Consciousness and Sleep

Front

What is consciousness?

Back

A person’s awareness of everything that is going on around him or her at any given moment, used to organize behavior.

Front

What is the difference between conscious and unconscious states?

Back

Conscious = High Concentration & Alert Wakefulness; Unconscious = Little Attention & Little Awareness.

Front

What is an altered state of consciousness?

Back

A state in which there is a shift in the quality or pattern of mental activity as compared to waking consciousness.

Front

What is mindfulness meditation?

Back

A mental training practice that involves focusing your mind on your experiences (like your own emotions, thoughts, and sensations) in the present moment.

Front

Alternative State-Sleep

Back

Sleep is one of the human body’s biological rhythms, natural cycles of activity that the body must go through 

• Sleep is a unique state of consciousness; it lacks full awareness but the brain is still active

Front

What is the circadian rhythm?

Back

The cycle of physiological and biological processes that fluctuate on a roughly 24-hour timetable (16 hours awake and 8 hours asleep).

Front

What are some processes that follow the circadian rhythm?

Back

Sleep and wakefulness, metabolism, core body temperature, cortisol levels, melatonin levels, and other hormones.

Front

What is the wake/sleep cycle?

Back

A biological rhythm, cycle every 90-110 minutes, with five distinct stages occurring three to five times per night.

Front

What is electroencephalography (EEG)?

Back

A non-invasive test that records the electrical activity in the brain by picking up abnormal brain waves via electrodes attached to the scalp.

Front

What happens in non-REM Stage 1?

Back

Transition period between wakefulness and sleep, drifting in & out of sleep, with increased theta wave activity and fading alpha wave activity (5-10 Minutes).