Chapter 9: State of Consciousness

Body Rhythms• Depriving yourself of sleep alters your body natural rhythms.• To nod off is to temporarily lose waking consciousness, or

awareness of yourself and your environment. • How do your body’s natural rhythms differ from one

another?• Pseudoscientific claim- any assertion that it is not based on

science, even though in some circumstances, attempts are made to appear scientific. Ex. False commercials of biorhythm chart. •We do have real biological rhythms.• Biological rhythms- periodic physiological fluctuations such

as body temp., blood press. and effectiveness of medicines.

Three Main Categories of Body Rhythms • Circadian rhythms- Biological rhythms occur approximately every 24

hours.• The sleep-wake cycle is an example of circadian rhythms. • Ultradian rhythms- Biological rhythms that occur more than once

each day. • The way we go through stages of sleep. • Infradian rhythms- biological rhythms that occur once a month or

once a season. • Ex. The same as with a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Sleep and Sleep Deficit• Lack of sleep decreases the levels of hormones necessary for proper

immune system functioning. • Sleep deprivation has been linked to the damage of brain cells

responsible for learning and memory. • National Transportation Safety Board (1995) considers driver fatigue a

bigger safety problem than alcohol use. • Sleep debt contributes to hypertension, impaired concentration,

irritability, suppression of cancer-fighting immune cells, and premature aging. •William Dement states “The brains keeps an accurate count of sleep

debt”• This is why many h.s. students sleep effortlessly until noon on weekends if

allowed.

Why we sleep?• The hypothalamus is the 24 hour control center that helps us. • Perceiving certain key changes in light level, your hypothalamus sends

neurological messages to parts of your brain and body, initiating the changes that will put you to sleep. • These changes increase or decrease hormone levels. • One hormone, melatonin, has been linked to regulation of the sleep-wake

cycle. • Sleep provides protection from nightmare’s dangers, at least for daytime

mammals like us. • Sleep is restorative, allowing us to recuperate from the everyday wear and

tear we put ourselves through.

Sleep stages, REM, and Dreaming• Electroencephalograph (EEG)- A machine that amplifies and records waves of

electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. • Four stages of nondreaming sleep• Stage 1: There is slowed breathing and irregular brain waves; barley last 5 min.• Stage 2: Little brain bursts called spindles characterize this stage. • Stage 3 and 4: Brain waves slow way down to large delta waves.• Delta waves-are large, delta sleep is minimum for last 4 hrs. • REM Sleep• N-REM sleep is non-rapid eye movement sleep. • This is where your brain picks up speed and you move back up through stages 3,

2, and 1

REM Sleep• REM sleep is rapid eye movement which vivid dreams occurs. • During this stage, your brain patterns more closely resemble those of

relaxed wakefulness. • Eyes dart under eyelids, pulse quickens and breathing is faster and

irregular.• Blood flows into the genitals at a rates faster than it can be removed. •With all this, electrode measuring muscle tension in your chin would

flat line, because you are temporarily paralyzed. • Your brainstem blocks messages from your motor cortex. • This is why REM is sometimes called paradoxical sleep:• Internally you body is aroused; externally, you’re the picture of calm

and hard to awaken.

Why do we dream?• Freud believed that dreams were the key to understanding our inner

conflicts.• He also believed that dreams were expression of wish fulfillment.• There are 3 more plausible explanations. • Information-processing---Dreams serve an important memory-related

function by sorting and sifting through the day’s experiences and tying up loose ends.• Physiological function- Neural activity during REM sleep provides

periodic stimulation for our brains. • Activation-synthesis- Rather than ascribing any physiological or

memory-related status to dreams, the brain’s attempt to interpret random neural activity during sleep creates a dream.

Sleep Disorders and Sleep problems• Insomnia-Recurring problems in falling asleep or staying sleep. • Ways to increase quality of sleep. • Don’t consume caffeinated beverages or foods after 3:00 p.m.• Get up at the same time every morning.• Avoid nighttime activities that rile you up. Ex. Video games, arguments, 10 mil

run.• Try not to sweat it when you can’t get to sleep. Remember that it’s normal to take

15 min or more to fall asleep at night. Sleeping poorly one night will not cause any problems.

continued• Sleep apnea- A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations

of breathing during sleep and consequent reawakening.• Narcolepsy- A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep

attacks. • Other problems.• Somnambulism- sleepwalking, which usually starts in deeper stages

of N-REM sleep. • Night terrors- A sleep-related problem characterized by high arousal

and appearance of being terrified.

Research with a partner • Research laws and policies regarding how long people in certain jobs can

work without breaks and sleep. • Focus on companies that employ the following:• Truck drivers• Air traffic controllers• Pilots • Doctors • nurses• Factory workers.

Section 3 Drugs

What is a psychoactive drug?• Psychoactive drug is a chemical substance that alters perceptions, mood or

behavior. • Most commonly used are caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. • They can induce an altered state of consciousness. • Can lead to dependence---- a state of physiological or psychological need for a

drug. • Dependence is accompanied by symptoms of withdrawal.• Withdrawal is discomfort and distress of a person who is dependent on a drug

who discontinues• Regular drug use leads to tolerance, a reduced response to the drug, which

prompts the user to take large doses.

What type of drugs are a problem for teenagers?

•List the drugs you believe are problems among people your age. •Why people choose drugs in the first place?•What are some factors in life that lead some to become drug addicts.

Depressants • Depressants are drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body function.• Alcohol• Men have typically 50% more of an enzyme responsible for breaking down

metabolizing alcohol• Men have more blood in their vascular systems.• A higher percentage of body fat in women tends to concentrate more alcohol in

blood plasma than in men. • BAC (Blood alcohol content) of .08 percent is legal intoxication in most states.• The recreational use of alcohol often gets out of hand, leading to dependence,

health problems, accidental injuries, or death.

Sedatives • Sedatives are reserved for drugs prescribed by a physician to reduce

anxiety or induce sleep. • Barbiturates- drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous

system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment. • They are legal in overdose• Dangerous with other drugs• Impair memory and judgment• More likely to create tolerance and dependence with newer sedatives.

Opiates• Opiates are drugs that depress neural activity; temporarily lessening

pain and anxiety.• Morphine- strong sedative and pain-relieving drug derived from opium. • Endorphins- “Morphine within”, natural opiate-like neurotransmitters

linked to pain and control and to pleasure.

Stimulants • Stimulants-drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body

functions.• Caffeine-stimulants found in coffee, chocolate, tea, and some soft

drinks.• Caffeine rewards user with a sense of increased energy, mental

alertness, and forced wakefulness.

Nicotine

• Nicotine is stimulant found in tobacco.• 6000 American teenagers will light up today• 3000 will develop a habit• 1000 will die from smoking related diseases.

Cocaine, Amphetamines, and Ecstasy• Cocaine-stimulant derived from leaves of the coca plant.• Amphetamines- drugs that stimulate neural activity, speeding up

body functions, and associated energy and mood changes. • Ecstasy- an hallucinogenic drug produces lowered inhibitions,

pleasant feelings, and greater acceptance of others.

Marijuana

• Marijuana-leaves, stems, resin, and flowers from the hemp plant, when smoked lower inhibitions and produce feelings of relaxation and mild euphoria. • It’s effects are similar to that of low doses of alcohol, but different in

that high doses do not suppress breathing.• Produces only mild hallucinogenic experiences• It chemical structure does not resemble that of sedatives.

Prevention

• Education is related to drug use. • Hope matters• Genetics plays a role• Peers count. • Positive environments that increase self-esteem and foster

determination.