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REM sleep is characterized by the lack of muscle activity. Physiological studies have shown that aside from the occasional twitch, a person actually becomes paralyzed during REM sleep. [7] In motor skill learning, an interval of sleep may be critical for the expression of performance gains; without sleep these gains will be delayed. [8]
Young woman asleep over study materials. The relationship between sleep and memory has been studied since at least the early 19th century.Memory, the cognitive process of storing and retrieving past experiences, learning and recognition, [1] is a product of brain plasticity, the structural changes within synapses that create associations between stimuli.
Brainwave entrainment, also referred to as brainwave synchronization or neural entrainment, refers to the observation that brainwaves (large-scale electrical oscillations in the brain) will naturally synchronize to the rhythm of periodic external stimuli, such as flickering lights, [1] speech, [2] music, [3] or tactile stimuli.
Sleep stages are characterized by spectral content of EEG: for instance, stage N1 refers to the transition of the brain from alpha waves (common in the awake state) to theta waves, whereas stage N3 (deep or slow-wave sleep) is characterized by the presence of delta waves. [107] The normal order of sleep stages is N1 → N2 → N3 → N2 → REM.
Beta waves, or beta rhythm, are neural oscillations (brainwaves) in the brain with a frequency range of between 12.5 and 30 Hz (12.5 to 30 cycles per second). Several different rhythms coexist, with some being inhibitory and others excitory in function.
It has long been believed that alpha waves indicate a wakeful period during sleep. [citation needed] This has been attributed to studies where subjects report non-refreshing sleep and have EEG records reporting high levels of alpha intrusion into sleep. This occurrence is known as alpha wave intrusion. [25]
Neurophysiological studies have indicated a relationship between increased P-wave density during post-training REM sleep and learning performance. [20] [21] Basically, the abundance of PGO waves translates into longer periods of REM sleep, which thereby allows the brain to have longer periods where neuronal connections are formed.
Activity of the neocortex during slow wave sleep determines inputs to the hippocampus; thalamocortical sleep spindles and delta waves are the sleep patterns of the neocortex. [12] These inputs contribute to the selection of different neuronal assemblies for initiation of SWRs, and affect the timing of the SWRs. [4]