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6。 Many people sleep somewhat more when they are mildly depressed or experience mild to
moderate stress。 Some students who are juggling school； work； and family/social life find
that they are nodding off every time they sit down or relax； but are still consistently
exhausted。 If they add up all the hours they are “napping；” it can add up to 11 or 12 hours
a day。 Of course； it is not good quality sleep； which means it doesn’t help them feel
“recharged” or well rested。 When I was a psychology intern at a university counseling
center； it was such a mon phenomenon we began calling it “student sleep syndrome。”
Often； students feel even worse when this occurs because they begin to wonder what’s
wrong with them； which pounds their stress。 Most students are relieved to know that
this condition is mon and often disappears when stress levels are reduced。 Usually；
when a student takes a term off or cuts back on his or her schedule； the condition
disappears。 However； as with any dramatic or prolonged change in energy level or
physical condition； students should get a plete physical examination from their
physician before assuming it is just a symptom of stress。
7。 Ask students to describe what they do to fall asleep and how long it usually takes them。
You will usually find that those students who get a reasonable amount of physical exercise
during the day； allow themselves at least an hour of “winding down time” before they go to
bed； and go to bed at similar times each night will tend to go to sleep faster than those who
do not exercise； have erratic schedules； and too many presleep activities。 Often； insomnia
can be managed just by changing their daily schedules and presleep routines。
8。 Ask students what they do when they have bouts of insomnia。 I've heard everything from
counting sheep to having sex。 Clearly there is no one technique that works for everyone。
But there are many techniques that work well for at least some people。 You can discuss
how many techniques； such as progressive relaxation； deep breathing； and fantasy； can be
used to induce a relaxed state patible with sleep induction。 Some insomnia is caused
because people； go to bed hungry or “wired” from drinking beverages loaded with caffeine。
Eating a snack so that you are not experiencing hunger pains； and making sure what you
eat is not loaded with caffeine and sugar； can also induce drowsiness and relaxation。
While sleeping pills are an option； as the text suggests； they are usually not an ideal option
because of side effects and people’s tendency to bee dependent on them。
SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURE MATERIAL
Unattended Information and the “Cocktail Party Phenomenon”
It has happened to all of us。 You are at an office party； a Christmas party； or a gathering of friends
at the home of a neighbor and you are engaged in conversation with a friend about the merits of
Golden Retrievers pared to German Shepherds。 More people are talking behind you； but you
are not paying attention to their conversation。 Suddenly； you hear your name mentioned by one of
the individuals engaged in the conversation behind you。 You bee unable to concentrate on the
puppy discussion； because you are too busy trying to hear what the other people are saying about
95
PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE
you。 You know you were not deliberately eavesdropping on this conversation； but you know that
you heard your name。 Is it possible that you were unconsciously eavesdropping？
You have just experienced what Broadbent and Cherry referred to as the “Cocktail Party
Phenomenon”。 Part of consciousness is attention。 We must attend to ining stimuli in order to
process it and act on it in an appropriate manner。 Does that imply that in the case presented above；
the listener was attending to the conversation behind her？ Possibly； although the attention being
paid to that conversation was not intentional。 The listener in this conversation was engaged in
what is known as dichotic listening； which refers to hearing two channels of sound； one in each
ear； at the same time。 In dichotic listening； we listen； or shadow； the message to which we are
attending； and tune out the second； unattended message。 Nonetheless； some characteristics of that
unshadowed message still get through。 The individual above was shadowing the message in
which she was engaged and； until hearing her name； could not have told us the content or
characteristics of the unshadowed （unattended） message of conversation。 How then； did she
manage to hear her name； if she was not attending to the message？
Triesman offers as an explanation the fact that in dichotic listening； attention acts as an attenuator；
in that it turns down the volume on unattended channels； but does not pletely block them out。
Moray took this notion a bit further； observing that it is very difficult to ignore the sounds of our
own names； even if that sound es in on an unattended channel。 Deutsch and Deutsch； followed
by Norman； proposed that all channels that reach the system get some degree of attention and
analysis。 Specifically； the channels get attended to enough to be represented in long…term memory。
While none of these models pletely explains the attentional aspect of consciousness； they do at
least give us some insights as to why we suddenly find ourselves “eavesdropping” on the
conversations of others； once we have heard them mention our names。
Circadian Rhythms
There is a daily cycle in addition to sleep cycles that helps regulate our functioning。 People and
other mammals have a biological clock that controls their daily rhythm； known as the circadian
rhythm。 Bodily temperatures； endocrine secretions； metabolism； and other bodily functions follow
similar circadian rhythms。 Both internal controls； from the hypothalamus in the brain； and external
controls such as clocks； meal times； light and dark； and the seasonal changes direct us to 24…hour
circadian rhythms。 If individuals live in caves with artificial light； but no clock； eating and sleeping
whenever they want； circadian rhythms tend to occur in 25…hour cycles。
People usually fall into a rhythm between 24 and 28 hours long； although sleep—wake cycles of up
to 50 hours have been observed。 Excessively long circadian rhythms can play havoc with one’s life；
causing one to be unable to sleep at an appropriate hour or to feel sleepy part of the normal working
day。 The results can be job loss and interpersonal conflict。 Such afflictions can be interpreted as
sleep…onset insomnia and/or excessive sleepiness。 Treatment of such sleep disorders centers on
enforcing wakefulness at certain times。
Along with “autonomic” storms of REM sleep that are most intense in the morning hours； changes
in circadian rhythms result in a lowering of body temperature。 One medical consequence of this
“vulnerable” state is the reported high incidence of cardiac failures and heart attacks in early
morning hours。 “Jet lag” is also an effect of biological circadian rhythms falling out of synchrony
with local time as we travel east or west across time zones。 The traveler develo