1. Sleep & Dreams Unit 5 Modules 23 & 24

2. Biological Rhythms Biological Rhythms: periodic physiological fluctuations built into human beings. Ex: 28 day menstrual cycle, 24 hour alertness cycle, annual cycle, 90 minute sleep cycles. Circadian Rhythm:

3. Is P.M.S. A Myth?!? “Premenstrual Syndrome:” feelings of increasing tension and stress that occur before onset of menstruation. Human tendency to remember instances that confirm our beliefs. Placebos work the same Sadness, lethargic,irritability, headaches, insomnia

5. Sleep Sleep: Using an EEG, sleep researchers have shown the mind is “awake” during various stages of sleep.

6. Sleep Stages: Stage 1 As we lay with our eyes closed we are in an awake but highly relaxed state characterized by alpha waves (slow waves) being emitted from our brain. As we fall asleep, we have a 50% decrease in alpha wave activity… During Stage 1 sleep, we often experience hallucinations: false sensory experiences. We may feel a sensation of falling or floating. 5 minutes

7. Second Stage: Sleep Spindles After about 5 minutes in stage 1 sleep, you slip into Stage 2 sleep which is characterized by Sleep Spindles: bursts of rapid, rhythmic, brain wave activity. -> 20 minutes

8. Stage Three: Transition Stage Stage Three begins your descent into “slow wave sleep.” Delta Waves: (large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep) begin appearing in stage 3 but are increasingly apparent in Stage 4.

9. Stage Four: Delta Waves Stage of deep sleep characterized by Delta Waves. Stage when you are hard to awaken…but still aware of stimuli around you. Stage at which children may wet the bed or sleep walk. Also experience night terrors.

10. R.E.M. Sleep (Paradoxical Sleep) After stage 4, your bodies cycles back to stage 3, stage 2, and into REM sleep. A Normal Sleep cycle:

11. R.E.M. Sleep (Paradoxical Sleep) R.E.M.: Heart rate increases, Breathing more rapid, eyes dart behind lids. Genitals become aroused during R.E.M. sleep even when dreams are not sexual in nature. As sleep cycle continues, R.E.M. sleep gets longer and longer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwNMvUXTgDY

12. Brain Waves and Stages of Sleep

13. Sleep Function Theories: 1. Sleep protects 2. Helps us recuperate 3. Might help us grow 4. Helps restore and rebuild fading memories 5. Feeds creative thinking

14. So Why Do We Sleep? Most ppl will sleep for 9 hours if they could Sleep debt Decrease in work productivity Increase in auto accidents Suppressed immune system Alter metabolic and hormonal functioning Decrease in performance and creativity

15. Sleep Deprivation

16. Night Terrors Occur during late stage 4 sleep and are characterized by high arousal and an appearance of terror but are seldom remembered.

17. Sleep Disorders Insomnia: 10-15 % of adults Sleeping pills and alcohol might make it worse Less REM sleep

18. Sleep Disorders NARCOLEPSY 1-2000 : Drop into REM in about 5 minutes – don’t get the non-REM restful kind of sleep they need – why they are tired. Brain stem disorder; usually not diagnosed until 20s.

19. Sleep Disorders Sleep Apnea: Often complained about as “snoring.” Often interrupts deep sleep stages leaving person feeling exhausted.

20. Tips for Sleeping 1.Relax before bed 2.Avoid caffeine 3.A glass of milk 4.Regular cycle 5.Exercise regularly,but not in the late evening

21. PRACTICAL SLEEP ISSUES Younger people need more sleep than older BUT genetically influenced Infants sleep 75% of the time/Teens 9 hr avg Adults 7/8 hrs Long sleepers tend to die a little earlier than short sleepers SPRING forward results in more accidents

22. SLEEP AND DREAMING Giving up sleep causes SERIOUS physiological/psychological problems bodily rhythms disrupted by shift work, staying up later on weekends, jet lag, memory loss Six days without sleep – psychosis Long term sleep deprivation can be fatal RAS is the brain structure to know Melatonin/Serotonin are the chemicals

23. Dreams What’s The Meaning of Dreams? Depends Who You Ask? As Information Processing: helps consolidate the day’s memories stimulates neural development HANDOUTS on School Fusion: Your Dreams, Too Little Sleep, Twilight Zone

24. THEORIES ON WHY WE DREAM 1.RESTORATIVE THEORIES: sleep restores depleted levels of energy; eliminates waste products from muscles, repairs cells, Stage 4 sleep increases after excessive physical exertion: helps us to “solve problems” (SLEEP ON IT) 2. REPROGRAMMING THEORIES (Evans/Foulks) Dreams are the brain’s attempt at interpreting and assimilating new information. Filing stuff away that senses took in during the day; weaving it together so you can file in under “dreams” 3.REVERSE LEARNING THEORY (Crick/Mitchinson) 4.SENTINEL THEORY (Snyder) Wake up briefly at the end of the REM to check environment for danger (very evolutionary in thought)

25. Theories on Dreams Continued 5. FREUDIAN THEORY (1900s) Dreams are a safety valve where you can have unacceptable urges or wishes and no on will know! Manifest Content: “story line” of the dream vs. Latent Content: “symbols” in the dream of the REAL meaning 6.Physiological Function of Dreams: 7. Activation-Synthesis Theory: dreams are result of brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity. Visual cortex among other areas like the Limbic System are active during R.E.M. sleep. Mind always tries to make sense of stimuli.

26. What do we dream about? Sex- 1 in 30 for women;1 in 10 for men Women dream about men and women; 65% of men's dreams are about men Most dreams are about events in our daily lives Previous day’s experiences Forget things that happen 5 minute before we fall asleep Do not remember taped info

27. Have you ever dreamed of…..? Falling 83% Being attacked 77% School,teacher, studying 71% Sexual experiences 66% Arriving late 64% Eating 62% A loved person dying 57% Being locked up 56% Finding money 56% Swimming 52% Snakes 49% Being inappropriately dressed 46% Unable to breathe 44% Being nude 43% Fire 41% Failing an Exam 39% Killing Someone 26% Email me a vivid dream you remembered. Mrs. Kirwan will choose some to analyze!