Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Sleep Disorders153In the absence of external sensory input, the activated brain combines, or synthesizes,these internally generated sensory signals and imposes meaning on them.The dream story itself is derived from a hodgepodge of memories, emotions, andsensations that are triggered by the brain’s activation and chemical changes duringsleep. According to this model, then, dreaming is essentially the brain synthesizingand integrating memory fragments, emotions, and sensations that are internallytriggered (Hobson & others, 1998).The activation–synthesis theory does not contend that dreams are completelymeaningless. But if there is a meaning to dreams, that meaning lies in the deeplypersonal way in which the images are organized, or synthesized. In other words,the meaning is to be found not by decoding the dream symbols, but by analyzingthe way the dreamer makes sense of the progression of chaotic dream images. AsHobson (2005) explains:For activation–synthesis, both emotional salience and the cognitive mishmash ofdreams are the undisguised read-out of the dreaming brain’s unique chemistry andphysiology. This doesn’t mean that dreams make no psychological sense. On the contrary,dreams are dripping with emotional salience. Dreams can and should be discussedfor their informative messages about the emotional concerns of the dreamer.Sleep DisordersKey Theme• Sleep disorders are surprisingly common, take many different forms, andinterfere with a person’s daytime functioning.Key Questions• How do the two broad categories of sleep disorders differ?• Which sleep disorders are characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness?• What kinds of behavior are displayed in the different parasomnias?Data from the National Sleep Foundation’s annual polls indicate that about 7 out of10 people experience regular sleep disruptions. Such disruptions become a sleepdisorder when (a) abnormal sleep patterns consistently occur, (b) they cause subjectivedistress, and (c) they interfere with a person’s daytime functioning (Thorpy, 2005a).In this section, you’ll see how those complaints are magnified in different sleep disorders,which fall into two broad categories. First, we’ll consider dyssomnias, whichare sleep disorders involving disruptions in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep. Insomnia,obstructive sleep apnea, and narcolepsy are examples of dyssomnias. Then we’llconsider the parasomnias, which are sleep disorders involving undesirablephysical arousal, behaviors, or events during sleep or sleep transitions.activation–synthesis model ofdreamingThe theory that brain activity during sleepproduces dream images (activation), whichare combined by the brain into a dreamstory (synthesis).sleep disordersSerious and consistent sleep disturbancesthat interfere with daytime functioning andcause subjective distress.dyssomnias(dis-SOM-nee-uz) A category of sleep disordersinvolving disruptions in the amount,quality, or timing of sleep; includes insomnia,obstructive sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.parasomnias(pare-uh-SOM-nee-uz) A category of sleepdisorders characterized by arousal or activationduring sleep or sleep transitions;includes sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sleepsex,sleep-related eating disorder, and REMsleep behavior disorder.insomniaA condition in which a person regularlyexperiences an inability to fall asleep, tostay asleep, or to feel adequately restedby sleep.The Perils of Driving While DrowsyAccording to studies reported by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration(2003), drowsiness is blamed for atleast 100,000 traffic accidents each year,causing more than 70,000 injuries—and1,500 deaths. While many people in theUnited States get by with too little sleep,one group is especially prone to the effectsof sleepiness behind the wheel—adultmales age 25 or younger. Young male drivershave the highest number of traffic accidentsthat can be attributed to drowsiness(National Sleep Foundation, 2000).InsomniaFragmented, Dissatisfying SleepInsomnia is not defined solely based on how long a person sleeps becausepeople vary in how much sleep they need to feel refreshed. Rather, peopleare said to experience insomnia when they repeatedly (a) complainabout the quality or duration of their sleep, (b) have difficulty going tosleep or staying asleep, or (c) wake before it is time to get up. In terms ofgoing to sleep, regularly taking 30 minutes or longer to fall asleep is considereda symptom of insomnia. These disruptions produce daytimesleepiness, fatigue, impaired social or occupational performance, or mooddisturbances (Edinger & Means, 2005).