Module 24 REVIEW

• 24-1 How does sleep loss affect us, and what are the major sleep disorders?

• Sleep deprivation causes fatigue and irritability, and it impairs concentration, productivity, and memory consolidation. It can also lead to depression, obesity, joint pain, a suppressed immune system, and slowed performance (with greater vulnerability to accidents).
• Sleep disorders include insomnia (recurring wakefulness), narcolepsy (sudden uncontrollable sleepiness or lapsing into REM sleep), sleep apnea (the stopping of breathing while asleep, associated with obesity, especially in men), night terrors (high arousal and the appearance of being terrified; NREM-3 disorder found mainly in children), sleepwalking (NREM-3 disorder also found mainly in children), and sleeptalking.

• 24-2 What do we dream, and what functions have theorists proposed for dreams?

• We usually dream of ordinary events and everyday experiences, most involving some anxiety or misfortune.
• Fewer than 10 percent of dreams among men, and fewer still among women, have any sexual content.
• Most dreams occur during REM sleep; those that happen during NREM sleep tend to be vague, fleeting images.
• There are five major views of the function of dreams:
  • Freud’s wish-fulfillment: Dreams provide a psychic “safety valve,” with manifest content (story line) acting as a censored version of latent content (underlying meaning that gratifies our unconscious wishes).
  • Information-processing: Dreams help us sort out the day’s events and consolidate them in memory.
  • Physiological function: Regular brain stimulation may help develop and preserve neural pathways in the brain.
  • Activation-synthesis: The brain attempts to make sense of neural static by weaving it into a story line.
  • Cognitive development: Dreams reflect the dreamer’s cognitive development — their knowledge and understanding.
• Most sleep theorists agree that REM sleep and its associated dreams serve an important function, as shown by the REM rebound that occurs following REM deprivation in humans and other species.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, reduced muscle strength, suppression of the cells that fight common colds, and most likely which of the following?
   1. Increased productivity
   2. Depression
   3. Decreased mistakes on homework
   4. Increased feeling of well-being
   5. Sleep apnea
2. Shortly after falling asleep, and hundreds of times during the night, Paola wakes up after a loud “snore” of breath, because she has stopped breathing. With which sleep disorder would she most likely be diagnosed?
   1. Narcolepsy
   2. Insomnia
   3. Sleep apnea
   4. Nightmares
   5. Night terrors
3. Which of the following dream theories states that dreams help us sort out the day’s events and consolidate our memories?
   1. Information-processing
   2. Wish-fulfillment
   3. Physiological function
   4. Neural activation
   5. Neural disconnection
4. After two nights without sleep, which of the following can be expected?
   1. An increase in night terrors
   2. Sleep apnea
   3. Manifest content dreams
   4. Narcolepsy
   5. REM rebound
5. Sigmund Freud believed that a dream’s _____ content reflected the deep, underlying meaning of the dream.
   1. manifest
   2. dissociative
   3. cognitive
   4. latent
   5. circadian

Practice FRQs

1. Angelica was just hired for a new job in a day-care center. She has recently been under the care of her physician who is treating her for a sleep disorder. Indicate how her performance will be affected if she suffers from the following disorders:
   • Sleep apnea
   • Narcolepsy
   • Insomnia

Answer

1 point: If Angelica suffers from sleep apnea, she may be tired and irritable at work because she is often waking up during the night to breathe. Pages 245–246

1 point: If Angelica suffers from narcolepsy, she may suddenly fall asleep at work; this would most likely happen during an emotional moment. Page 245

1 point: If Angelica suffers from insomnia, she will be tired during the day at work because she is having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night. Page 244

2. Explain the following two theories regarding why we dream. Include a criticism each faces:
   • Freud’s wish-fulfillment theory
   • Activation-synthesis theory

(4 points)