PSY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Cataplexy, Endorphins, Auditory Cortex
Document Summary
Our subjective experience of ourselves and the world around us. Constantly changing awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations. Blurred lines between sleeping and waking experiences. Level of alertness adapts to shifting demands of daily life (selective attention, cocktail party effect) Sleep is essential for: consolidating memories, function of immune system, neural development and connectivity, cleaning out debris beta-amyloid proteins, energy conservation. Cyclical changes in biological processes that occurs on a 24-hour basis: release of hormones (e. g. , melatonin, body temperature, brain waves. Disruptions caused by jet lag, night shifts are correlated with health problems. Biological clock: suprachiasmatic nucleus (scn) located in hypothalamus: responsible for controlling level of alertness. Most people need around 8-9 hours of sleep: research suggests you get closer to 6. When you sleep and wake matters: students who sleep and wake early, tend to perform better. Short term: depression, attention issues, learning difficulties, slow reaction times, hallucinations.