Scientists have discovered that zebrafish display two states of sleep similar to mammals, reptiles, and birds: slow-wave sleep and paradoxical sleep. This finding suggests that neural signatures of sleep evolved at least 450 million years ago in ancient fish.
A new study analyzing participants from 35 countries found that near-death experiences (NDEs) affect around 10% of people, with common reported symptoms including out-of-body sensations and hallucinations. The study also found an association between NDEs and Rapid Eye Movement sleep intrusion into wakefulness.
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Researchers discovered melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons in the hypothalamus play a critical role in modulating REM sleep based on room temperature. Mice with functioning MCH neurons increase REM sleep when warmed, while those lacking the receptor show no such response.
Researchers have found that melanin-concentrating hormone neurons are active during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and when exploring novel objects in mice. This suggests these cells may facilitate memory formation through single-cell activity patterns.
Researchers have identified a pattern of brain activity reflecting anger experienced during dreaming. The study found that frontal alpha asymmetry is related to anger in both wakefulness and dreams.
A new study has identified a brain activity pattern, called frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), that predicts anger experienced during dreaming. Individuals with greater alpha-band brain activity in the right frontal cortex during REM sleep and pre-sleep wakefulness tend to have more angry dreams.
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Researchers have uncovered large-scale brain patterns and networks that control sleep, revealing new insights into the complex processes of brain activity during sleep. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of sleep disorders such as insomnia.
A large multi-centre study of over 1,200 patients with REM sleep behaviour disorder found a high risk of Parkinson's disease progression and identified several strong predictors, including motor difficulties and mild cognitive impairment. The study's findings will improve clinical trial selection and therapy development.
Researchers are developing a new paradigm called 'network physiology' that examines how organs communicate and adjust to each other. This approach has the potential to improve health monitoring techniques by capturing data streams from different organ systems.
A new study finds that stress increases rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, associated with genes involved in cell death and survival. The research suggests that changes in REM sleep may contribute to mood disorders like depression by activating signaling pathways in the brain.
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A study found that people taking antidepressants, having post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety are at risk of developing REM sleep behavior disorder. Men are also more likely to have the condition. Lifestyle factors such as education level, income, smoking status and moderate to heavy drinking habits were also linked to the disorder.
Researchers found that high levels of oxygen encourage deep, restorative sleep by switching brains into a deactivated state. This stage is crucial for recovery, brain clearance, and memory consolidation, making it a key target for potential oxygen therapy in humans.
A new study suggests that womb kicks may play a role in helping babies develop a sense of their own body. The research, published in Scientific Reports, found that brainwaves produced during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep fire in the corresponding hemisphere when a baby kicks its limbs.
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A study found that napping after learning can worsen memory retention in children with Down syndrome, unlike typical children who benefit from napping. Researchers suggest that REM sleep may play a role in this disparity.
Researchers confirm lizards enter two distinct sleep states similar to slow-wave and REM sleep in humans and other animals. However, the study reveals differences in brain activity between species, including slower eye movements and unique cerebral patterns in lizard brains.
Researchers at University of Tsukuba found that a single mutation in SIK3 protein increases non-REM sleep and wakefulness when conscious, providing insights into human sleep disorders.
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Researchers identified two essential genes involved in regulating REM sleep duration in mice. The knockout of these genes resulted in drastically decreased REM sleep and altered sleep patterns. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying REM sleep, a crucial aspect of maintaining mental and physical health.
Researchers have found that fur seals spend most of their lives in the water and go without REM sleep for days or weeks, suggesting a functional connection between REM sleep and brain cooling. The study provides insight into the mysterious function of REM sleep and its potential role in regulating brain temperature.
A team of researchers proposes a hypothesis on how REM and non-REM sleep might help us solve problems. Non-REM sleep helps organize information into useful categories, while REM sleep enables the discovery of unexpected connections.
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For the first time, researchers have captured detailed information on human sleep cycles over long periods of time while individuals slumber at home. The wrist-worn gadget, called an actimeter, records data on wrist movement to assess rest/activity cycles during sleep.
