infradian + ultradian rhythms

• What’s infradian rhythms?

  Take longer than 24 hours to complete 1 cycle
• What’s menstrual cycle ?

  The time from the first day of a women period to the day before her next period

  Average length is 28 days
• What happens in the first half of the menstrual cycle ?

  -Levels of oestrogen levels rise which causes the ovary to develop and release an egg and the lining of the womb begins to thicken 

  -levels of progesterone rise which helps to maintain the lining of the womb in preparation for implantation of a developing embryo 
• What did stern and mcClinton study ?

  -They studied how menstrual cycles may synchronise as a result of the influence of female pheromones.

  -Samples of pheromones from the armpits of 9/29 women were collected at different stages of their menstrual cycles.

  -The cotton pads with the pheromones were then rubbed on the upper lip of the other pps. -Findings showed that 68% of women experienced changes to their cycle which brought  them closer to the cycle of their ‘odour donor’.
• What’s Seasonal affective disorder?

  -is a depressive disorder which has seasonal patterns

  -circannual rhythm as it is a yearly cycle

  -symptoms triggered during the winter months
• What’s the ultradian rhythms ?

  Take less than a day you have more than one cycle within 24 hours 
• What’s the ultradian rhythms ?

  Take less than a day you have more than one cycle within 24 hours 
• What happens in stage 1 of sleep?

  N1 + N2 are the light stages of sleep  - heart rate decreases , body temp drops , brain wave activity starts to slow down 
• What happens during stage 3 of sleep ?

  • N3 is the deepest stage of sleep
  • The body regrows and repairs tissues + builds muscles 
  • It strengthens the immune system 
  • Helps consolidate memories into our LTM 
• What happens during REM sleep?

  • The brain waves look more like when someone is awake but your skeleton is in a state of paralysis except for the eyes 
  • our eyes start to move rapidly 
  • We dream in this stage 
• What are the direct brain waves and in what stage ?

  • gamma waves higher than 30 Hz and it happens when concentrating focusing and learning 
  • beta waves 13-30 Hz - during most activities whilst awake 
  • Alpha waves - 8 - 12.99 Hz while relaxed or sleepy 
  • Theta waves 4 - 7.99 Hz - during stage 1 and 2 (light sleep)
  • Delta waves 1 - 3.99 Hz x during stage 3 (deep sleep)
• What was dement and Kleitmans sample ?

  -9 ppts in the study (7 male and 2 female), but only 5 of these were studied in detail

  -ppts we’re allowed to eat normally during the day but weren’t allowed to drink caffeine or alcohol 
• What did they find ?

  In non-rem sleep 7% of the dreams were recalled and in rem sleep 

  80 % of the dreams were recalled 
• What are some evaluations for infradian or ultradian rhythms ?

  • :( individual differences in sleep 
  • :) evolutionary advantages to menstrual cycle 
  • :) control of extraneous variables in the lab studies