States of Consciousness
Unit 5
Consciousness &
Altered States of Consciousness

Awareness of oneself and one’s environment

Altered States:
– Sleeping/Dreaming
– Hypnosis
– Influence of Drugs
– Meditation
Sleep, Dreams, and Body
Rhythms
Module 20
Body Rhythms


periodic physiological (physical) fluctuations that
can affect functioning (body temperature, blood
pressure, effectiveness of medicine)
fall into three main categories:
1. Circadian Rhythms
2. Ultradian Rhythms
3. Infradian Rhythms
Circadian Rhythms

biological rhythms that occur approximately
every 24 hours
example:
sleep-wake cycle

Ultradian Rhythms

biological rhythms that occur more than once
each day
example:
stages of sleep
throughout the night

Infradian Rhythms

biological rhythms that occur less than once
a day (once a month or once a season)
examples:
women’s menstrual cycle
bear’s winter hibernation
bird’s migration south

How & Why We Sleep
Hypothalamus

sleep control center in the brain
monitors changes
in light or dark
in the environment

send messages to
brain & body which
changes levels of hormones
(chemical messengers)
in the body

Melatonin

hormone secreted by pineal gland
that helps regulate daily biological
rhythms

linked to sleep-wake cycle –
makes you drowsy

melatonin levels increase during
the night & decreases with
exposure to morning light
(Video Clip – Muscle Memory, Learning in Your Sleep)
Why do we need to sleep?

two theories:
– preservation/adaptation: we sleep at times
of the night (or day) that maximize our safety
& survival
– restoration: recuperate from the wear & tear
of the day (tissues restored, memories
consolidated, things learned are reorganized)

rats deprived of all stages of sleep only live 3
weeks, deprived of REM sleep only 5 weeks
Sleep & Sleep Deficit
Are You Sleep Deprived? Quiz
John B. Maas
Answer True or False to each of the following statements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
I need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time.
It’s a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.
Weekday mornings I hit the snooze bar several times to get more sleep
I feel tired, irritable, and stressed out during the week.
I have trouble concentrating and remembering.
I feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving, and being creative.
I often fall asleep watching TV.
I often fall asleep in boring classes or lectures or in warm rooms.
I often fall asleep after heavy meals.
I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.
I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed.
I often feel drowsy while driving.
I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.
I often need a nap to get through the day.
I have dark circles around my eyes.
Are You Sleep Deprived? Quiz


If you answered “true” to three or more items, you probably
are not getting enough sleep
Other Indicators:
–
–

If you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you
haven't had enough sleep
If you routinely fall asleep w/in 5 minutes of lying down, you
probably have severe sleep deprivation
Recommendation:
–
–
go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual every night for the next
week
continue by adding 15 more minutes each week – until you wake
without an alarm clock and feel alert all day 
Sleep Deprivation Effects



decreases efficiency of immune system functioning
increases levels of cortisol (stress hormone) – linked
to damage of brain cells responsible for learning &
memory
safety and accident issues:
–
–
National Transportation Safety Board considers driver
fatigue a bigger safety problem than alcohol use
Driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated 100,000
motor vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths each year
Sleep Deprivation
(National Transportation Safety Board, 1995)
Sleep Deprivation Effects (cont.)

contributes to:
– hypertension (high blood pressure)
– impaired concentration & judgment
– slower reaction times
– irritability
– suppression of cancer-fighting immune cells
– premature aging
(Video Clip – The Need for Sleep)
Sleep Debt (you don’t have to write this)

How much sleep do you need?
–
–
–
Infants = 16 hours a day
Teens = 9 hours a day
Adults = 7 – 8 hours a day


Some can function w/ as little as 5, others need 10 hrs
The Sleep Debt
–
amount of sleep a person needs increases if s/he has
been deprived of sleep in previous days; we don’t
adapt to getting less sleep
Teens and Sleep
Teens & Sleep Trends

Teens get almost two hours less sleep now
than 70 years ago – any thoughts on why?

