PSYC234 Study Guide - Final Guide: Polysomnography, Comorbidity, Parasomnia
Sleep and Biological Rhythms
-Biological rhythms are classified according to their frequency of occurrence!
•Circadian = daily —> sleep/awake cycle!
•Ultradian = less than once per day —> digestion!
•Infradian = more than once per day —> menstrual cycle!
•Circannual = once per year —> bird migration!
-Circadian Rhythms!
•sleep/wake cycle is an endogenous circadian rhythm!
•circadian rhythms affect more than sleep and waking. It affects eating, digestion,
body temperature, hormone secretion, drug sensitivity and other things!
-The biological clock!
•Circadian rhythm generates a period of approximately 24 hours!
•Light is the most important zeitgeber!
•Controlled by suprachiasmatic —> suprachiasmatic is a tiny region of the brain in the
hypothalamus directly above the optic chiasm!
-Disruptions of circadian rhythms!
•Jet lag!
•Shift work!
•Taking care of a newborn?!
-What is sleep?!
•A period of reduced activity which results in decreased responsiveness to external
stimuli!
•State which is generally easy to reverse as opposed to coma or reduced
consciousness!
-Stages of sleep!
•Two main types of sleep are NREM and REM!
•There are four stages of NREM (stage 1, 2, 3 and 4)!
•The first four stages of NREM are first then it goes to REM sleep!
Sleep Disorders!
-Sleep loss and disorders of sleep/wake functions are among the most commonly
reported health problems!
Document Summary
Circadian rhythms: sleep/wake cycle is an endogenous circadian rhythm, circadian rhythms a ect more than sleep and waking. It a ects eating, digestion, body temperature, hormone secretion, drug sensitivity and other things. What is sleep: a period of reduced activity which results in decreased responsiveness to external stimuli, state which is generally easy to reverse as opposed to coma or reduced consciousness. Sleep loss and disorders of sleep/wake functions are among the most commonly reported health problems. Can have profound e ects on daytime functioning, quality of life and risks of comorbidities. Insomnia: di culty in falling asleep, getting back to sleep, waking up too early, general feeling go not getting enough sleep, more common in women, can result in daytime fatigue, irritability, anxiety, impaired concentration, waves of drowsiness. Narcolepsy: being unbearably sleepy all the time and can fall asleep at any time, transition from wakefulness to rem sleep is immediate.
