Chapter 4 Critical Questions

Differentiate between REM and non-REM sleep

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized by darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids. Brain waves during REM sleep appear very similar to brain waves during wakefulness. DREAM In contrast, non-REM (NREM) sleep is subdivided into four stages distinguished from each other and from wakefulness by characteristic patterns of brain waves. The first four stages of sleep are NREM sleep, while the fifth and final stage of sleep is REM sleep

Symptoms and treatments for sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is defined by episodes during which a sleeper's breathing stops. episodes can last 10-20 seconds or longer and often are associated with brief periods of arousal. One of the most common treatments for sleep apnea involves the use of a special device during sleep. A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device includes a mask that fits over the sleeper's nose and mouth, which is connected to a pump that pumps air into the person's airways, forcing them to remain open

Describe areas of the brain involved in sleep

areas include the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the pons. the hypothalamus contains the SCN—the biological clock of the body—in addition to other nuclei that, in conjunction with the thalamus, regulate slow-wave sleep. The pons is important for regulating rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

Define hypnosis and meditation

Hypnosis is a state of extreme self-focus and attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli. In the therapeutic setting, a clinician may use relaxation and suggestion in an attempt to alter the thoughts and perceptions of a patient. Hypnosis has also been used to draw out information believed to be buried deeply in someone's memory. Meditation is the act of focusing on a single target (such as the breath or a repeated sound) to increase awareness of the moment. While hypnosis is generally achieved through the interaction of a therapist and the person being treated, an individual can perform meditation alone. Often, however, people wishing to learn to meditate receive some training in techniques to achieve a meditative state. A meditative state, as shown by EEG recordings of newly-practicing meditators, is not an altered state of consciousness per se; however, patterns of brain waves exhibited by expert meditators may represent a unique state of consciousness

Risk factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and steps to prevent it

In sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) an infant stops breathing during sleep and dies. Infants younger than 12 months appear to be at the highest risk for SIDS, and boys have a greater risk than girls. Research suggests that infants should be placed on their backs when put down to sleep, and their cribs should not contain any items which pose suffocation threats, such as blankets, pillows or padded crib bumpers (cushions that cover the bars of a crib). Infants should not have caps placed on their heads when put down to sleep in order to prevent overheating, and people in the child's household should abstain from smoking in the home.

What is meant by consciousness?

describes our awareness of internal and external stimuli. Awareness of internal stimuli includes feeling pain, hunger, thirst, sleepiness, and being aware of our thoughts and emotions. Awareness of external stimuli includes seeing the light from the sun, feeling the warmth of a room, and hearing the voice of a friend.

Symptoms and treatments of insomnia

experience long delays between the times that they go to bed and actually fall asleep. these individuals may wake up several times during the night only to find that they have difficulty getting back to sleep. people suffering from insomnia to experience increased levels of anxiety about their inability to fall asleep. Some forms of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, can help sufferers of insomnia.

How circadian cycles can be disrupted?

external environments effect this like traveling across multiple time zones. symptoms include fatigue, sluggishness, irritability, and insomnia. rotating shifts at work.

Understand hormone secretions associated with sleep

melatonin, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and growth hormone pineal gland releases melatonin during sleep pituitary gland secretes both FSH and LH which are important in regulating the reproductive system pituitary gland also secretes growth hormone, during sleep, which plays a role in physical growth and maturation as well as other metabolic processes

Describe several theories aimed at explaining the function of sleep

1.popular hypothesis of sleep incorporates the perspective of evolutionary psychology. Evolutionary psychology is a discipline that studies how universal patterns of behavior and cognitive processes have evolved over time as a result of natural selection. One hypothesis from this perspective might argue that sleep is essential to restore resources that are expended during the day. 2.Another evolutionary hypothesis of sleep holds that our sleep patterns evolved as an adaptive response to predatory risks, which increase in darkness. Thus we sleep in safe areas to reduce the chance of harm. 3.It is quite possible that sleep serves no single universally adaptive function, and different species have evolved different patterns of sleep in response to their unique evolutionary pressures. 4.Another theory regarding why we sleep involves sleep's importance for cognitive function and memory formation

Explain how circadian rhythms are involved in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.