4 out of 5 students are “dangerously sleep
deprived” – William Dement (sleep researcher)

Dement states a large sleep debt “makes you
stupid”
Teens & Sleep:
Delayed High School Start Times?
Background Information:
As a group, read and discuss each of the three articles on teens
and sleeping.
Create an Informational Poster or Write a Brief Essay
Addressing the Following Q:
Should Cobb County change the high school start time from 8:30
to 10:30 to better fit teens’ sleep-wake cycles?
Poster Requirements:
• minimum of 2 pictures
• minimum of 15 sentences
• address the opposing viewpoint
• use research & facts discussed
in class, from textbook, or from
the video segment we watched
Essay Requirements:
• minimum of 20 sentences
• address the opposing viewpoint
• use research & facts discussed
in class, from textbook, or from
the video segment we watched
The Stages of Sleep
Electroencephalograph (EEG)

machine that amplifies & records
waves of electrical activity that
sweep across the brain’s surface

electrodes are placed on person’s
scalp to measure brain waves
EEG
Stage 1 Sleep

breathing is slowed & brain waves become irregular

easy to wake the person (will insist they are not
asleep)

will report having dreamlike sensations (falling)

rarely lasts longer than 5 minutes
Stage 1
Stage 2 Sleep

Deeper sleep w/ less sensory awareness

brain wave cycle slows & EEG spindles (small
brain wave bursts) develop

first time through stage 2 last about 20 minutes

over the night, ½ of time asleep is spent in this stage
Stage 2
K-complex
Stages 3 & 4 Sleep

after about 30 minutes move to stages 3 & 4

increase in delta waves (large & slow)

called slow-wave sleep or delta sleep

first time through stage 4 is about 30 minutes and is
where one gets rejuvenated
Stage 3
Stage 4
REM Sleep
REM Sleep

stages 1 - 4 considered N-REM (non-REM sleep)

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep- eyes move
quickly back and forth under lids

most dreaming & all very vivid dreams occur in
REM sleep
REM Sleep

complete sleep cycle is 90 minutes

last 4 hours – alternate between Stage 2 & REM

REM sleep makes up about 25% of your nightly sleep
(100 minutes/night)

We dream every night of our lives
REM Sleep
Paradoxical Sleep

during REM sleep brain wave patterns are
similar to when a person is awake

pulse & breathing quickens

called paradoxical sleep – internally your
body is aroused but the brainstem (pons)
blocks messages from motor cortex –
temporarily paralyzed (sleep paralysis)
Why Do We Dream?
Sigmund Freud’s Theory
“Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.”

earliest dream theory

dreams are the key to understanding our inner
conflicts & are expressions of wish fulfillment

practiced dream interpretation (still practiced
by some psychologists today)
Information-Processing Theory

dreams serve important
memory-related function by
sorting & sifting through day’s
experiences

REM sleep helps memory
storage

REM sleep increases during
stressful times
Physiological Function Theory

neural activity during REM
sleep provides stimulation of
the brain.

brain develops fast during
infancy – spend more time in
REM sleep

pituitary gland secretes a
growth hormone during delta
sleep
Sleep Changes through Life
Activation-Synthesis Theory

dreams are the
mind’s attempt to
make sense of
random neural
firings in the brain
as you sleep
What do you think…

Can dreams be interpreted?

In other words, do dreams have hidden
meanings that can provide insight into the
motivations and emotions of the dreamer?

Are dreams totally meaningless? Are they just
products of an imagination that is finally allowed
to run wild since the frontal lobes aren’t active?
Sleep Disorders &
Sleep Problems
Insomnia

recurring problems falling asleep or staying
asleep

sleeping pills tend to inhibit or suppress REM
sleep; worsen the problem

alcohol suppresses REM sleep; also worsens
the problem
How to increase the quality of your sleep:




Don’t consume caffeinated beverages or foods
after 3:00 P.M.
Get up at the same time every morning (even on
weekends)
Avoid nighttime activities that make you more
alert (video games, arguments, running)
Don’t stress when you can’t get to sleep; it’s
normal to take 15 minutes or more to fall asleep
Sleep Apnea




repeated awakenings as a result of
not being able to breathe (may
happen 400 + times a night)
tend to be loud snorers
typically male, overweight, over 40
most common treatment:
Continuous Positive Airway
Pressure machine – helps person
breath during night
Narcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks occurring when the
nervous system gets aroused (often from strong
emotion)

person goes directly into REM sleep

treatable with prescription drugs

onset of disorder accompanies puberty
Somnambulism

formal name for sleepwalking

starts in the deep stages of N-REM sleep

person can walk or talk but remembers
nothing of the experience
Night Terrors

characterized by high arousal & appearance of
being terrified (actually asleep)

happens a few hours after falling asleep;
occurs during stage 4 sleep

occur mostly in children; seldom remember
the event
Other Sleep Disorders
Bruxism – teeth grinding
 Enuresis – bed wetting
 Myoclonus – sudden jerk of a body part
occurring during stage 1 or 2 of sleep
– everyone has occasional episodes of
myoclonus
