1. Altered States of Consciousness
PSYCHOLOGY SLEEP
Altered States of Consciousness

2. Consciousness & Information Processing
The unconscious mind processes information simultaneously on multiple tracks, while the conscious mind processes information sequentially.
Conscious mind
Unconscious mind

3. Sleep & Dreams
Sleep – the irresistible tempter to whom we inevitably succumb.
Mysteries about sleep and dreams have just started
unraveling in sleep laboratories around the world.

5. Sleep & Dreams Disc Jockey – Peter Tripp
Sleep is a state of altered consciousness
Consciousness – a state of awareness, including a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas and perceptions
Consciousness ranges from alertness to non-alertness
Sleep has been difficult to study until recently
EEG – electroencephalograph – records electrical activity in the brain

6. Why do we sleep?
Sleep is characterized by unresponsiveness to the environment and usually limited physical mobility.
Some people believe sleep is used to “recharge their batteries.”
Others believe sleep is a primitive hibernation to conserve energy.
Some believe we slept at night to stay out of harm’s way.
Some researchers believe we sleep to clear our minds and dream.

7. Sleep Theories
Sleep Protects: Sleeping in the darkness when predators loomed about kept our ancestors out of harm’s way.
Sleep Recuperates: Sleep helps restore and repair brain tissue.
Sleep Helps Remembering: Sleep restores and rebuilds our fading memories.
Sleep and Growth: During sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormone. Older people release less of this hormone and sleep less.
OBJECTIVE 7| Identify four theories of why we sleep.

8. Sleep Stages
Measuring sleep: About every 90 minutes, we pass through a cycle of five distinct sleep stages.
OBJECTIVE 4| List the stages of sleep cycle, and explain how they differ.
Hank Morgan/ Rainbow

9. Stages of Sleep As you sleep several things happen:
Body temperature decreases
Pulse rate drops
Eyes close
Body may twitch and eyes may roll
Brief visual images flash across your mind
EEG shows alpha waves which are associated with absence of concentrated thought & relaxation.

10. Sleep Stages 1-2
During early, light sleep (stages 1-2) the brain enters a high-amplitude, slow, regular wave form called theta waves (5-8 cps). A person who is daydreaming shows theta activity.
Theta Waves

11. Early Stages of Sleep Stage 1 Pulse slows more and muscles relax
Breathing becomes uneven and brain waves grow irregular.
Lasts up to 10 minutes
If awakened you would report that you were just drifting

12. Early Stages of Sleep Stage II Eyes roll slowly from side to side
Lasts about 30 minutes
Stage III
Large amplitude delta waves begin to sweep your brain every second.

13. Sleep Stages 3-4
During deepest sleep (stages 3-4), brain activity slows down. There are large-amplitude, slow delta waves (1.5-4 cps).

14. Later Stages of Sleep Stage IV is the deepest stage of all.
Hard to wake and will be disoriented if awakened
Talking, sleepwalking & bedwetting occur during this stage with no memory

15. REM Sleep Rapid Eye Movement (REM)- active sleep
Pulse & breathing become irregular
Adrenal & sexual hormone levels rise
Face & fingers twitch while large muscles are paralyzed
Brain waves similar to that of an awake person
Lasts minutes
Entire sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes
Stage IV sleep decreases with each cycle while REM sleep increases until you wake up

16. Stage 5: REM Sleep
After reaching the deepest sleep stage (4), the sleep cycle starts moving backward towards stage 1. Although still asleep, the brain engages in low- amplitude, fast and regular beta waves (15-40 cps) much like awake-aroused state.
A person during this sleep exhibits
Rapid Eye Movements (REM)
and reports vivid dreams.

17. Brain Waves During Sleep

18. Frequency of Sleep Stages

19. 90-Minute Cycles During Sleep
With each 90-minute cycle, stage 4 sleep decreases and the duration of REM sleep increases.

