PSYC 473BSleep ,Dreaming & Circ Rhythm

Catalog

Sleep, Dreaming and Circadian Rhythms Life on this planet evolved under a consistent pattern of light and darkness occurring in regular 24-hour cycles. We now know that every animal with more than one cell has at least 1 body clock telling the brain when to sleep, when to awaken, and regulate all the appropriate biological mechanisms used in various states of arousal. We know that sleep, rather than a period of unconsciousness, is several different stages of neural behavior, including the mysterious experience of dreaming, that are critical to basic life functioning. In this course we will be discussing research on sleep, dreaming, and circadian rhythms. You will also record your own sleep patterns as part of completing a final original research project on sleeping behaviors. The use of a fitness tracker with a sleep monitor is highly recommended. Students taking this class should be prepared to present material to the rest of the class as part of the course requirement. Prerequisites: PSYC 111 with a grade of C or higher, PSYC 243 with a grade of C or higher, and PSYC 344 with a grade of C- or higher. Course restricted to junior/senior psychology or integrative neuroscience majors. Students must earn a grade of C- or higher for the course to apply to the major. This course will fulfill the seminar requirement for Integrative Neuroscience.