Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Seasonal Affective Disorder, Circadian Rhythm, Jet Lag

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Terry Biggs

Document Summary

Most prominent in february; the month with the least amount of sunlight per day. More prevalent in canada than it is in the u. s. Several states are low enough in latitude to not suffer from short daytime periods. Gives light rays in the wavelengths emitted by the sun/natural light. An hour or two under these lights helps to offset sad. Oral melatonin may be taken to help reset the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm will adapt to a constant schedule. Shift to daylight savings (spring) leads to a temporary increase in accidental deaths due to fatigue due to lost sleep. Texting is the primary cause for pedestrian accidents. Talking on the phone (handheld or otherwise) divides attention of the drivers and increases chance of accident. Amplitude of the brain waves is associated with the energy spent on a particular thought or idea. Stage 3: delta waves, deep sleep, harder to arouse. Stage 4: very deep sleep, lower frequency delta waves.