The Neural Control of Slow-Wave and REM Sleep.
Although sleep involves most of the brain, the basal forebrain region is particularly important to slow-wave and REM sleep. Sterman and Clemente found that electrical stimulation of this area produced drowsiness and the subjects of the study readily fell asleep. Evidence also suggests that the mechanisms involved in an animal's ability to regulate its own body temperature (thermoregulation) are closely related to those involved in sleep. There are certain neurons that are extremely sensitive to changes in brain temperature. Warming of the preoptic area and the anterior hypothalamus (POAH) induces slow-wave sleep, similar to the effects of electrical stimulation shown by Strerman and Clemente. This could explain why people experience excessive sleepiness when they haver a high fever, or why people generally feel sleepy on hot summer days. It follows then, that sleep reduces brain temperature.
REM sleep consists of desynchronized EEG activity, muscular paralysis, rapid eye movements, and increased genital activity. REM sleep is controlled from within the pons. The executive mechanism activates the different components of REM sleep and consists of neurons that secrete acetylcholine. It has been discovered that people who are exposed to organophosphate insecticides (acting as acetylcholine agonists) spend higher amounts of time in REM sleep. .
The brain contains several groups of acetylcholinergic neurons (which control the onset of REM sleep), the most important of these are found in the dorsalateral pons, in the PDT (pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus) and the LTD (laterodorsal tegmental nucleus). This region is commonly refered to as the peribrachial area. Certain neurons in the peribrachial area fire extremely fast during REM sleep; it is the high activity in the acetylcholinergic cells that is thought to kickstart a bout of REM sleep.
After each NREM cycle there is a period of REM sleep. A complete cycle of sleep is defined as a period of NREM sleep and a period of REM sleep. ... REM It is a stage during sleep that is characterized by waves similar to those of beta waves. ... It is during REM sleep that most vivid night dreaming occur. ... Most dreams occur in the REM stage. ...
(Zimbardo pg.98) The three types of sleep disorders are: insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea. ... Oddly anything exciting causes a narcoleptic attack "(Zimbardo Pg.99) It is described as a "disorder of REM sleep involving sudden REM sleep attacks accomplished by cataplexy"(Zimbardo pg.99) Cataplexy is a second symptom of narcolepsy. ... Narcolepsy is a disorder of REM sleep." The victim of narcolepsy has an abnormal sleep -onset REM period. Instead of the usual time it takes REM to occur (ninety minutes) narcoleptics REM period starts as sleep begins." ( Zimbardo Pg.99) Narcolepsy has no cu...
REM sleep initially lasts for only twenty minutes, and the deep sleep recurs. ... REM sleep usually comes after a sudden body shift in bed. ... The longest periods of immobility during sleep occur during early non-REM sleep. ... In studying REM in cats, the area that inhibits muscle activity during REM sleep was located. ... Many ideas of why REM sleep exists have been published. ...
Dreaming occurs every time we sleep and enter a period known as the rapid eye movement(REM) stage. ... Once we're finished with REM sleep, we begin to descend back down through all four stages until we are at back at light sleep. ... REM sleep is the only time in the sleep process in which we dream. ... We dream every time we fall in to REM sleep, which is approximately five times a night. ... It is very important that we have all the stages of sleep every night in order to prepare us for REM sleep. ...
Dreaming occurs every time we sleep and enter a period known as the rapid eye movement(REM) stage. ... Once we're finished with REM sleep, we begin to descend back down through all four stages until we are at back at light sleep. ... REM sleep is the only time in the sleep process in which we dream. ... We dream every time we fall in to REM sleep, which is approximately five times a night. ... It is very important that we have all the stages of sleep every night in order to prepare us for REM sleep. ...
By his experiments on sleep, with the help of an old electroencephalograph (EEG) he was able to dispel the popular beliefs and prove that our brains do not "sleep." ... Clusters of REM-on and REM-off cells where located in the brainstem. ... Researchers have found that without proper sleep, REM dreaming, people exhibited symptoms of anxiety, panic, fatigue, irritability, inability to concentrate, and to remember. ... If deprived of sleep long enough, people eventually hallucinate. ... One group slept undisturbed, the second group were kept awake all night, the third group were awakened during...
" Sleep has been broadly classified into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep or NREM (Non Rapid Eye Movement) sleep due to their differing electromyogram (EMG) recordings, (Greene & Siegel, 2004). ... The REM stage of sleep, first discovered by Aserinsky and Kleitman (1953), is initiated after the completion of stage four NREM sleep. ... The term REM sleep was given to this stage of sleep due to the observable bursts of rapid eye movement which occur several times during each phase of REM sleep (Aserinsky, 1965). The progression of NREM sleep to REM sleep occurs cyclically throughout the du...
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that is fairly common in the US, affecting an estimated 200,000 people. ... The most outstanding symptoms of Narcolepsy are excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal REM sleep. ... Once asleep, patients go immediately into REM sleep, dreaming almost instantly. ... A nocturnal polysomnogram, followed by the multiple sleep latency test. ... In fact, REM sleep wasn't even hooked up to Narcolepsy until 1960 by a man named Vogel. ...