WEEK THREE

CONSCIOUSNESS
Objectives:
By the end of the lecture, you will be able to;
Understand what is meant by consciousness
Explain how circadian rhythms are involved in regulating
the sleep-wake cycle
 How circadian cycles can be disrupted
Discuss the concept of sleep debt
• Consciousness
Awareness of internal and external stimuli or continuum that ranges from full awareness to a
deep sleep.
The brain’s activity during different phases of consciousness produces characteristic
brain waves
electroencephalography (EEG)
Awareness of internal stimuli
Feeling pain, hunger, thirst, sleepiness, awareness of our thoughts and emotions
Awareness of external stimuli
Seeing the light from the sun, feeling the warmth of a room, and hearing the voice of
a friend
Wakefulness: characterized by high levels of sensory awareness, thought, and behavior
• BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS: internal rhythms of biological activity.
A woman’s menstrual cycle.
Hormone secretion pattern
Digestive secretion
Alertness( higher body temperature)
Sleep-wake cycle (lower body temperature)
• Types of Biological rhythms.
Circadian
Infradian
Diurnal
Ultradian
• Circadian rhythm: biological rhythm that takes place over a period of
about 24 hours.
temperature fluctuation
sleep-wake cycle
Daily fluctuations in heart rate
 Daily fluctuations in blood pressure.
 suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), an area of the hypothalamus which
serves as the brain’s clock mechanism.
This chart illustrates the circadian change in body temperature over 28 hours in a group of eight young men. Body temperature rises
throughout the waking day, peaking in the afternoon, and falls during sleep with the lowest point occurring during the very early morning
hours.
PROBLEMS WITH CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS(what account for that)
Differences with regards to sleep-wake cycle
person’s chronotype
Jet lag: a collection of symptoms that results from the mismatch
between our internal circadian cycles and our environment.
 fatigue, sluggishness, irritability and insomnia
Rotating shift work

Sleep regulation: the brain’s control of switching between sleep and

wakefulness as well as coordinating this cycle with the outside world.
• OTHER STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS(Reading Assignment)
Hypnosis
Meditation