States of Consciousness
Unit 5
Consciousness &
Altered States of Consciousness
Awareness of oneself and one’s environment
Altered States:
– Sleeping/Dreaming
– Hypnosis
– Influence of Drugs
– Meditation
Sleep, Dreams, and Body
Rhythms
Module 20
Body Rhythms
periodic physiological (physical) fluctuations that
can affect functioning (body temperature, blood
pressure, effectiveness of medicine)
fall into three main categories:
1. Circadian Rhythms
2. Ultradian Rhythms
3. Infradian Rhythms
Circadian Rhythms
biological rhythms that occur approximately
every 24 hours
example:
sleep-wake cycle
Ultradian Rhythms
biological rhythms that occur more than once
each day
example:
stages of sleep
throughout the night
Infradian Rhythms
biological rhythms that occur less than once
a day (once a month or once a season)
examples:
women’s menstrual cycle
bear’s winter hibernation
bird’s migration south
Why We Sleep
Hypothalamus
sleep control center in the brain
monitors changes
in light or dark
in the environment
send messages to
brain & body which
changes levels of hormones
(chemical messengers)
in the body
Melatonin
hormone secreted by pineal gland
that helps regulate daily biological
rhythms
linked to the sleep-wake cycle –
makes you drowsy
melatonin levels increase during
the night & decreases with
exposure to morning light
Why do we need to sleep?
two theories:
– preservation/adaptation: we sleep at times
of the night (or day) that maximize our safety
& survival
– restoration: recuperate from the wear and
tear of the day (tissues restored, memories
consolidated, things learned are reorganized)
rats deprived of all stages of sleep only live 3
weeks, deprived of REM sleep only 5 weeks
Sleep & Sleep Deficit
Are You Sleep Deprived? Quiz
John B. Maas
Answer True or False to each of the following statements:
1. I need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time.
2. It’s a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.
3. Weekday mornings I hit the snooze bar several times to get more sleep
4. I feel tired, irritable, and stressed out during the week.
5. I have trouble concentrating and remembering.
6. I feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving, and being creative.
7. I often fall asleep watching TV.
8. I often fall asleep in boring classes or lectures or in warm rooms.
9. I often fall asleep after heavy meals.
10. I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.
11. I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed.
12. I often feel drowsy while driving.
13. I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.
14. I often need a nap to get through the day.
15. I have dark circles around my eyes.
Are You Sleep Deprived? Quiz
If you answered “true” to three or more items, you probably
are not getting enough sleep
Other Indicators:
– If you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you
haven't had enough sleep
– If you routinely fall asleep w/in 5 minutes of lying down, you
probably have severe sleep deprivation
Recommendation:
– go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual every night for the next
week
– continue by adding 15 more minutes each week – until you wake
without an alarm clock and feel alert all day
Sleep Deprivation Effects
decreases efficiency of immune system functioning
increases levels of cortisol (stress hormone) – linked
to damage of brain cells responsible for learning &
memory
safety and accident issues:
– National Transportation Safety Board considers driver
fatigue a bigger safety problem than alcohol use
– Driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated 100,000
motor vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths each year
Sleep Deprivation
(National Transportation Safety Board, 1995)
Sleep Deprivation Effects (cont.)
contributes to:
– hypertension (high blood pressure)
– impaired concentration & judgment
– slower reaction times
– irritability
– suppression of cancer-fighting immune cells
– premature aging
(Video Clip – The Need for Sleep)
Sleep Debt (you don’t have to write this)
How much sleep do you need?
– Infants = 16 hours a day
– Teens = 9 hours a day
– Adults = 7 – 8 hours a day
Some can function w/ as little as 5, others need 10 hrs
The Sleep Debt
– amount of sleep a person needs increases if s/he has
been deprived of sleep in previous days; we don’t
adapt to getting less sleep
Teens and Sleep
Teens & Sleep Trends
Teens get almost two hours less sleep now
than 70 years ago – any thoughts on why?
4 out of 5 students are “dangerously sleep
deprived” – William Dement (sleep researcher)
Dement states a large sleep debt “makes you
stupid”
Teens & Sleep:
Delayed High School Start Times?
Poster Prompt:
Should Cobb County change the high school start time
from 8:30 to 10:30 to better fit teens’ sleep-wake cycles?
