Chapter-4 CONSCIOUSNESS

SOMNABULISM/NOCTABULISM/SLEEPWALKING

Sleepwalking, formally known as somnambulism, is a behavior disorder that originates during deep sleep and
results in walking or performing other complex behaviors while asleep. It is much more common in children than
adults and is more likely to occur if a person is sleep deprived. Because a sleepwalker typically remains in deep
sleep throughout the episode, he or she may be difficult to awaken and will probably not remember the
sleepwalking incident.

Sleepwalking usually involves more than just walking during sleep; it is a series of complex behaviors that are
carried out while sleeping, the most obvious of which is walking. Symptoms of sleepwalking disorder range from
simply sitting up in bed and looking around, to walking around the room or house, to leaving the house and even
driving long distances. It is a common misconception that a sleepwalker should not be awakened. In fact, it can
be quite dangerous not to wake a sleepwalker.
The prevalence of sleepwalking in the general population is estimated to be between 1% and 15%.The onset or
persistence of sleepwalking in adulthood is common, and is usually not associated with any significant underlying
psychiatric or psychological problems. Common triggers for sleepwalking include sleep deprivation, sedative
agents (including alcohol), febrile illnesses, and certain medications.
The prevalence of sleepwalking is much higher for children, especially those between the ages of three and
seven, and occurs more often in children with sleep apnea. There is also a higher instance of sleepwalking
among children who experience bedwetting. Sleep terrors are a related disorder and both tend to run in families.
SYMPTOMS:

Sleepwalking is most often initiated during deep sleep but may occur in the lighter sleep stages of NREM, usually
within a few hours of falling asleep, and the sleepwalker may be partially aroused during the episode.

In addition to walking during deep sleep, other symptoms of sleepwalking include:

 Sleeptalking
 Little or no memory of the event
 Difficulty arousing the sleepwalker during an episode
 Inappropriate behavior such as urinating in closets (more common in children)
 Screaming (when sleepwalking occurs in conjunction with sleep terrors)
 Violent

Somniloquy
Somniloquy or sleep-talking is a parasomnia that refers to talking aloud while asleep. It can be
quite loud, ranging from simple mumbling sounds to loud shouts and long frequently inarticulate
speeches, and can occur many times during a sleep cycle.[1] As with sleepwalking and night
terrors, sleeptalking usually occurs during the less-deep delta-wave NREM sleep stages or
during temporary arousals therefrom.

It can also occur during the deeper REM sleep stage, at which time it represents what sleep
therapists call a motor breakthrough (see sleep paralysis) of dream speech: words spoken in a
dream are spoken out loud. Depending on its frequency, this may or may not be considered
pathological. All motor functions are typically disabled during REM sleep thus, motoric, i.e.,
verbal elaboration of dream content, could be considered an REM behavior disorder (see below).
Sleep-talking can occur by itself or as a feature of another sleep disorder such as:

 Rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD) - loud, emotional or profane sleep talking
 Sleepwalking
 Night terrors - intense fear, screaming, shouting
 Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED)

Sleep-talking is very common and is reported in 50% of young children, with most of them
outgrowing it by puberty, although in rare cases it may persist into adulthood (about 4% of adults
are reported to talk in their sleep). It appears to run in families.[2] In 1966, researchers worked to
find links between heredity and somniloquy. Their research suggests the following:

 Sleep-talking parents are more likely to have children who sleep-talk

 Sleep talking can still occur, though much less commonly, when neither parent has a history
of sleep talking
 A large portion of parents begin to sleep-talk later in life without any prior history of sleep-
talking during childhood or adolescence

Sleep-talking by itself is typically harmless; however, it can wake others and cause them
consternation—especially when misinterpreted as conscious speech by an observer. If the sleep-
talking is dramatic, emotional, or profane it may be a sign of another sleep disorder (see above).
Sleep-talking can be monitored by a partner or by using an audio recording device; devices
which remain idle until detecting a sound wave are ideal for this
purpose. Polysomnography (sleep recording) shows episodes of sleep talking that can occur in
any stage of sleep.[1]
EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION

1. Sleepiness Causes Accidents

2. Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down
Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive
processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and
problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.
Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the
mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and
experienced during the day.

3. Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious

Health Problems
Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

 Heart disease
 Heart attack
  Heart failure
 Irregular heartbeat
 High blood pressure
 Stroke
 Diabetes

According to some estimates, 90% of people with insomnia -- a sleep disorder characterized
by trouble falling and staying asleep -- also have another health condition.

4. Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive

Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less
interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.
For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep, there may be another
factor in the sexual slump. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
& Metabolism in 2002 suggests that many men with sleep apnea also have low
testosterone levels. In the study, nearly half of the men who suffered from severe sleep
apnea also secreted abnormally low levels of testosterone during the night.

DREAMS

A dream is successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occurs
involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.[1] The content and purpose of dreams are
not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, as well as a
subject of philosophical and religious interest, throughout recorded history. The scientific study of
dreams is called oneirology.[2]

Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is
high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the
eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. However, these
dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable.[3]

The length of a dream can vary; they may last for a few seconds, or approximately 20–30
minutes.[3] People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM
phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, and some may have up to
seven;[4] however, most dreams are immediately or quickly forgotten.[5] Dreams tend to last longer
as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two
hours of REM.[6]

In modern times, dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious mind. They range
from normal and ordinary to overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can have varying natures, such
as being frightening, exciting, magical, melancholic, adventurous, or sexual. The events in
dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming,
where the dreamer is self-aware.[7] Dreams can at times make a creative thought occur to the
person or give a sense of inspiration.[8]

Opinions about the meaning of dreams have varied and shifted through time and culture. Most
people today appear to endorse the (Freudian) theory of dreams - that dreams reveal insight into
hidden desires and emotions. Other prominent theories include those suggesting that dreams
assist in memory formation, problem solving, or simply are a product of random brain
activation.[9] The earliest recorded dreams were acquired from materials dating back
approximately 5000 years, in Mesopotamia, where they were documented on clay tablets. In
the Greek and Roman periods, the people believed that dreams were direct messages from one
and/or multiple deities, from deceased persons, and that they predicted the future. Some cultures
practiced dream incubation with the intention of cultivating dreams that are of prophecy.[10]

Sigmund Freud, who developed the discipline of psychoanalysis, wrote extensively about dream
theories and their interpretations in the early 1900s.[11] He explained dreams as manifestations of
one's deepest desires and anxieties, often relating to repressed childhood memories or
obsessions. Furthermore, he believed that virtually every dream topic, regardless of its content,
represented the release of sexual tension.[12] In The Interpretation of Dreams (1899), Freud
developed a psychological technique to interpret dreams and devised a series of guidelines to
understand the symbols and motifs that appear in our dreams.

Dynamic psychiatry[edit]
Freudian view[edit]
In the late 19th century, psychotherapist Sigmund Freud developed a theory that the content of
dreams is driven by unconscious wish fulfillment. Freud called dreams the "royal road to the
unconscious."[36] He theorized that the content of dreams reflects the dreamer's unconscious
mind and specifically that dream content is shaped by unconscious wish fulfillment. He argued
that important unconscious desires often relate to early childhood memories and experiences.
Freud's theory describes dreams as having both manifest andlatent content. Latent content
relates to deep unconscious wishes or fantasies while manifest content is superficial and
meaningless. Manifest content often masks or obscures latent content.

In his early work, Freud argued that the vast majority of latent dream content is sexual in nature,
but he later moved away from this categorical position. In Beyond the Pleasure Principle he
considered how trauma or aggression could influence dream content. He also discussed
supernatural origins in Dreams and Occultism, a lecture published in New Introductory Lectures
on Psychoanalysis.[37]

Jungian and other views[edit]

Carl Jung rejected many of Freud's theories. Jung expanded on Freud's idea that dream content
relates to the dreamer's unconscious desires. He described dreams as messagesto the dreamer
and argued that dreamers should pay attention for their own good. He came to believe that
dreams present the dreamer with revelations that can uncover and help to resolve emotional or
religious problems and fears.[38]

Jung wrote that recurring dreams show up repeatedly to demand attention, suggesting that the
dreamer is neglecting an issue related to the dream. He believed that many of the symbols or
images from these dreams return with each dream. Jung believed that memories formed
throughout the day also play a role in dreaming. These memories leave impressions for the
unconscious to deal with when the ego is at rest. The unconscious mind re-enacts these
glimpses of the past in the form of a dream. Jung called this a day residue.[39] Jung also argued
that dreaming is not a purely individual concern, that all dreams are part of "one great web of
psychological factors."

Fritz Perls presented his theory of dreams as part of the holistic nature of Gestalt therapy.
Dreams are seen as projections of parts of the self that have been ignored, rejected,
orsuppressed.[40] Jung argued that one could consider every person in the dream to represent an
aspect of the dreamer, which he called the subjective approach to dreams. Perlsexpanded this
point of view to say that even inanimate objects in the dream may represent aspects of the
dreamer. The dreamer may, therefore, be asked to imagine being an object in the dream and to
describe it, in order to bring into awareness the characteristics of the object that correspond with
the dreamer's personality.