Sleep Vocab Flashcards

are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism experiences over a 24-hour cycle. Light and dark have the biggest influence on circadian rhythms, but food intake, stress, physical activity, social environment, and temperature also affect them.

a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep

is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even during asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.

is a condition in which you feel extreme daytime sleepiness despite getting sleep that should be adequate (or more than adequate). If you have hypersomnia, you fall asleep several times during the day.

is a common sleep disorder. With insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good quality sleep. This happens even if you have the time and the right environment to sleep well. Insomnia can get in the way of your daily activities and may make you feel sleepy during the day.

is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production.

is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours.

is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles.

Episodes of screaming, intense fear, and flailing while still asleep, often paired with sleepwalking.

a frightening or unpleasant dream.

occur in a state that lies between sleep and wakefulness. A person with parasomnias may seem to be alert, walking or talking or eating or doing other such activities but without awareness because the brain is only partially awake.

A condition characterized by a nearly irresistible urge to move the legs, typically in the evenings.

is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain sensory activity is inhibited.

a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.

occurs when an individual fails to get the amount of sleep that they need.

a feeling of being conscious but unable to move.

a test that records the activity of the body during sleep. There are five main types of sleep studies that use different methods to test for different sleep characteristics and disorders.

the hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe.

when a person first falls asleep. This stage normally lasts just one to seven minutes.

the body enters a more subdued state including a drop in temperature, relaxed muscles, and slowed breathing and heart rate. At the same time, brain waves show a new pattern and eye movement stops.

deep sleep

he predominant EEG activity consists of low frequency (1–4 Hz), high-amplitude fluctuations called delta waves,

sleepwalking

a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.