20. How Much Sleep? Amount needed varies considerably
Newborns sleep up to 16 hours while 70 years and older may sleep only 5 hours
Circadian rhythm – biological clock that is genetically programmed to regulate physiological responses during the day
Missing sleep disrupts this rhythm (jet lag)

22. Sleep Disorders Insomnia Sleep Apnea Narcolepsy
Nightmares & Night Terrors
Sleepwalking & Sleep Talking

23. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping.
Why do we sleep?
We spend one-third of our lives sleeping.
If an individual remains awake for several days, they deteriorate in terms of immune function, concentration, and accidents.
OBJECTIVE 5| Explain why sleep patterns and duration vary from person to person.
Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./ Corbis

24. Sleep Deprivation Fatigue and subsequent death.
Impaired concentration.
Emotional irritability.
Depressed immune system.
Greater vulnerability.
OBJECTIVE 6| Discuss several risks associated with sleep deprivation.

25. Insomnia
Insomnia – a prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep
Do not feel rested the next day
Insomnia has many causes including anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug use

26. Frequency of accidents increase with loss of sleep

27. Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea – a sleep disorder in which a person has trouble breathing while sleeping
Identified by snoring that lasts seconds then ends suddenly with a movement of the body
During this time the person is actually choking which triggers breathing reflexes
Affects 1% of population, especially older and obese persons

28. Sleep Labs

29. Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy – a condition characterized by suddenly falling asleep or feeling very sleepy during the day
Feel like you are having dreamlike hallucinations and/or temporary paralysis
Sleep attacks occur accompanied by brief periods of REM sleep.
Victims have trouble with work, relationships, leisure and are prone to accidents.

30. Nightmares & Night Terrors
Nightmares occur during the dream phase of REM sleep
Person usually wakes with a vivid movie-like memory of the dream.
Night terrors occur during Stage IV sleep and can last 5-20 minutes.
May involve sweating, screaming, confusion and a rapid heart rate.
May wake suddenly and usually have no memory of night terrors

31. Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking – walking or carrying out behaviors while sleeping.
Usually occurs among children who outgrow it.
Typically have no memory of event.
Has been associated with stress, fatigue and the use of sedatives
Usually harmless unless a fall occurs
It is not dangerous to wake sleepwalkers

32. Sleep Talking Common sleep disruption
Most people talk in their sleep and do not remember doing so
Can occur during various stages and can be one word or several words.
Can possibly engage them in conversation

33. Dreams Dreams – mental activity that takes place during sleep
Many dreams are not remembered.
Sleep researchers wake people during the night to record their dreams.
Early dreams are brief and vague while later dreams are more vivid and dramatic.
The last dream is usually the longest and the one people remember.
People deprived of REM sleep will increase their amount of time in REM sleep making it appear that dreaming is necessary.

34. Dreams 600 hours of dreams per year 1500 dreams per year
100,000 dreams in your lifetime
8-10 dreams are negative
1-10 male dreams are sexual in nature
1-30 female dreams are sexual in nature
65% of male dreams contain men
50% of female dreams contain men

35. Content of Dreams
Most dreams collected by researchers are common and dull.
Most dreams incorporate everyday activities.
Dreams usually have a large % of negative or unpleasant emotions.
Dreams correspond to a realistic time scale and do not occur in a split second.

36. What do we Dream?
Negative Emotional Content: 8 out of 10 dreams have negative emotional content.
Failure Dreams: People commonly dream about failure, being attacked, pursued, rejected, or struck with misfortune.
Sexual Dreams: Contrary to our thinking, sexual dreams are sparse. Sexual dreams in men are 1 in 10; and in women 1 in 30.
Dreams of Gender: Women dream of men and women equally; men dream more about men than women.
OBJECTIVE 9| Describe the most common content of dreams.

37. Why do we dream?
Wish Fulfillment: Sigmund Freud suggested that dreams provide a psychic safety valve to discharge unacceptable feelings. The dream’s manifest (apparent) content may also have symbolic meanings (latent content) that signify our unacceptable feelings.
Information Processing: Dreams may help sift, sort, and fix a day’s experiences in our memories.
OBJECTIVE 10| Compare the major perspectives on why we dream.

