What causes sleep disorders like insomnia, and what do the sleep and dreaming core studies show?
Sleep disorders (insomnia and narcolepsy) and treatments such as sleep hygiene, plus the sleep and dreaming core studies: the classic study Freud (1918) on the Wolf Man and the contemporary study Williams et al. (1992) on dreaming.
A focused answer to the OCR GCSE Psychology J203 sleep and dreaming topic on sleep disorders (insomnia and narcolepsy) and treatments such as sleep hygiene, plus the core studies Freud (1918) on the Wolf Man and Williams et al. (1992) on dreaming, with the aim, method, results, conclusions and evaluation of each.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to describe sleep disorders (such as insomnia and narcolepsy) and a treatment like sleep hygiene, and to know the two sleep and dreaming core studies: the classic study Freud (1918) on the Wolf Man, and the contemporary study Williams et al. (1992) on dreaming.
Sleep disorders
- Insomnia. The person regularly cannot fall asleep, stay asleep, or wakes too early and cannot return to sleep, so they get too little good-quality sleep and feel tired and impaired during the day. It can be caused by stress, anxiety, poor habits or disrupted circadian rhythm.
- Narcolepsy. A neurological disorder in which the person experiences sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep and extreme daytime sleepiness, often linked to problems with the brain's sleep regulation.
Treating sleep disorders
A common, low-risk treatment is sleep hygiene: improving habits and the sleep environment so sleep comes more easily and the circadian rhythm (see functions and theories of sleep) settles. Sleep hygiene includes:
- a regular bedtime and waking time,
- avoiding caffeine, alcohol and screens before bed,
- keeping the bedroom dark, quiet and cool, and
- not napping during the day.
For some disorders, medication (for example, to promote sleep, or stimulants for narcolepsy) or relaxation/CBT techniques may also be used, but sleep hygiene is the first, side-effect-free step for insomnia.
Freud (1918): the classic core study
- Aim
- To understand the unconscious causes of a young man's emotional problems and phobia through dream analysis.
- Method
- A case study of a patient (the "Wolf Man") using psychoanalysis. The patient recalled a childhood dream of white wolves sitting in a tree outside his window. Freud interpreted the dream and the patient's history over a long period.
- Results and conclusion
- Freud argued the manifest content (the wolves in the tree) disguised a latent meaning linked to the patient's unconscious fears and early childhood experiences. By interpreting the dream, Freud claimed to uncover the unconscious cause of the patient's problems. This illustrates dreams as the "royal road to the unconscious", supporting his theory in functions and theories of sleep.
Williams et al. (1992): the contemporary core study
- Aim
- To investigate the content and cognitive processes of dreaming (for example, how realistic dreams are and the kind of thinking that occurs in them), rather than searching for hidden unconscious meaning.
- Method
- A more systematic, scientific study of dream reports (collected and analysed for their features and the cognitive activity involved), providing measurable data rather than subjective interpretation.
- Results and conclusion
- The study found dreams could be studied objectively and showed organised cognitive activity, supporting a scientific view of dreaming over Freud's symbolic interpretation. It provides a contemporary, testable counterpoint to the classic Freudian approach.
Evaluating disorders, treatment and the studies
Sleep hygiene is valued because it is cheap, safe and addresses causes (habits and environment), though it relies on the person sticking to it and may not be enough for severe disorders like narcolepsy. Freud (1918) is influential and offers rich insight into one case, but it is subjective, unscientific and based on a single patient, so it cannot be generalised or verified. Williams et al. (1992) is more scientific and objective, supporting a testable view of dreaming, but may underplay the personal meaning of dreams. Together the studies capture the shift from psychoanalytic to cognitive explanations of dreaming, mirroring psychology's move towards scientific method.
Try this
Q1. Define insomnia. [2 marks]
- Cue. A sleep disorder of regular difficulty falling or staying asleep, causing daytime tiredness.
Q2. Give two pieces of sleep hygiene advice. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two: regular bedtime, avoid caffeine and screens before bed, dark and quiet room, no daytime naps.
Q3. What did Freud (1918) interpret the Wolf Man's dream as showing? [1 mark]
- Cue. A disguised latent meaning linked to the patient's unconscious fears and early experiences.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20204 marksDescribe insomnia and one way it can be treated. (J203/02, Section C Sleep and dreaming)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark item rewards a description of insomnia and a treatment.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person regularly has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or wakes too early and cannot get back to sleep, so they do not get enough good-quality sleep and feel tired and impaired during the day. One treatment is sleep hygiene: improving habits and the sleep environment, such as keeping a regular bedtime, avoiding caffeine and screens before bed, keeping the bedroom dark, quiet and cool, and not napping during the day. Better sleep habits help the body's circadian rhythm settle, making sleep easier.
Markers reward describing insomnia (regular difficulty getting or staying asleep, leading to tiredness) and a treatment such as sleep hygiene (regular bedtime, no caffeine or screens, good environment).
OCR 20214 marksDescribe Freud's (1918) study of the Wolf Man. (J203/02, Section C Sleep and dreaming)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Describe item rewards the case study method and what Freud interpreted.
Freud carried out a case study of a young man (nicknamed the Wolf Man) who had a phobia and emotional problems. The patient recalled a childhood dream of white wolves sitting in a tree outside his window. Freud interpreted this dream using his psychoanalytic theory: he believed the manifest content (the wolves in the tree) disguised a latent meaning linked to the patient's unconscious fears and early childhood experiences. Through analysing the dream and the patient's history, Freud tried to uncover the unconscious cause of his problems. This illustrates dream analysis as a route to the unconscious.
Markers reward the case study of the Wolf Man, the dream of white wolves in a tree, and Freud's interpretation of a hidden (latent) meaning linked to the unconscious.
Related dot points
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- The features and functions of sleep (the stages of sleep, circadian rhythms and the restoration and evolutionary theories) and theories of dreaming, including Freud's psychoanalytic theory and the activation-synthesis theory.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Psychology J203 specification — OCR (2017)