Purchase Solution

Biological Basis of Sleep and Dreams

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

What is the biological basis of sleep and dreams? Where do dreams occur in the cycle of sleep, and why are they important to our psychological well-being?

How did Freud use dreams to help people understand their behaviors? What evidence did he use to support the contention that dream analysis is a valid way of treating mental illnesses? Did the evidence he provide support his claims?

What are the current ideas regarding Freud's dream analysis? What do you conclude about using the method of interpreting dreams to treat mental illness?

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution describes the biological basis of sleep and dreams, and their occurrence in the cycle of sleep. Additionally, the significance of sleep and dreams to psychological well-being is also discussed.

Solution Preview

(1) What is the biological basis of sleep and dreams? Where do dreams occur in the cycle of sleep, and why are they important to our psychological well being.

(a) There are psycho physiological measures of sleep that are based on electroencephalogram ( EEG) waves that accompany sleep consisting of high and low voltages. Thus, there are periods throughout the night that are dominated by voltages or fast waves. These waves or rapid eye movements (REM) occur during closed eyelids of sleeping under the low voltage activity (Pinel, 2006). According to Pinel, there are four stages of sleep: (a) Stage 1 in which the EEG waves are a low-voltage, high frequency signal, (b) stage 2 increases in EEG frequency and higher amplitude and lower frequency, (c) EEG is defined by the largest and slowest EEG waves (delta waves), and (d) Stage 4 consists of predominant delta waves. After the person reaches stage 4, the individual reverts to stage 1] (p. 343). In addition, according to Pinel, there are certain periods during the sleep period when there are periods of wakefulness; however, individuals don't remember being awake.

(b) Dreams occur in REM sleep. Research is presented that shows REM sleep is physiologically correlated with dreaming (Dement, 1978). According to Dement, research shows ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Piaget's Theories on Development

Do you know all about Piaget's theories on development? Find out with this quiz!

The Psychology of Sleep

This quiz is to check your understanding of the sleep-related part of psychology.

Theories of Work Motivation

This quiz tests the student's understanding of the major theories of work motivation from an organizational behavior perspective.

Anxiety Disorders

This quiz is designed to help students gain a better understanding of various types of anxiety disorders.

Can you name these types of cognitive distortions?

In each mini-scenario, can you identify the type of cognitive distortion being displayed? All of us are subject to cognitive errors, biases, and distortions throughout our daily lives.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Discussion of Sleep and Sleep Disorders

    Lack of sleep may also cause a biological response much like the body fighting off an infection (Talk About Sleep, 2010). There are many sleep disorders and are caused by various other afflictions.

  • Summarize the theories of why we dream

    The dreams that constitute repressed wishes that humans secretly desire to engage in are present within the dreams with manifest content representing actual images, thoughts, and the basis of our dreams while the latent content is represented by what

  • REM Sleep

    o Dreams occur during REM sleep. People typically have 3 to 5 periods of REM sleep per night. o They occur at intervals of 1-2 hours and are quite variable in length. An episode of REM sleep may last 5 minutes or over an hour.

  • Sleep Disorders, Nightmares and Sleep Patterns

    What about those dreams that you don't remember in the morning, could not remembering those dreams cause sleep disorders? Dreams are a normal part of REM sleep. Nightmares are often remembered, but not always. This is normal.

  • Hazards That Can Increase Industrial Accident Frequency

    This solution explains the role that biological agents, sleep deprivation, and construction hazards can have in causing industrial accidents.

  • Early Sexual Maturation and Sleep Stages

    451011 Early Sexual Maturation and Sleep Stages Is puberty a social or a biological milestone? Sexual behavior does start as a curiosity - but what do you believe happens when that curiosity leads to pleasure?

  • Helmholtz's theory of color vision with Hering's theories

    * REM sleep is popularly associated with dreaming, especially bizarre, visual, and seemingly random dreams; however, dreams can also occur during sleep onset (hypnogogia) and during all stages of Non-REM sleep.

  • Child Development

    Tie et al (2010) assert that in addition to biological determinants of sleep behavior, sleep behaviors are also socially and culturally determined.

  • Biological Psychology - What are some modern-day issues?

    Other issues that biological psychologists study include investigating hunger and eating behavior, emotional states, sleep and circadian rhythms, sexual development and behavior, learning and memory, language and cognition and the biological basis of

View More Related Solutions