SLEEP AND DREAMS

Chapter 5 Huffman/Ch 6 Nairne States of Consciousness

 Consciousness: an organisms subjective awareness of internal and external events in its environment Attention: internal processes that set priorities for mental functioning

 Levels of awareness:
HIGH: Controlled processes that require attention (and interfere with other functions) MIDDLE: Automatic processes requiring minimal attention (such as riding your bike) LOWEST: Minimal or no awareness of the environment

 Levels of awareness:
HIGH: Controlled processes that require attention (and interfere with other functions) MIDDLE: Automatic processes requiring minimal attention (such as riding your bike)
Automaticity fast and effortless processing that requires little or no focused attention

 Levels of awareness:
HIGH: Controlled processes that require attention (and interfere with other functions) MIDDLE: Automatic processes requiring minimal attention (such as riding your bike) LOWEST: Minimal or no awareness of the environment

Sleep

Sleep is a behavior AND an altered state of consciousness We spend about a third of our lives in sleep.

 Summated brain wave activity (EEG)

Wakefulness: beta activity (13-30 Hz) Eyes closed: alpha activity (8-12 Hz)

EEG Changes During Sleep

EEG Changes During Sleep

Stage 1: Light Sleep Alpha Waves Stage 2: Eye movements & brain waves slow; sleep spindles

EEG Changes During Sleep

Stage 3: very slow waves delta waves appear Stage 4: almost all delta waves
Very hard to wake during this stage

EEG Changes During Sleep

REM stage: rapid, irregular and shallow breathing, eyes jerk rapidly, both wake and sleep waves (sawtooth pattern)

Theories of Sleep
Repair/Restoration
Sleep allows for recuperation from physical, emotional, and intellectual fatigue

Survival Value
Sleep evolved to conserve energy and protect our ancestors from predators

Wish Fulfillment Freuds DreamTheory

A.K.A.

Sometimes,a cigar is just a cigar.

- Freud, on the meaning of dreams

Psychoanalytic theory: Dreams represent disguised symbols of repressed desires and anxieties Manifest Content: symbols used to disguise true meaning of dream Latent Content: true unconscious meaning of a dream

WHY DO WE DREAM!?
Activation-synthesis hypothesis:
Dreams represent random activation of brain cells during REM sleep

Problem Solving
Dreams focus on the problems we have in an attempt to find a solution

Threat simulation
Dreams evolved to help us practice skills we need to avoid threats.

Dyssomnias Insomnia - difficulty in getting to sleep or remaining asleep

Situational: related to anxiety or excitement Drug-induced: sleeping pills (tolerance)

Dyssomnias
Sleep apnea: person stops breathing and is awakened when blood levels of carbon dioxide stimulate breathing Narcolepsy: Sleep appears at odd times

Sleep attack: urge to sleep during the day Cataplexy: REM paralysis occurs, person is still conscious

Myths of Sleep
Everyone needs 8 hrs of sleep per night to maintain good health Learning of complicated subjects such as calculus can be done during sleep Some people never dream Dreams last only a few seconds Genital arousal during sleep reflects dream content
It is unrelated to sexual content May be a useful index of physical versus psychological causes of impotence in males