38. Why do we dream?
Physiological Function: Dreams provide the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation to develop and preserve neural pathways. Neural networks of newborns are quickly developing; therefore, they need more sleep.

39. Why do we dream?
Activation-Synthesis Theory: Suggests that the brain engages in a lot of random neural activity. Dreams make sense of this activity.
Cognitive Development: Some researchers argue that we dream as a part of brain maturation and cognitive development.
All dream researchers believe we need REM sleep. When
deprived of REM sleep and then allowed to sleep,
we show increased REM sleep called REM Rebound.

40. Dream Interpretation
Many believe dreams contain hidden meanings including Freud.
Some scientists feel dreaming is just brain activity with little meaning.
Others believe dreams are meeting with spirits, a way of address problems, or removing unpleasant thoughts.

41. Dream Theory

42. Daydreaming
Involves low level of awareness and involves fantasizing but directed thinking while we are awake.
Daydream when we are bored or in situations that require little attention.
Reminds us of or prepares us for future events.
Improve creativity and generates thought process.
Some psychologists believe daydreaming helps us control our emotions.

43. Hypnosis

44. Hypnosis
A social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.
OBJECTIVE 11| Define hypnosis, and note some similarities between the behavior of hypnotized people and that of motivated unhypnotized people.
Hypnos: Greek god of sleep

45. Hypnosis Victor Rausch
Hypnosis – a state of consciousness resulting from a narrowed focus of attention and characterized by heightened suggestibility
May recall forgotten incidents
Hypnosis does not put a person to sleep.
People become highly receptive and responsive to internal and external stimuli.

46. Hypnosis
Helps to relax and focus on one tiny aspect of reality while ignoring others.
Can be convinced to do things that one would not normally do
Psychologists try to solve problems or learn more about how the mind works.
Mutual trust is important for hypnosis to be successful.

47. Hypnosis
Barber feels that if people try hard they can do what they would if hypnotized.
Hypnotism reveals that people often have potential abilities they do not use.
Used by athletes
Posthypnotic suggestion – a suggestion made during hypnosis that influences the participant’s behavior afterward.
Used to reduce pain, quit smoking & lose weight.

48. Aspects of Hypnosis
Posthypnotic Suggestion: Suggestion carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized.
Posthypnotic Amnesia: Supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis.

49. Hypnotic Feats
Strength, stamina, and perceptual and memory abilities similarly affect those who are hypnotized and those who are not hypnotized.

50. Facts and Falsehood
Those who practice hypnosis agree that its power resides in the subject’s openness to suggestion.
Can anyone experience hypnosis?
Yes, to some extent.
Can hypnosis enhance recall of forgotten events?
OBJECTIVE 12| Discuss the characteristics of people who are susceptible to hypnosis, and evaluate claims that hypnosis can influence people’s memory, will, health, and perception of pain.
No.

51. Facts and Falsehood
Can hypnosis force people to act against their will?
No.
Can hypnosis be therapeutic?
Yes. Self-suggestion can heal too.
Can hypnosis alleviate pain?
Yes. Lamaze can do that too.

52. Meditation
Meditation – the focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation
Various types of meditation have been used for thousands of years.
Researchers generally agree that meditation provides benefits through relaxation.

53. Interesting Sleep Notes
1989 Michael Doucette – safest teen driver
Sleep 25 years of your life
Who gets more sleep? Men or Women
20% of U.S. auto accidents related to sleep
Yawning – increases alertness

54. Interesting Sleep Notes
Can you learn during sleep?
Up to 25 years old men spend ½ their time sleeping in an aroused state
1942 – 7.6 hours of sleep
2001 – 6.7 hours of sleep
Invention of light

55. Interesting Sleep Notes
Bilingual people will dream in which language?
If you fall in your dream will you die?
Forget what happens about 5 minutes before you fall to sleep.