Our Biological Rhythm: Circadian

Rhythm and Sleep Stages

Biological Rhythms
Circadian Rhythm: Our bodily clock: regulates bodily rhythms that occur on a 24hour cycle
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Sleep and wake

Body temperature

Ultradian Rhythm: Occurrences that happen more than once a day

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Appetite

Infradian Rhythm: Occurrences that happen monthly or seasonally

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Menstrual cycle

Sleep Stages
Stage 1 - NREM 1 (NREM = Non-Rapid Eye Movement)
Brain Waves: Transition from Beta and Gamma waves to Alpha and Theta waves
Characteristics:
- Hallucination type imagery
- Hypnagogic sensations
- Slowing of heart rate
- Minimal to no dreaming
- Easily awakened and often feel were never sleeping

Sleep Stages
Stage 2 - NREM 2 (NREM = Non-Rapid Eye Movement)
Brain Waves: Theta waves
Characteristics:
- First observable signs of sleep
- Sleep Spindles and K-Complexes
- Roughly 50% of total sleep time each night

Sleep Stages
Stage 3 - NREM 3 (Sometimes combined into a 4th stage)
Brain Waves: Delta Waves
Characteristics:
- Roughly 20% of total sleep time each night
- Lowest heart rate, temperature, breathing and blood pressure
- Bedwetting, night terrors, sleepwalking, and sleeptalking
- Difficult to wake from NREM 3 and could be groggy if woken
- Mainly evident in children and young adults

Sleep Stages
REM (Rapid Eye Movement)
Brain Waves: Theta, Alpha, and Beta waves
(short, choppy, and similar to being awake)
Characteristics:
- Beginning of dreams
- Quick eye bursts
- High brain activity
- Increased heart rate and breathing