Sleep Research

• People from Aristotle, to Shakespeare, to Freud have studied sleep and dreams.

• 1920’s-Hans Berger invents Electroencephalograph to measure brain activity

• Produces a record called an EEG

Sleep Research con’t

• Researchers also measure eye movements, breathing, airflow, pulse, blood pressure, and others during sleep.

• 1950’s-Eugene Aserinsky associates periods of rapid eye movement during sleep with dreams

Stages of sleep

• Beta brain waves-Produced when awake and alert. Small and fast.

• Alpha brain waves- slightly larger and slower. Produced as you first start falling asleep.

• Hypnagogic Hallucinations- Vivid sensations at the onset of sleep that can cause you to wake.

Stages con’t

• NREM-Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep• Stage 1 NREM:

– Transitional stage– Mixture of alpha and theta waves (Theta waves

even longer and slower)– Sensations drift from conscious.– Conscious awareness can be regained if needed– Less vivid Hyp. Hall. of everyday activities.

Stages con’t

• Stage 2 NREM:– Onset of true sleep

– Sleep spindle-quick bursts of brain activity

– K Complex- Single, high voltage spike in brain activity

– Theta wave predominate, delta waves appear.

– Breathing becomes rhythmical, small muscle twitches

Stages con’t

• Stages 3 and 4 NREM:– Physiologically very similar– When delta waves represent 20% of brain

activity, sleeper is in Stage 3– When delta waves represent 50% of brain

activity, sleeper is in Stage 4– Can take up to 15 minutes to regain full

consciousness.

Stages con’t

• REM:– Brain more active, smaller faster brain waves– Dreams occur– Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing

fluxate– First REM last 5-15 minutes

Cycles

• Cycle last average 90 minutes.• Generally 4 90 min cycles per night• Stage 3 & 4 NREM only occur in first 2

cycles• REM longer in each cycle. Up to 40

minutes in the last.• Usually shift positions just before and after

each REM.

Hypnosis

• A cooperative social interaction in which the hypnotic participant responds to suggestions made by the hypnotist.

• Can produce changes in perception, memory, thoughts, and behavior.

Effects of Hypnosis

• Sensory changes can include temporary blindness, deafness, or complete loss of feeling.

• Can hallucinate

• Are open to posthypnotic suggestion-Usually temporary

Hypnosis and Memory

• Posthypnotic Amnesia- Unable to recall specific events before or during hypnosis. (temporary)

• Hypermnesia- enhanced memory of past events

Limits of Hypnosis

• Can NOT be hypnotized against your will

• Can’t make you perform behaviors against you morals or values

• Can NOT make you stronger than your physical capabilities.

• Limited success in weight loss, smoking, nail biting, etc.

Explaining Hypnosis

• Ernest R Hilgard- Neodissociation theory of Hypnosis– Subject experiences dissociation, splitting of

consciousness into two or more streams– There is a second, dissociated stream of mental

activity, called the hidden observer, processing information that is unavailable to the hypnotized subject.

Meditation

• Both Meditation and Hypnosis involve deliberate use of mental techniques to change consciousness.

• Group of techniques that induce an altered state of focused attention and heightened awareness.

• Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim

Meditation con’t

• 2 categories: Concentration and Open-Up

• Concentration Meditation:– Involves focusing awareness on a visual image,

breathing, a word or phrase (mantra)

Meditation con’t

• Opening Up Meditation:– Present Centered awareness of the passing

moment, without mental judgment– Zazen, or “Just Sitting” of Zen Buddhists

Meditation con’t

• Transcendental Meditation: Form of Concentration Meditation that can be mastered– Follows a format: repeat mantra, allow thoughts

to come up, and then wait for them to fall away.

Meditation Con’t

• Beginning meditators experience state of lowered physiological arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, stress, and changes in brain waves

• Experiences meditators describe drowsiness and meditation diferently.

Psychoactive Drugs

• Chemical substances that can alter consciousness by changing arousal, mood, thinking, sensations, and perceptions.

• There are four categories of psychoactive drugs:– Depressants

– Opiates

– Stimulants

– Psychadelic

Psychoactive Drugs con’t

• Addiction: Condition where a person feels psychologically and physically compelled to take a specific drug.

• Physical Dependence: Body and brain chemistry have physically adapted to drug

• Drug Tolerance: More drugs required to produce original desired effect.

Psychoactive Drugs con’t

• Withdrawal symptoms: Unpleasant physical reactions to lack of drug, plus intense cravings.

• Drug rebound effect- Withdrawal symptoms are opposite to the physically addictive drug’s action.

Psychoactive Drugs con’t

• Conscious altering affects are primarily due to their effects on the brain

• Affect synaptic transmission by:– Increasing or decreasing neurotransmitter

amounts– Blocking, mimicking, or influencing particular

neurotransmitter effects

Psychoactive Drugs con’t

• Each psychoactive drug has distinct biological effect that varies from person to person depending on age, weight, and gender.– Response can be affected by personality, mood,

expectations, experience, and setting– Racial and ethnic differences effect metabolic

breakdown

Psychoactive drugs con’t

• Drug Abuse: refers recurring drug use that disrupts academic, social, or occupational functioning or causes legal or psychological problems.

• Different ethnic groups have different norms regarding alcohol