REM sleep: Definition, functions, and the effects of alcohol

During sleep, the brain moves through four different stages. One of these stages is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During this phase, the eyes move rapidly ... HealthConditionsHealthConditionsAlzheimer's&DementiaAnxietyArthritisAsthma&AllergiesBreastCancerCancerCardiovascularHealthCOVID-19Dermatology&SkincareDiabetesEnvironment&SustainabilityExercise&FitnessEyeHealthHeadache&MigraineHealthEquityHIV&AIDSHumanBiologyInflammatoryBowelDiseaseLeukemiaLGBTQIA+Men'sHealthMentalHealthMultipleSclerosis(MS)NutritionParkinson'sDiseasePsoriasisSexualHealthWomen'sHealthDiscoverNewsLatestNewsOriginalSeriesMedicalMythsHonestNutritionThroughMyEyesNewNormalHealthPodcastsTheamazingstoryofhepatitisC,fromdiscoverytocureNewdirectionsindementiaresearchCanpsychedelicsrewireadepressed,anxiousbrain?WhyclimatechangemattersforhumanhealthWhatdoesthelatestresearchsayaboutmultiplesclerosis?LongCOVID'scardiovascularimplicationsToolsGeneralHealthDrugsA-ZHealthHubsHealthToolsBMICalculatorsandChartsBloodPressureChart:RangesandGuideBreastCancer:Self-ExaminationGuideSleepCalculatorHealthProductsAffordableTherapyOptionsBloodPressureMonitorsDiabeticSuppliesFitnessTrackersHomeGymsGreenCleaningProductsHowtoShopforCBDQuizzesRAMythsvsFactsType2Diabetes:ManagingBloodSugarAnkylosingSpondylitisPain:FactorFictionConnectAboutMedicalNewsTodayWhoWeAreOurEditorialProcessContentIntegrityConsciousLanguageNewslettersSignUpFollowUsMedicalNewsTodayHealthConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribeWhatisREMsleep?MedicallyreviewedbyNickVillalobos,MD—WrittenbyJayneLeonard—UpdatedonNovember24,2021Whatisit?StagesofsleepFunctionsEffectofalcoholREMsleepbehaviordisorderHowtoimproveREMsleepGoodsleephabitsSummaryDuringsleep,thebrainmovesthroughfourdifferentstages.Oneofthesestagesisrapideyemovement(REM)sleep.Duringthisphase,theeyesmoverapidlyinvariousdirections.PeopletypicallyenterREMsleepwithinthefirst90minutesoffallingasleep.Asthesleepcyclerepeats,REMsleepoccursseveraltimeswhileapersonisresting.Infact,itaccountsforapproximately20–25%ofanadult’ssleepcycleandover50%ofaninfant’s.MostdreamsoccurduringREMsleep.Thisisastagethatmayplayaroleinlearning,memory,andmood.ThisarticlecoversREMsleepinmoredetail,includingitsstages,functions,andmore.WhatisREMsleep?ShareonPinterestRetnoAyuAdiati/EyeEm/GettyImagesREMsleeptypicallystartswithin90minutesofapersonfallingasleep,anditcyclesaroundevery90minutes.DuringREMsleep,thebodyandbraingothroughseveralchanges,including:rapidmovementsoftheeyesfastandirregularbreathingincreasedheartrate(tonearwakinglevels)changesinbodytemperatureincreasedbloodpressurebrainactivity(similartowakinglevels)increasedoxygenconsumptionbythebrainsexualarousaltwitchingofthefaceandlimbsMostpeopleexperienceastateoftemporaryparalysisasthebrainsignalsthespinalcordtoceasethemovementofthearmsandlegs.Thislackofmuscleactivityisknownasatonia,anditmaybeaprotectivemechanismtopreventinjurythatmayresultfrom“actingout”ourdreams.DuringREMsleep,peoplemayexperiencevividdreamsduetotheincreaseinbrainactivity.Whatarethestagesofsleep?BeforeenteringtheREMsleepphase,thebodygoesthrougheachofthestagesofnon-REMsleep.Thesectionsbelowlookateachoftheseinmoredetail.Stage1non-REMsleepApersoninthisstageisbetweenbeingawakeandasleeporisinastateofverylightsleep.Stage2non-REMsleepAslightlydeepersleepcharacterizesthisstage.Bodytemperaturedrops,andheartrateslowsdown.Mostpeoplespendaroundhalfoftheirtotalsleeptimeinthisstage.Stages3non-REMsleepStage3non-REMsleepisastateofdeepandrestorativesleepknownasslow-wavesleepordeltasleep.Themusclesrelax,thesupplyofbloodtothemusclesincreases,andthebodyrepairsandgrowstissue.REMsleepPeopleentertheREMsleepphasefollowingtheabovestages.Thisisthestageofsleepduringwhichmostpeopledream,thoughthismayalsohappeninnon-REMsleep.FunctionsREMsleepmaybenefitlearning,memory,andmood.AlackofREMsleepmayhaveadverseimplicationsforphysicalandmentalhealth.LearningandmemoryThebrainprocessesinformationandconsolidatesmemoriesduringsleep.Asaresult,sleepdeprivationcannegativelyaffectaperson’sworkingmemory.A2016studyinvolvinghealthyadolescentsalsofoundthatsleepdeprivationcouldincreasetheriskofformingfalsememories.Accordingtosomestudies,evenshortperiodsofdaytimesleepcanhelpapersonlearnmusclepatterns(motormemory)andcommitthemtomemory.CentralnervoussystemdevelopmentREMsleepmaybeessentialforbraindevelopmentininfants.Someresearchindicatesthatthissleepstageisresponsiblefortheneuralstimulationnecessaryformaturebrainstructuredevelopments.ThesefindingsmayhelpexplainwhyinfantsrequirehigherlevelsofREMsleep,withthenumberofminutesofREMsleepfallingaspeopleage.ConsequencesofalackofREMsleepSomestudieslinkalackofREMsleepto:Reducedcopingskills:SomeresearchsuggeststhatalackofREMsleepmayreduceaperson’sabilitytodifferentiatebetweenthreateningandnon-threateningstimuliandrespondaccordingly.Migraine:Fragmentedsleepmayincreaseaperson’sriskofexperiencingmigraineintheimmediatelyfollowingdays.However,lowsleepdurationandqualitydidhaveaneffectonmigrainerate.Obesity:Somestudiesassociatethequantityandqualityofsleepwithanincreasedchanceofobesity.EffectofalcoholDrinkingalcoholbeforesleepcandisruptaperson’ssleepcycleandsleepquality.ResearchisconflictingonhowexactlyalcoholaffectsREMsleep.SeveralstudiesreportthatalcoholintoxicationdoesnotreduceoverallREMsleepbutdoesreduceoverallsleepquality.However,afurtherreviewofhistoricsleepresearchfoundseveralinstancesinwhichthedurationandqualityofREMsleepwerelowerfollowingalcoholintoxication.Alcoholaffectssleepinotherways,too.Forexample,itcontributestosleepapneaandsnoring,causesanincreaseinbathroomvisits,andinterruptsthebody’scircadianrhythm,whichistheinternalclockthatregulatessleepandwaketimes.REMsleepbehaviordisorderSomepeopleexperienceREMsleepbehaviordisorder(RBD).ThisisaconditionwhereinthemuscleparalysisapersonusuallyexperiencesduringREMsleepdoesnotoccur.Itcausesthepersontoactoutvividdreams.Forexample,theymaykick,yell,orflailtheirarms.TheonsetofRBDtendstobegradual,withsymptomsworseningovertime.RBDresultsfrommalfunctioningnervepathwaysinthebrain.Someriskfactorsforitsdevelopmentinclude:beingmalebeingover50yearsoldtakingantidepressantsexperiencingwithdrawalfromdrugsoralcoholhavinganeurodegenerativecondition,suchasParkinson’sdiseasehavingnarcolepsy,whichisasleepdisordercharacterizedbyexcessivedaytimesleepinessandhallucinationsTreatmentforRBDincludesmedicationandchangingthesleepenvironmenttoincreasesafetyforthepersonwiththeconditionandtheirsleepingpartner.HowtoimproveREMsleepThereareseveralwaystoenhancebothREMandnon-REMsleeptoreapthebenefitsofhighqualitysleep.ThefollowingtipsmayhelpimproveREMsleep.GetenoughsleepAhealthyadultrequiresatleast7hoursofsleepper24-hourperiod.SleepinglessthanthisreducesthenumberofREMsleepphasesthepersonexperiences.AddressmedicalconditionsCertainmedicalconditions,suchassleepapnea,canaffectsleepqualityandimpactREMsleep.Addressingtheseconditionsmayhelpimprovetheoverallqualityofsleep.AvoidalcoholbeforebedtimeAsmoderate-to-highlevelsofalcoholintakebeforebedcanreducethenumberofREMsleepphasesanddelayenteringthefirstREMphase,itisadvisabletoavoidalcoholconsumptioninthehoursimmediatelybeforebed.Get21tipstofallasleepquicklyhere.Whataregoodsleephabits?Followingthesamebedtimeroutineeachdaypreparesthebodyandmindforsleep.Havingaregularbedtimeroutinemayhelpmaximizetheamountoftimeasleep,potentiallyincreasingthenumberofREMsleepphasesapersonexperiences.Somegoodsleephabitsinclude:goingtobedandwakingupatconsistenttimesremovingelectronicdevicesfromthebedroomincreasingphysicalactivityinthedaykeepingthebedroomcool,dark,andquietavoidinglargemealsandcaffeinebeforebedSummaryREMsleepisthestageinwhichmostpeoplevividlydream.Theseperiodsofsleeptypicallystartaround90minutesaftersomeonefallsasleepandcycleeverysubsequent90minutes.REMsleepisimportanttotheconsolidationofinformationandthedevelopmentofmemories.ResearchhaslinkeddisruptionsinREMsleepwithanincreasedchanceofobesityandriskofmigraine.Developinggoodsleephabitsandhavingaconsistentpre-sleeproutinecanhelppeopleimprovethequalityoftheirREMsleepandthequalityoftheiroverallresttime.LastmedicallyreviewedonNovember24,2021Neurology/NeuroscienceSleep/SleepDisorders/Insomnia13sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Bertisch,S.M.,etal.(2020).Nightlysleepduration,fragmentation,andqualityanddailyriskofmigraine.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7080287/Bonanno,L.,etal.(2019).Assessmentofsleepandobesityinadultsandchildren.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6867771/Brainbasics:Understandingsleep.(2019).https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-SleepColrain,I.M.,etal.(2014).Alcoholandthesleepingbrain.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5821259/Jiang,F.(2019).Sleepandearlybraindevelopment.https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/508055Koob,G.F.,etal.(2020).Alcoholusedisorderandsleepdisturbances:Afeed-forwardallostaticframework.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6879503/Krause,A.J.,etal.(2017).Thesleep-deprivedhumanbrain.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143346/Lo,J.C.,etal.(2016).Sleepdeprivationincreasesformationoffalsememory.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5324644/Peever,J.,etal.(2016).ThebiologyofREMsleep.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5846126/Roguski,A.,etal.(2020).Aneurologist'sguidetoREMsleepbehaviordisorder.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.00610/fullSchmid,D.,etal.(2020).Sleep-dependentmotormemoryconsolidationinhealthyadults:Ameta-analysis.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763420304978Sleepandsleepdisorders:Dataandstatistics.(2017).https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.htmlTipsforbettersleep.(2016).https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.htmlFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyNickVillalobos,MD—WrittenbyJayneLeonard—UpdatedonNovember24,2021LatestnewsHowsoundandelectricalbodystimulat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