Sleep and Dreaming

What Sleep and Dreaming covers

Sleep and Dreaming is examined in Paper 2, optional (two of five are studied). It covers sleep stages and the sleep cycle, influences on sleep and sleep disorders, Freud's theory of dreaming and activation synthesis theory and Freud's Little Hans and Siffre's cave study.

The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Sleep stages and the sleep cycleThe functions of sleep and restoration theory, stages 1 to 4 and REM sleep, what happens to the body during REM, and how the sleep cycle changes across the night.Open →
• Influences on sleep and sleep disordersCircadian and ultradian rhythms, the pineal gland, melatonin and light, zeitgebers, jet lag and shift work, and the symptoms and explanations of insomnia and narcolepsy.Open →
• Freud's theory of dreaming and activation synthesis theoryManifest and latent content, dreamwork, condensation, displacement and symbolisation, and Hobson and McCarley's random activation, sensory blockade, movement inhibition and synthesis.Open →
• Freud's Little Hans and Siffre's cave studyFreud's case study of Little Hans's horse phobia and its fantasies, and Siffre's months alone in a cave without clues to the time of day.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Sleep and Dreaming further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Circadian rhythm vs Ultradian rhythm

  Circadian rhythm: a biological cycle lasting about 24 hours. Ultradian rhythm: a biological cycle repeating more than once a day.

• Manifest content vs Latent content

  Manifest content: the storyline of a dream as it is remembered. Latent content: the hidden unconscious meaning behind a dream.

• Insomnia vs Narcolepsy

  Insomnia: persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep at night. Narcolepsy: a disorder of sudden, uncontrollable attacks of daytime sleep.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What are the main functions of sleep?

   Model answer

   Sleep allows the body to repair tissue and restore energy. Sleep also helps the brain process and consolidate memories.

2. 2

   How does restoration theory explain why we sleep?

   Model answer

   Restoration theory says sleep lets the body and brain recover from the day's activity. Deep sleep is linked to body repair, and REM sleep to brain recovery.

3. 3

   What are the effects of going without enough sleep?

   Model answer

   Lack of sleep causes tiredness, irritability and poor concentration. Long-term sleep loss is linked to weaker immunity and poorer memory.

4. 4

   What is the difference between REM and non-REM sleep?

   Model answer

   REM sleep involves rapid eye movements, an active brain and vivid dreaming. Non-REM sleep covers stages 1 to 4, when brain activity slows down.

5. 5

   Describe stage 1 of sleep.

   Model answer

   Stage 1 is a light sleep between waking and sleeping. A person in stage 1 is easily woken, and brain waves slow to theta waves.

6. 6

   Describe stage 2 of sleep.

   Model answer

   Stage 2 is a slightly deeper sleep in which heart rate and body temperature fall. Brain activity shows short bursts called sleep spindles.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Sleep and Dreaming revision questions

What does Sleep and Dreaming cover in Edexcel GCSE Psychology?

4 subtopics: sleep stages and the sleep cycle, influences on sleep and sleep disorders, freud's theory of dreaming and activation synthesis theory and freud's little hans and siffre's cave study. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Sleep and Dreaming organised?

By the Edexcel 1PS0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.