DREAMS - LHS Psych (AP & INTRO) - Home



SLEEPSTAGES OF SLEEPStages 1-4: “quiet sleep” or NREM sleep1. Stage 1 May experience fantastic images and/or auditory hallucinations2. Stage 2 More relaxed & clearly asleep -- sleeptalking can occur3. Stages 3 (transitional) & 4 (deep sleep) – slow wave sleepHard to awaken & sleepwalking can occur~ Ascend through Stages 4, 3, 2 to… ~REM Sleep Heart rate rises, breathing rapid and eyes moving beneath eyelidsMuscles so relaxed, are virtually paralyzed and dreams occurCycle repeats itself about every 90 minutes – with approx. 4 to 6 cycles per nightAs night continues, time spent in Stage 4 decreases as time in REM increasesSLEEP FACTSGenetics influence exactly how much sleep we need…however, most humans sleep 9-10 hours if left to do so unhinderedBrain keeps track of the amount of sleep we get & does not let us “make up” for lost sleepSleep deprivation can be detrimental – can lead to difficulty focusing, diminished productivity, tendency to make mistakes, irritability, fatigue & a diminished immune system Afternoon naps – a necessity or myth?Seems to be a major period of sleep at night and a smaller period of sleep in the afternoon which begins around 12 hours after the middle of the main sleep period Why do we sleep? (4 theories)Sleep protects Sleep recuperatesSleep helps rememberingSleep and growthSLEEP DISORDERSInsomnia – persistent problems in falling asleep or staying asleepSleeping pills can help yet not advised…instead psychologists often use natural alternatives Narcolepsy – experience periodic, overwhelming sleepiness during wakeful hours“sleep attacks” last usually 5 min. or less drug Modafinil being prescribed to relieve sleepinessSleep Apnea – stop breathing during sleep & wake long enough to resume normal breathingOccurs hundreds of times a night and is often accompanied by excessively loud snoring as well as daytime sleepiness & irritabilityTreatments include weight loss and use of CPAP machineNight Terrors – horrific dream images that can produce bloodcurdling scream & intense fear for up to 30 min. yet individual will not remember episode in the morningOccurs in Stage 4 sleepSleepwalking -- blank stare, move about in slow, automatic manner & may try to eat, dress or go to bathroom in wrong placeOccurs in Stage 4 sleepDREAMSUsually story-like – most commonly have some degree of likeness to daily activities yet will be more bizarre and unrealisticWhy do we dream?Wish FulfillmentManifest content (remembered story-line) is a censored version of the dream’s latent content (underlying meaning of dream)Information processingPhysiological functionActivation-synthesis theoryCognitive DevelopmentHYPNOSISHypnosis – an induced state of awareness, usually characterized by heightened suggestibility, deep relaxation, and highly focused attentionHypnotic techniques have been used throughout history…but Austrian physician, Anton Mesmer reintroduced it in the late 1700sCan anyone experience hypnosis?It depends on the subject’s level of suggestibilityAbout 20 % of people are highly suggestibleUsually these individuals have rich fantasy lives and easily become absorbed in the imaginary events of a novel or a movieAbout 40% of the population have a low level of suggestibility…meaning that they would not be very susceptible to hypnosisCan hypnosis make you do things against your will or remember long forgotten events?**Answer to both of these questions is…NOResearchers have found that “hypnotically refreshed” memories combine fact with fictionResearch has shown that the observable behaviors of hypnotic subjects are usually well within the normal limits of behaviorIs hypnosis an altered state of consciousness?Experts cannot agreesome believe that it is a distinct state of consciousness, separate from sleep or our normal waking stateother believe that hypnosis is simply heightened motivationstill others believe that hypnosis is a social process and subjects are just unknowingly acting out the role of a “good subject” to please the hypnotistWhat are the therapeutic benefits of hypnosis?Can be used in psychological & physiological treatmentsOften in these arenas, posthypnotic suggestions are utilized (suggestion made under hypnosis to be carried out when the person is no longer hypnotized)PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGSDEPRESSANTS (“downers”)effects – decrease neural activity, slow down of bodily functions and reduce sensitivity to outside stimulationKINDSAlcoholIn low doses – relax drinker by slowing down the sympathetic nervous system In high doses – reactions slow, speech slurs, and skilled performance deterioratesAlso affects memory by disrupting the processing of recent events into long-term memory, reduces self-awareness, and focuses one’s attention on immediate situation rather than future consequencesBarbiturates Mimic the effects of alcohol – depress NS activity & in larger doses, can lead to impaired memory and judgementOpiates (Narcotics) Heroin – user gets a short lived feeling of blissful pleasure, followed by craving for another fix, need for progressively larger doses, and physical withdrawal symptomsSTIMULANTS (“uppers”)effects -- uses body’s own energy in larger amounts & faster than normal in the process, speeding up ones bodily functions -- when effects wear off, body’s energy drained, leaving person exhausted & depressedKINDSCaffeineFound in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate and many over-the-counter medsMost people use caffeine in some form everyday – most widely used psychoanalytic drugAt high doses, can produce anxiety, restlessness, insomnia & increased heart rate – known as “coffee nerves”Amphetamines (“speed” or “uppers”)Suppress appetite and once prescribed as diet pills Methamphetamine (“Crystal Meth”) – illegal drug manufactured in street laboratories that is either smoked or injectedCocaineIllegal stimulate derived from coca treeWhen inhaled/”snorted”, reaches brain in minutes – producing intense euphoria, mental alertness & self-confidence which lasts for several minutesHALLUCINOGENS (also known as psychedelics)effects -- alter perceptions & mood and produce feelings of unrealitycause hallucinations, prevent one from being able to distinguish between reality and fantasy, and usually magnify mood/frame of mind of user at timeKINDSLSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) “Acid”one of the most powerful drugs known – only takes one-millionth of an ounce to produce altering effects trip lasts 6-14 hours – effects vary greatlyvisual distortions & hallucinations emotions very intense & unstable -- impairs thinkingbad trips” -- terrifying & users are in a state of panic, feel they will go mad & never come out flashbacks -- have sudden, w/o warning brief recurrences of trip weeks/months after useEcstasy (MDMA)Increases empathy, peacefulness and calm/relaxed, yet also seem to have an unending supply of energy (also a mild stimulant)Researchers have found a decline in memory and performance on IQ tests…think that MDMA causes long-term serotonin changes in the brainMarijuanaproduces feeling of elation, promotes relaxation, relieves inhibitions, relieves anxiety & increases sensitivity to sights, sounds & touch – causes sense of time to be distortedTHC, ingredient that produces high, remains in body long after use effects: ?impairs attention/coordination, slows reaction time, interferes with concentration, logical thinking, ability to form new memories & ability to hold in mind what is saidchronic use associated with loss of motivation and general apathy ................
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