Psychology 110

Module 8 - Sleep, Dreams and Body Rhythms

2014-2015
Essential Question How does what occurs-or does not occur-during
sleep affect daily life?
Student Outcomes:
Upon completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Define consciousness
2. Identify the different rhythms of the body and how they differ
from one another.
3. explain why we sleep and the effects of sleep deficits
4. identify the different stages of sleep, including REM and N-REM
sleep and analyze their differences
5. compare different theories about the use and meaning of dreams
6. identify the different types of sleep disorders and their impact on
peoples lives
Consciousness
Have you ever experienced a time when you nodded off temporarily in
class, even though you knew you shouldnt? No matter what you do,
you cannot stay awake! To nod off is to temporarily lose waking
consciousness, or awareness of yourself and your environment.
Certain parts of your brains cortex stops sending messages that would
otherwise keep you awake.
How do you feel when you do not get enough sleep?
When you are deprived of sleep, this alters your bodys natural
rhythms. These biological rhythms (periodic physiological fluctuations)
affect body temperature, blood pressure, and the effectiveness of
medicines. They fall into three categories:
Circadian Rhythms:

Ultradian Rhythms:

Infradian Rhythms:

Most of these body rhythms are automatic and we do not notice them.
However, if we understand them better, we can make the most of our
days and nights.
Sleep and Sleep Deficit What happens to your body when you
dont get enough sleep?
Try and estimate the amount of time you have spent asleep during
your life at this point. If you live to be 90, you will have spent around
30 years of your life asleep!
Most adults get an average of 8 hours of sleep a night, but most
teenagers get below average sleep.
Activity 24-4: Sleep Diary
How does sleep deprivation affect us?
The research on sleep deprivation shows that not getting enough sleep
is bad for you:
Lack of sleep decreases levels of hormones necessary for our
immune system to function properly.
Sleep deprivation increases levels of the stress hormone
cortisol, which has been linked to the damage of brain cells
responsible for learning and memory.
Adults who sleep less are typically more overweight than
those who get the sleep they need. Sleep deprivation
increases appetite and eating.
The number of road deaths related to truck drivers and others
who fall asleep are higher than those related to alcohol use.
Contributes to hypertension, impaired concentration,
irritability, suppression of cancer-fighting cells, and premature
aging.
If we know the dangers of lack of sleep, why are teenagers getting an
average of 2 hours less of sleep per night than 70 years ago? Four out
of five students are dangerously sleep deprived according to
researchers. The brain keeps an accurate count of sleep debt which
helps explains why many high school students sleep effortlessly till
noon on weekends if allowed. Given the damage a lack of rest inflicts
on your brain, a large sleep debt makes you stupid.
Activity - Are you sleep deprived? Handout from text
Activity 24-8: How Large Is Your Sleep Deficit?

How & Why We Sleep?

How?
Even though scientists still do not totally understand sleep, the control
center for our 24 hour sleep rhythm seems to be the hypothalamus in
our brain. It has a sensor that recognizes light and dark, and therefore
when it perceives changes in light, it can send messages to your brain
and body to cause changes that initiate
sleep. These changes often include the increase or decrease of
hormones in your bloodstream. One such hormone is melatonin.
Melatonin the hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
Melatonin builds up while you are sleeping, and as soon as you turn the
light on, your levels start to lower, until you go to sleep again.
Why?
It seems that we need sleep because of preservation and restoration.
1. Preservation: What would happen if you got up in the middle
of the night, didnt turn the lights on and went to the kitchen for
a snack? You would probably bang into things and hurt yourself!
Our ancestors who slept in caves and forests would have
experienced danger if they were moving, hunting, or just living at
night. Sleep provides protection from nighttimes dangers, at
least for daytime mammals like us.
2. Restoration: sleep allows us to recuperate from daily wear and
tear. Though your brain remains active, brain tissue gets
repaired and restored while you sleep. We undergo a rebuilding
process as tissues are renewed, memories are consolidated and
things learned the previous day are reorganized.
Stages of Sleep
Basic stages of sleep are different than dreaming. The sleep-wake
cycle itself is circadian, but we also have a 90 minute ultradian rhythm
cycle throughout our night of sleep. During the 90 minute phase, two
types of sleep repeat themselves. EEGs (or electroencephalographs)
are used to collect data on sleep patterns.
Stage 1: lasts about 5 minutes. There is slowed breathing, irregular
brainwave patterns. You may not realize you are asleep.
Stage 2: brainwaves cycle more slowly. Off and on, you will spend
over half of your night asleep in this stage.

About 30 minutes after you fall asleep, your brainwaves slow way
down, and you enter stages 3 and 4. These rejuvenating sleep
stages will last about 30 minutes.
REM sleep
After stage 4, your brain waves will pick up a little strength and speed.
This is a recurring sleep stage during which your eyes move rapidly
under the lids and you dream vividly. There is much alternating in and
out of stages throughout the night, but if you sleep 8-9 hours, you will
spend the last 4 hours alternating in and out of stage 2 and REM.
What happens to you during REM sleep? (Take notes from your
text p.471-472)

Why do we Dream?
Do you remember your dreams? Do you dream in color? What do they
mean?
There are several theories out there as to why we dream. There are
also several things we know.
You spend about 100 minutes a night dreaming.
You may remember it, you may not.
We all dream every night of our lives.
Sigmund Freud contributed the earliest dream theory. He said that
dreams were the key to understanding inner conflict. Dreams
represented wish fulfillment and could always be traced back to erotic
wishes.
Modern Theories of Dreaming:
1. Information Processing: Dreams help us sift through the
days experiences and tie up loose ends. Almost like when
your computer synchronizes and updates when you shut it
down.

2. Physiological Function: Neural activity during REM sleep

provides periodic stimulation for our brains. Have you ever
been told if you dont get your sleep, it will stunt your growth?
To a certain extent this is true!
3. Activation Synthesis: The brain attempts to interpret
random neural activity during sleep, and this is what creates
the dream.
4. Cognitive Development: Some say that dreams are a part
of a maturation process of the brain. Others say that dreams
reflect what we have learned and know. (in other words, if you
dont know something, you wont dream about it.)
** See table 8.1 Dream Theories (Critical Considerations) pg.
150 in text
All animals experience REM sleep, but we dont know if any other
animals dream. Evidence also shows there is a need for REM sleep. If
your sleep doesnt contain REM sleep, you may not feel rested. Also,
when we have been deprived of sleep, we tend to skip the initial stages
and go right into REM sleep.
Sleep Disorders and Sleep Problems
Insomnia
For most people, getting to sleep isnt a problem. However, there are
those who have recurring problems in falling asleep or staying asleep.
Two common remedies for insomnia are oral medications and even
alcohol. Both inhibit or suppress REM sleep and actually make the
person feel worse in the morning.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated awakenings throughout the
night as a result of not being able to breathe. They are loud snorers
who stop breathing at the peak of a heavy, inhaled snore and
sometimes it lasts for a minute! The only way they can start breathing
again is to briefly awaken. This may happen 400 times a night! Apnea
sufferers are usually male, overweight, and over 40. Do you know
someone that might be at risk?
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. Sleep
attacks often happen when their nervous systems become aroused
(i.e. strong emotions). They immediately fall into REM sleep.

Narcolepsy runs in families and seems to be linked to lacking a

neurotransmitter.
Other Sleep Problems: Briefly describe the following.
Somnambulism:
Night Terrors:
Bruxism:
Enuresis:
Myoclonus: