Psych notes chapter 6 Oct 1st - Psych notes Chapter 6 consciousness 1 Sleep as a Circadian Rhythm a Circadian rhythm cycle of behavior and physiology

Psych notes 10/1/09 Chapter 6 consciousness 1. Sleep as a Circadian Rhythm a. Circadian rhythm : cycle of behavior and physiology that repeats about every 24 hours i. Problems often result from disruptions of sleep-wake cycle such as jet lag or changes in work schedule between day or night shifts b. Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) i. Our internal “biological clock” ii. Initiates sleep or wakefulness iii. Regulates the release of melatonin 2. Functions of sleep a. Extend sleeplessness leads to fatigue, irritability, and inattention b. Some believe non-REM sleep helps restore body and brain for the next day’s activities c. Functions of REM sleep? i. May improve functioning of neurons that use norepinephrine ii. May be at time for developing, checking, and expanding the brain’s nerve connections 3. Dreams and Dreaming a. Some brain activity during sleep is experienced as dreams i. Mostly occurs during REM sleep ii. Despite senselessness, dreams often contain some logic b. Daytime activities seem to have minor influence on dream content c. Lucid Dreaming : sleeper is aware of dreaming while a dream is happening d. Throughout the night, we dream most often during REM sleep, when activity in many brain areas is highest e. Brain Regions active during dreaming i. Attention ii. Complex visual processing iii. Motivation iv. Emotion v. Memory formation vi. Arousal vii. (high-order reasoning is inactive) 4. Dream Theories a. Freud’s Unconscious Wish Fulfillment Theory i.