A-Level Psychology - Infradian and Ultradian Rhythms.
Already registered? Log in. Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Community Courses.
By taking a rejuvenating 20 minute ultradian break at those times of the day when your feeling tired, depressed and lacking in self-esteem, you are giving your mind and body a chance to catch up with itself. When you are alert and refreshed from an ultradian healing response you are better able to do a good job and feel better about yourself.
Nevertheless, the recent finding that the period of the ultradian rhythm of pituitary LH release is lengthened by about 20% in the homozygous tau mutant hamster (i.e., about the same amount as the period of the circadian activity rhythm is shortened) indicates that common gene products may regulate both circadian and ultradian rhythmical processes in mammals (Wayne et al., 1992).
Ultradian Those that last less than a day. Can you think of any? Although the sleep wake cycle follows a circadian rhythm, the stages of sleep follow an ultradian one. There are five stages to sleep: 4 stages of NREM 1 stage of REM These five stages make up 1 cycle which lasts 90.
These are rhythms with a period of greater than a day. The menstrual cycle is an example of an infradian rhythm. Infradian rhythms that occur as a result of seasonal changes, for example, migration and hibernation are called circannual rhythms. The menstrual cycle has a period of about 28 days, although the timing can vary according to environmental factors.
An infradian rhythm is a biological rhythm with a period longer than 24 hours. Due to the longer time frame for each cycle the frequency of occurrence in these cycles is lower than that of the circadian rhythms. Examples include: female menstrual cycle.
One of the rhythms we consider is the ultradian rhythm of sleep. This leads us almost seamlessly into a discussion of the nature and possible explanations of sleep. Sleep is still an enigma. We spend longer practising this behaviour than any other. An adult living to an average age of around 80 years will have spent over 25 of those asleep.