Sleep stages, dreaming theories, and altered states of consciousness from a college psychology course.
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- What are the four main stages of the human sleep cycle?
- REM sleep and three stages of non-REM sleep (Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3)
- Which sleep stage is characterized by sleep spindles and K-complexes on an EEG?
- Stage 2 non-REM sleep
- What brain wave pattern dominates during Stage 3 non-REM sleep?
- Delta waves (slow waves)
- During which sleep stage do most vivid, story-like dreams occur?
- REM (rapid eye movement) sleep
- How long does a typical complete sleep cycle last in humans?
- Approximately 90 minutes
- How many complete sleep cycles does a typical adult experience in one night?
- Four to six cycles
- What is a circadian rhythm?
- A biological cycle that repeats approximately every 24 hours, regulating sleep-wake patterns and other bodily functions
- Which brain structure acts as the body's biological clock?
- The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
- What hormone is primarily responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle?
- Melatonin
- What effect does light exposure have on melatonin production?
- Light suppresses melatonin production; darkness triggers its release
- Define the activation-synthesis hypothesis of dreaming
- Dreams result from the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity during REM sleep
- According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, what do dreams reveal?
- Unconscious wishes, conflicts, and repressed desires
- What does the continuity hypothesis of dreaming propose?
- Dream content reflects the dreamer's everyday thoughts, concerns, and experiences
- According to threat simulation theory, what is the primary function of REM sleep dreams?
- Dreams simulate threatening situations, allowing the brain to practice defensive responses
- What is sleep consolidation?
- The process by which new memories are stabilized and integrated into long-term memory storage during sleep