AP Psychology
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Daydreaming
 A common variation of consciousness in which
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attention shifts to memories, expectations, desires, or
fantasies and away from the immediate situation.
D.D. is normal
When does it occur?
Functions of D.D.= solve problems
White Bear experiment
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Biological rhythms
 Circadian rhythms= (Latin: circa for about and dies
for days)
 Occurs approximately once during a 24-hour period.
The sleep-wake cycle is an example of a circadian
rhythm
 Ultradian rhythms= occur more than once a day. The
most studied ultradian rhythm is the way we cycle
through various stages of sleep each night.
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How is Sleep Research conducted?
 We all have a 90-minute ultradian rhythm cycling
throughout our night’s sleep.
 Sleep research based on information collected from an
EEG.
 Electrodes collecting brain wave measurements
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Stages of Sleep
 Stages 1 to 5: From light to deep sleep
 Stage 1: brain waves become small and irregular with
varying frequencies. You can be easily awakened
during this stage and may not even realize that you
had been sleeping.
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Stage 2
 Stage 2 Sleep begins about two minutes after Stage 1
and is characterized by bursts of brain wave activity
that are represented by spindle-shaped waves called
sleep spindles and K-Complexes. You spend more
than ½ your sleep in Stage 2.
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Stages 3 and 4
 Both stages are called delta sleep or slow-wave
sleep (SWS), these stages are characterized by the
appearance of large, slow brain waves called delta
waves. This is the period of deep sleep, when it is
difficult to arouse you.
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Distinction b/w Stage 3 and 4
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Stage 3:
Less Delta Waves
Deep Sleep begins
Heart rate and breathing
slow down.
 Stage 4:
 More Delta Waves
 Deepest point of in the
sleep cycle occurs.
 If you were roused from
this stage of deep sleep,
you would be groggy and
confused
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REM sleep
 After 30 to 45 minutes in stage 4, you quickly
return to stages 3, 2, 1 . Then you enter a special
stage in which your eyes move rapidly under their
closed eyelids
 Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep
 In REM sleep the EEG resembles that of an awake,
alert person, and your physiological arousal is similar
to when you are awake.
 REM is a sign of vivid dreaming!!
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Characteristics of REM sleep
 Your muscles are nearly paralyzed. Sudden twitchy
spasms appear, especially in your face and hands, but
your brain activity suppresses other movements.
 Sleep paralysis also known as…..
 Paradoxical sleep= internally, your body is aroused;
externally, you’re the picture of calm and hard to
awaken.
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Non-REM sleep
 The interim periods, w/o rapid eye movements
 Sleepwalking and sleep talking occur during the
deepest stage of NREM sleep
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The Function of Sleep
 Possible functions
To conserve energy
To restore the body (neurotransmitters, neuron
sensitivity)
To build “neural nets” and flush out useless info. From
the brain.
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Sleep Debt
 Most people require between 7-9 hours of sleep to feel
fully refreshed and to function at their best.
 Some people are sleep-deprived and do not realize it.
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Sleep Debt
 By the time we reach 60/70 we may require only six
hours of sleep per night.
 Sleep deprivation
slows reaction times
impairs concentration and memory
more difficult to retain newly acquired info.
most common cause of motor vehicle accidents
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Sleep Debt
 Lab studies: volunteers were deprived of REM sleep
(impairs learning ability and memory)
 After REM deprivation, people experienced a rebound
effect-they make up for the loss by spending more of
their next sleep period in REM sleep.
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The end
 Psychology
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