Consciousness & Sleep

CONSCIOUSNESS: Awareness of both

external and internal stimuli or events
 Circadian Rhythm

Biological clock – regular bodily rhythms of 24-hour cycle

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – regulates gland production

of melatonin ( pineal gland )
 Sleep Cycle/Stages
EEG – brain wave activity
Stages 1-4 = NREM sleep
REM sleep
 NREM/REM Sleep
NREM (non-rapid-eye-movement)
75% of sleep
Restores the body

REM (rapid-eye-movement
25% of sleep
Restores brain
Vivid dreams
Body immobile
Awake & alert – Beta waves
Faster, irregular waves
15-45 peaks per second

Awake but relaxed – Alpha waves

Smooth, regular waves
10 peaks per sec.
 NREM Stage 1
Theta waves
~10 min.
Transition from wakefulness
to sleep
Hypnagogic state – brief
dreamlike experience
 NREM Stage 2
Theta waves
Sleep spindles – brief bursts in wave frequency
K Complexes – brief bursts in wave amplitude
 Stages 3 & 4
Delta waves
~30-40 min. of cycle
Blood pressure drops
Slowed breathing
Tissue growth, repairs
Growth hormone
 REM Sleep
Paradoxical sleep
Brain is active but
body is immobile
• Vivid dreams
• Lasts between 15-45
minutes, several times
a night.
• Cortisol drops

Helps immune system

 Sleep Stages: REM
After Stage IV, we drift towards REM (Rapid Eye
Movement) sleep. Deep muscle relaxation (facial/
finger muscles might twitch) & high brain activity
This is when we most often dream
More sleep, esp. REM, is scientifically proven to
improve learning.
Brain waves are complex and varied.
 REM Sleep
Information Processing: the more REM sleep you get,
the better you process the day’s information
Sleep more  better test scores in class
 Required sleep time
“Required” sleep times with age:
Newborns: 16 hours a day
Adolescents: 9-11 hours a day
Retired: 5 hours a day
 Sleep Disorders
Insomnia: prolonged inability to get enough sleep

• Sleep Apnea: problems with breathing while asleep

• Often leads to restless sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea is commonly found in overweight
people

Sleep apnea can lead to headaches in the mornings, mental

weakness, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats
 Sleep Disorders
Narcolepsy: suddenly falling asleep, very sleepy during
the day

• Night terrors: disruption in Stage IV sleep, person wakes

in terror, often with screaming, sweating, confusion, etc.
• Often the subject has no memory of it happening.
 Sleep Disorders
Sleep-walking: partial awakens that results in a person
attempting to carry out normal activities while “asleep”
Usually harmless, fairly normal
Sleepwalkers rise up from a deep sleep (
stage 4 ), and they are unconscious.
THANKS