Sleep and Insomnia

Question 1

what are alpha rhythms

Answer 1

regular pattern, quiet wakefulness eyes closed

Question 2

what is k-complex

Answer 2

slow wave sleep / deep sleep waves

Question 3

what is REM (rapid eye movement)

Answer 3

wakeful like sleep and dreaming

Question 4

what times do we experience deepest sleep

Answer 4

between 11 to 3 am / earlier in the night

Question 5

how do sleep cycles work (how many and how long)

Answer 5

there are 4 cycles of the sleep stages, each last 60-90 minutes

Question 6

what are the sleep stages

Answer 6

REM (24% of sleep), light non-rem ( theta waves, sleep spindles → more sleep spindles = less awake), Deep sleep / slow wave sleep

Question 7

what happens to sleep as we age

Answer 7

reduction of slow wave sleep + circadian changes → more daytime sleep

Question 8

explain process S and process C and their interaction with sleep

Answer 8

Process S is the sleep drive / homeostatic process, it accumulates sleep pressure over the day. Process C is the circadian rhythm and wake drive. Greatest urge to sleep happens when there is the greatest distance between process s and process C

Question 9

why do we sleep

Answer 9

sleep acts as restorative state (decrease in brain glucose metabolism), good for memory consolidations

Question 10

what is the connection between sleep and depressive episodes

Answer 10

first onset/ recurrence of insomnia predicts / precedes development of depressive episodes (can also contribute to relapse of depression)

Question 11

Insomnia is associated with increased risk for what?

Answer 11

hypertension and metabolic disorders

Question 12

what are zeitgebers

Answer 12

natural elements which help us stay aligned with out circadian rhythm (food, sunlight)

Question 13

what is the psychobiological inhibition model of insomnia

Answer 13

impaired inhibition prevents person from falling asleep → develops hypervigilance of deactivation of arousal → sleep strategies only promote arousal

Question 14

conditioning model of insomnia (Bootzin)

Answer 14

bedroom environment becomes less associated with sleep and more with cognitive arousal and negative emotion → failure to establish discriminative stimuli for sleep

Question 15

what are the three main issues related with insomnia

Answer 15

poor chronological timing (over sleep to catch of on missed sleep)

sleep state misperception (overestimating how much their sleep has been disturbed)

cognitive hyperarousal (overactive thoughts and anxiety related to sleep)

Question 16

what is the cognitive behavioural therapy model for insomnia

Answer 16

suggests that arousal, dysfunctional cognitions, maladaptive habits and consequences all revolve in a cycle to maintain insomnia

Question 17

what is the 3 P model of insomnia

Answer 17

Predisposition factors (biological, psychological and social traits)

Precipitation factors (illness and life events)

Perpetuating factors (excessive time in bed, conditioning) work in waves to maining and evolve insomnia

Precipitating factors more commonly cause insomnia in onset and short term insomnia, while perpetuating factors cause chronic insomnia

Question 18

what are treatment options for insomnia

Answer 18

CBT to target maintaining factors, sleep diaries, intervention

Question 19

what are the main interventions for insomnia

Answer 19

stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation training, sleep hygiene education

Question 20

what are the goals of stimulus control of sleep

Answer 20

re-associate sleep stimuli with drowsiness and sleep by →

going to bed only when sleepy (more time in bed = heightened arousal)

get out of bed after not being able to sleep for 15 min ( engage in quiet activity until sleepy again)

arise at the same time every morning (establish routine)

no naps during the day (promotes irregular circadian rhythm)

Question 21

what are the goals of sleep restriction

Answer 21

limiting the amount of time spent in bed to only time spent sleeping and wake up at same time not matter how much the person has actually slept

Question 22

what are the 5 main target of cognitive therapy for sleep

Answer 22

(1) misconception of the causes, believing its due to uncontrollable factors

(2) misattribution and amplification of the consequences

(3) unrealistic sleep expectations

(4) performance anxiety and learned helplessness

(5) faulty beliefs about sleep promoting practices