A circadian rhythm is a biological rhythm that takes place over a period of about 24 hours. Our sleep-wake cycle, which is linked to our environment's natural light-dark cycle, is perhaps the most obvious example of a circadian rhythm, but we also have daily fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body temperature. Some circadian rhythms play a role in changes in our state of consciousness. hormone melatonin important (pineal gland)

Identify the neurotransmitter systems impacted by various categories of drugs

A depressant is a drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity. At rather low doses, alcohol use is associated with feelings of euphoria. As the dose increases, people report feeling sedated. Generally, alcohol is associated with decreases in reaction time and visual acuity, lowered levels of alertness, and reduction in behavioral control. With excessive alcohol use, a person might experience a complete loss of consciousness Stimulants are drugs that tend to increase overall levels of neural activity. Many of these drugs act as agonists of the dopamine neurotransmitter system. Dopamine activity is often associated with reward and craving; therefore, drugs that affect dopamine neurotransmission often have abuse liability. Drugs in this category include cocaine, amphetamines (including methamphetamine), cathinones (i.e., bath salts), MDMA (ecstasy), nicotine, and caffeine. Amphetamines have a mechanism of action quite similar to cocaine in that they block the reuptake of dopamine in addition to stimulating its release. While amphetamines are often abused, they are also commonly prescribed to children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). An opioid is one of a category of drugs that includes heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine. Opioids have analgesic properties; that is, they decrease pain. Humans have an endogenous opioid neurotransmitter system—the body makes small quantities of opioid compounds that bind to opioid receptors reducing pain and producing euphoria. A hallucinogen is one of a class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences. In some cases, users experience vivid visual hallucinations. It is also common for these types of drugs to cause hallucinations of body sensations and a skewed perception of the passage of time.

Symptoms of several parasomnias

A parasomnia is one of a group of sleep disorders in which unwanted, disruptive motor activity and/or experiences during sleep play a role. Parasomnias can occur in either REM or NREM phases of sleep. Sleepwalking, restless leg syndrome, and night terrors are all examples of parasomnias

Concept of sleep debt

A person with a sleep debt does not get sufficient sleep on a chronic basis. The consequences of sleep debt include decreased levels of alertness and mental efficiency.

Symptoms and treatments for narcolepsy

A person with narcolepsy cannot resist falling asleep at inopportune times. These sleep episodes are often associated with cataplexy, which is a lack of muscle tone or muscle weakness, and in some cases involves complete paralysis of the voluntary muscles. Generally, narcolepsy is treated using psychomotor stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines. These drugs promote increased levels of neural activity.

Describe the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders

Physical dependence involves changes in normal bodily functions—the user will experience withdrawal from the drug upon cessation of use. Psychological dependence has an emotional, rather than physical, need for the drug and may use the drug to relieve psychological distress. Tolerance is linked to physiological dependence, and it occurs when a person requires more and more drug to achieve effects previously experienced at lower doses. Tolerance can cause the user to increase the amount of drug used to a dangerous level—even to the point of overdose and death. Drug withdrawal includes a variety of negative symptoms experienced when drug use is discontinued.

Understand the role that REM and non-REM sleep play in learning and memory

REM has been implicated in various aspects of learning and memory, although there is disagreement within the scientific community about how important both NREM and REM sleep are for normal learning and memory. REM sleep may play in processes related to learning and memory, REM sleep may also be involved in emotional processing and regulation.

Describe the differences between the four stages of non-REM sleep

Stage 1 sleep is a transitional phase that occurs between wakefulness and sleep, the period during which we drift off to sleep. During this time, there is a slowdown in both the rates of respiration and heartbeat. In addition, stage 1 sleep involves a marked decrease in both overall muscle tension and core body temperature. Stage 2 sleep, the body goes into a state of deep relaxation. Theta waves still dominate the activity of the brain, but they are interrupted by brief bursts of activity known as sleep spindles. A sleep spindle is a rapid burst of higher frequency brain waves that may be important for learning and memory Stage 3 and stage 4 of sleep are often referred to as deep sleep or slow-wave sleep because these stages are characterized by low frequency (up to 4 Hz), high amplitude delta waves. During this time, an individual's heart rate and respiration slow dramatically. It is much more difficult to awaken someone from sleep during stage 3 and stage 4 than during earlier stages. REM sleep is marked by rapid movements of the eyes. The brain waves associated with this stage of sleep are very similar to those observed when a person is awake