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Rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep or REMS) is a unique phase of sleep in mammals (including humans) and birds, characterized by random rapid movement of the eyes, accompanied by low muscle tone throughout the body, and the propensity of the sleeper to dream vividly. The core body and brain temperatures increase during REM sleep and skin ...
Each sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 110 minutes and includes stages that fall into two main phases: non-REM (or NREM) sleep and REM sleep. Non-REM sleep has three sub-stages: light sleep, deep ...
The sleep cycle of alternate NREM and REM sleep takes an average of 90 minutes, occurring 4–6 times in a good night's sleep. [17] [22] The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) divides NREM into three stages: N1, N2, and N3, the last of which is also called delta sleep or slow-wave sleep. [23] The whole period normally proceeds in the ...
These two stages combined are also called slow wave sleep (SWS). Stage five, REM sleep, is one of the most interesting stages as brain wave patterns are similar to those seen in relaxed wakefulness. This is referred to as "active sleep" and is the period when most dreaming occurs.
Primary sleep disorders such as chronic insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea may also affect REM sleep. Common medications such as antidepressants or benzodiazepine medications like diazepam ...
RBD is a sleep disorder characterized by the loss of normal skeletal muscle atonia during REM sleep and is associated with prominent motor activity and vivid dreaming. [ 9 ] Symptomatic RBD can also be associated with narcolepsy , Guillain–Barré syndrome , limbic encephalitis , and Morvan's syndrome .
Additionally, having less REM sleep and deep sleep (also known as slow-wave sleep) was linked to higher levels of p-tau181, a protein associated with certain neurological conditions such as ...
REM sleep is also related to the firing of ponto-geniculo-occipital waves (also called phasic activity or PGO waves) and activity in the cholinergic ascending arousal system. PGO waves have been recorded in the lateral geniculate nucleus and occipital cortex during the pre-REM period and are thought to represent dream content.