Poster Requirements:
– minimum of 2 pictures
– minimum of 10 sentences
– address the opposing viewpoint
– use research and facts we discussed in class, from your
textbook, from the video segments we watched, or from outside
sources
The Stages of Sleep
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
machine that amplifies & records
waves of electrical activity that
sweep across the brain’s surface
electrodes are placed on person’s
scalp to measure the waves
used to measure stages of sleep
EEG
Stage 1 Sleep
breathing is slowed & brain waves become irregular
easy to wake the person (will insist they are not
asleep)
will report having dreamlike sensations (falling)
rarely lasts longer than 5 minutes
Stage 1
Stage 2 Sleep
deeper sleep
brain wave cycle slows & EEG spindles (small
brain wave bursts) develop
first time through stage 2 last about 20 minutes
over the night, ½ of time asleep is spent in this stage
Stage 2
Stages 3 & 4 Sleep
after about 30 minutes move to stages 3 & 4
increase in delta waves (large & slow) cycles per sec.
called slow-wave sleep or delta sleep
first time through stage 4 is about 30 minutes and is
where one gets rejuvenated
Stage 3
Stage 4
REM Sleep
REM Sleep
stages 1 - 4 considered N-REM (non-REM sleep)
after stage 4, brain waves pick up speed & strength
- move back through stages 3, 2, and 1
enter rapid eye movement (REM Sleep) - eyes
move quickly back and forth under lids
most dreaming occurs in REM sleep
REM Sleep
initial REM period short then cycle starts again from
Stage 1 (complete cycle is 90 minutes)
90 minute cycles last all night but delta sleep drops out
after second or third time through
last 4 hours – alternate between Stage 2 & REM
REM sleep makes up about 25% of your nightly sleep
(100 minutes/night)
We all dream every night of our lives
REM Sleep
Paradoxical Sleep
during REM sleep brain wave patterns are
similar to when a person is awake
pulse & breathing quickens
called paradoxical sleep – internally your body
is aroused but the brainstem blocks messages
from motor cortex – temporarily paralyzed
Why Do We Dream?
Sigmund Freud’s Theory
earliest dream theory
dreams are the key to understanding our inner
conflicts
dreams are expressions of wish fulfillment
practiced dream interpretation (still practiced
by some psychologists today)
Information-Processing Theory
dreams serve an important memory- related
function by sorting and sifting through the
day’s experiences
research suggests REM sleep helps memory
storage
REM sleep increases during stressful times
Physiological Function Theory
neural activity during REM sleep provides
periodic stimulation of the brain.
brain develops fast during infancy – spend
more time in REM sleep
pituitary gland secretes a growth hormone
during delta sleep
Sleep Changes through Life
Activation-Synthesis Theory
dreams are the mind’s attempt to make
sense of random neural firings in the brain
as you sleep
Sleep Disorders &
Sleep Problems
Insomnia
recurring problems falling asleep or staying
asleep
sleeping pills tend to inhibit or suppress REM
sleep; worsen the problem
alcohol suppresses REM sleep; also worsens
the problem
How to increase the quality of your sleep:
Don’t consume caffeinated beverages or foods
after 3:00 P.M.
Get up at the same time every morning (even on
weekends)
Avoid nighttime activities that make you more
alert (video games, arguments, running)
Don’t stress when you can’t get to sleep; it’s
normal to take 15 minutes or more to fall asleep
Sleep Apnea
repeated awakenings as a result of
not being able to breathe (may
happen 400 + times a night)
tend to be loud snorers
typically male, overweight, over 40
most common treatment:
Continuous Positive Airway
Pressure machine – helps person
breath during night
Narcolepsy
uncontrollable sleep attacks occurring when the
nervous system gets aroused (often from strong
emotion)
person goes directly into REM sleep
treatable with prescription drugs
onset of disorder accompanies puberty
Somnambulism
formal name for sleepwalking
starts in the deep stages of N-REM sleep
person can walk or talk but remembers
nothing of the experience
Night Terrors
characterized by high arousal & appearance of
being terrified (actually asleep)
happens a few hours after falling asleep;
occurs during stage 4 sleep
occur mostly in children; seldom remember
the event.
Other Sleep Disorders
Bruxism – teeth grinding
Enuresis – bed wetting
Myoclonus – sudden jerk of a body part
occurring during stage 1 or 2 of sleep
– everyone has occasional episodes of
myoclonus