The Five Stages Of Consciousness

Brandie Colbert

Professor Kelli Stiles

Introduction to Psychology

12 September 2017

Consciousness

Consciousness is the state of being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts, emotions, and awake. To be conscious, means you are aware of the things around you like the sun shining in the sky, the sound of a lawn mower cutting grass, or the smell of fresh baked cookies. Does this mean we are conscious in our sleep? When you first lay down to go to sleep, your body goes from a conscious state to an unconscious state. When awake, the brain sends off high waves. Before falling asleep, the waves begins to slow down and send off alpha waves. There are five stages of sleep that we go through in a night. Stage one is where the brain slows down the waves, and we drift off into sleep. The slightest noise or light could still wake you back again. The second stage of sleep is when

Narcolepsy is where a person falls asleep randomly and suddenly, they have no control over it. The sleeping fit could last from fifteen minutes up to an hour. These fits are quite dangerous to the person as they could be driving, walking in the street, they can occur anywhere at any given time. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes says that, “Narcolepsy affects both males and females equally. Symptoms often start in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood (ages 7 to 25), but can occur at any time in life. It is estimated that anywhere from 135,000 to 200,000 people in the United States have narcolepsy. However, since this condition often goes undiagnosed, the number may be higher. of narcolepsy can be genetic, from an autoimmune disorder, or from a brain injury”. Narcolepsy has no cure but can be treated. Treatment include prescribed medications by doctors, taking short naps throughout the day, avoiding caffeine two hours before bed, relaxing before bed, and trying to get into a normal sleep