Unit 3 - States of Consciousness

UNIT 3

States of Consciousness

Consciousness: our awareness of ourselves and our surroundings

Daydreams

• they can help prepare us for future events 
• they can nourish our social development
• can substitute for impulse behavior

Biological Rhythms

•  Annual Cycles: seasonal variations (bears hibernation , seasonal affective disorders)
• 28 Day Cycles: menstrual cycle
• 24 Hour Cycle: our circadian rhythms
• 90 Minute Day: sleep cycle

Circadian Rhythms

• Our 24 hour biological clock
• Our body temperature and awareness changes throughout the day
• It's the best to take a test or study during your circadian peaks

Sleep Stages

• there are 5 identified stages of sleep
• it takes about 90-100 minutes to pass through the 5 stages
• the brainwaves will change according to the sleep stage you're in
• first 4 stages are known as nREM sleep
• the 5th stage is know as REM

Stage 1

• this is experienced as falling to sleep and is a transition stage between wake and sleep
• usually lasts between 1 and 5 minutes and occupies approximately 2-5% of a normal night sleep
• eyes begin to roll slightly 
• consists mostly of theta waves (high amplitude, low frequency (slow))
• brief periods of alpha waves, similar to those present while awake

Stage 2

• this follows stage 1 sleep and is the "baseline" of sleep
• this stage is a part of the 90 minute cycles and occupies approximately 45-60% of sleep

Stage 3 and 4

• stages 3 and 4 are "delta" sleep or "slow wave" sleep and may last 15-30 minutes
• it's also called "slow wave" sleep because the brain actively slows down dramatically from the "theta" rhythm of stage 2 to a much slower rhythm called "delta"and the height or amplitude of the wave increases dramatically 
• contrary to popular belief, it's delta sleep that's the "deepest" stage of sleep (not REM) and the most restorative 
•  it's delta sleep that a sleep-deprived person's brain craves the first and foremost
• in children, delta sleep can occupy up to 40% of all sleep time and this is what makes children unwakeable or "dead asleep" during most of the night 

Stage 5: REM Sleep

• REM - Rapid eye movement
• this is a very active stage of sleep
• composes 20-25% of a normal night's sleep
• breathing, heart rate, and brain wave actively quicken
• vivid dreams can occur
• from REM, you go back to stage 2 REM
• body is essentially paralyzed during REM

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia 

• recurring problems in falling or staying asleep 
• not your once in a while (I have a big test tomorrow) having trouble getting to sleep 
• insomnia is not defied by the number of hours you sleep every night

Narcolepsy

• characterized by 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 reawakening

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 (Somnambulism)

• sleepwalking is a sleep disorder effecting an estimated 10% of all humans at least once in their lifetime
• sleepwalking most often occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stage 3 or 4) early in the night

Dreams

• Manifest Content: the remembered storyline of a dream
• Latent Content: the underlying meaning of a dream

Drugs

Drug Tolerance 

• the diminishing effect with regular dose of the same dose
• Drugs are either...

          - Agonists

          - Antagonists 

          - Reuptake inhibitors

• if a drug is used often, a tolerance is created for the drug
• thus you need more of the drug to feel the same effect 
• if you stop using a drug you can develop withdrawal symptoms

Psychoactive Drugs

• depressants: slows down body functions
• stimulants: arouse body functions
• hallucinogens: distort perceptions or evoke sensations without sensory input

     Alcohol: 

•  slows down sympathetic nervous system
• disrupts memory processing
• reduce self-awareness
• involved in up to 60% of all crimes
• the worst drug from a macro-perspective out there

     Barbiturates:

• tranquilizers
• taken to sleep (but reduce REM sleep)
• taken with other drugs- you can get a synergistic effect

     Opiates:

• has depressive and hallucinogenic qualities
• agonists for endorphins
• morphine, heroin, methadone, and codeine
• all these drugs cross the placental barrier... teratogens

     Stimulants:

• speed up body processes
• more powerful ones (like cocaine) give people feelings of invincibility
• amphetamines (speed)
• cocaine
• crack
• "the crash"

     Hallucinogens

• LSD (Acid)
• hallucinogens cause distorted perception of the environment
• small amounts change how the brain functions
• brain cells fire at random, causing confusion and distorted perception of reality