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States of Consciousness (Sleep, Drugs) — HS Psychology practice questions

11 multiple-choice questions and 9 flashcards on States of Consciousness (Sleep, Drugs), about 7% of the HS Psychology bank. Every one carries a written rationale.

Written and maintained by the CoStudy team · last updated 2026-10-12 · how we write and review questions

What this chapter covers

States of Consciousness (Sleep, Drugs) is one of 13 chapters in CoStudy's HS Psychology bank, and it holds 11 of the bank's 150 multiple-choice questions — roughly 7% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.

Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.

Free States of Consciousness (Sleep, Drugs) practice questions

6 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.

A full sleep cycle lasts about:

  1. 30 minutes
  2. 4 hours
  3. 90 minutes
  4. 8 hours

Answer: C — 90 minutes

C) Correct — The brain moves through N1, N2, N3 and REM about every 90 minutes. A) Is too short for all four stages. B) Is about how long two or three cycles take. D) Is a whole night, with several cycles.

Sleep spindles and K-complexes are signs of:

  1. REM sleep
  2. N3 sleep
  3. N2 sleep
  4. N1 sleep

Answer: C — N2 sleep

C) Correct — Bursts of brain-wave activity mark this light-to-moderate stage. A) Looks like waking brain activity. B) Shows slow delta waves. D) Is light drowsiness with theta waves.

Hypnosis is BEST described as:

  1. a form of sleep
  2. a way to recover accurate lost memories
  3. something that works equally on everyone
  4. a state of heightened suggestibility

Answer: D — a state of heightened suggestibility

D) Correct — A hypnotized person is more open to suggestion; it is not sleep. A) Brain activity during hypnosis looks like waking. B) It can create false memories. C) Susceptibility varies widely.

Which drug is a stimulant?

  1. heroin
  2. marijuana
  3. barbiturates
  4. methamphetamine

Answer: D — methamphetamine

D) Correct — Stimulants speed body functions and raise energy and alertness. A) Is an opiate. B) Is usually classed as a hallucinogen. C) Are depressants.

Alcohol is classified as a:

  1. stimulant
  2. hallucinogen
  3. opiate
  4. depressant

Answer: D — depressant

D) Correct — It slows nervous system activity, even though it may feel energizing at first. A) The early "high" comes from lowered inhibition, not stimulation. B) Doesn't mainly distort perception. C) Is a different class (heroin, morphine).

Sleepwalking and night terrors most often occur during:

  1. REM sleep
  2. N1 sleep
  3. N3 (deep) sleep
  4. brief waking periods between cycles

Answer: C — N3 (deep) sleep

C) Correct — They happen in slow-wave sleep, mostly early in the night. A) Nightmares happen in REM, but the body is paralyzed then. B) Is light drowsiness. D) Are not sleep.

States of Consciousness (Sleep, Drugs) flashcards

4 cards from the 9 in this chapter.

Stages of sleep?

N1 (light), N2 (sleep spindles), N3 (slow wave), REM (dreaming).

Tolerance vs withdrawal?

Tolerance: needing more of a drug for the same effect as the brain adapts. Withdrawal: the discomfort and distress that follow stopping a drug the body has adapted to.

Theories of why we dream?

Freud: wish fulfillment, with manifest and latent content. Activation-synthesis: the brain weaves random REM activity into a story. Information processing: dreams help sort and store the day's memories.

REM sleep characteristics?

Rapid eye movement, paralysis, vivid dreams, brain activity like wakefulness.

Practise the full chapter

These are a sample. The full States of Consciousness (Sleep, Drugs) chapter runs 20 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.

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