain

Lamaze???