A study by Itamar Lerner and colleagues found that higher quality sleep patterns are associated with reduced activity in brain regions involved in fear learning. The researchers suggest that baseline sleep quality may be a useful predictor of susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A comprehensive review by Dr. Rubin Naiman reveals that dream loss is a significant contributor to various health issues, including depression and illness. The study recommends restoring healthy dreaming through lifestyle changes and behavioral interventions.
A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has identified a type of neuron in the brains of mice that promotes sleep by turning off wake-promoting neurons. Lhx6-expressing cells play a central role in regulating both rapid eye movement and nonrapid eye movement sleep, with potential applications for treating various sleep disorders.
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A new study published in Neurology suggests that people who get less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may have a greater risk of developing dementia. The researchers found a link between lower percentages of REM sleep and an increased risk of dementia, with every percent reduction resulting in a 9% increase in dementia risk.
A study published in Neurology found that less REM sleep and longer sleep latency are associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. Research followed 321 participants over 12 years, revealing a nine percent increase in all-cause dementia risk for each percentage reduction in REM sleep.
Studies show that humans can learn new sounds while asleep, particularly during REM and N2 sleep phases. However, learned sounds are forgotten in deep sleep (N3) stage, suggesting a mechanism for unloading unnecessary memories. These findings reconcile two theories on sleep's role in memory consolidation.
A new AI algorithm developed by MIT researchers uses radio signals to monitor sleep stages without sensors attached to the body. The device analyzes reflections of radio waves off the person's body, eliminating irrelevant information using deep neural networks.
A recent study by Dr. John Peever has found a link between REM sleep disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Lewy bodies dementia. The research suggests that sleep disorders may be an early warning sign for these conditions, which can appear up to 15 years later.
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A new study reveals a previously unknown mode of communication between the hippocampus and red nucleus during REM sleep in infants. This synchronization is essential for motor control development and may contribute to motor problems in disorders like autism and schizophrenia.
As people age, they experience a decline in deep sleep, which is crucial for memory and cognition. This shift can start as early as the mid-thirties and becomes more pronounced with age.
A study found that triethylene glycol (TEG), an active component of Ashwagandha, induces non-rapid eye movement sleep significantly and changes rapid eye movement sleep slightly. TEG's physiologically sound sleep is comparable to normal sleep, offering a potential natural solution for insomnia and related disorders.
Researchers tracked two African elephant matriarchs for 35 days and found they slept an average of 2 hours a day, with some periods lasting up to 46 hours without sleep. This unique sleep pattern raises questions about when elephants experience REM sleep.
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Researchers tracked elephant sleep using Fitbits and found they slept mostly in the early morning, with environmental conditions influencing timing. The study suggests elephants may not dream daily like humans do, but rather every few days.
Researchers found that dietary prebiotics improved non-REM sleep and REM sleep after stressful events in male rats. The prebiotic diet also maintained a healthy gut microbiota and normal body temperature fluctuations even after stress exposure.
A new approach to analyze brainwaves during sleep using multitaper spectral analysis provides objective and high-resolution depictions of brainwave activity. This technique offers a paradigm shift allowing clinicians to move away from subjective sleep staging and harness the wealth of objective information contained within EEG data.
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A recent study published in eLife found that REM sleep loss leads to increased consumption of unhealthy foods, particularly sucrose and fat. The researchers discovered that inhibiting neurons in the prefrontal cortex reverses the effect of REM sleep loss on sucrose consumption.
Research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016 found that disrupted sleep, including insomnia, is independently associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. The study analyzed data from three sources and showed a 26% higher risk for those who frequently woke up during the night.
Researchers identified mutations in genes controlling sleep in mice, revealing roles for NALCN and SIK3 proteins in regulating sleep need and maintaining REM sleep. The study used a genetic screening approach to isolate sleep phenotypes and mutated genes.
Scientists have identified two core genes, Sik3 and Nalcn, that regulate deep sleep and dreaming in mice. These findings provide a critical molecular entry point to explain how sleep works and may lead to the discovery of new treatments for sleep disorders.
Two mouse mutants, Sleepy and Dreamless, have been identified with excessive and reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, respectively. The mutations have been linked to specific genes, offering a new perspective on the regulation of sleep and wakefulness.
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Researchers found that adults who spent eight hours in bed daily showed greater improvements on all fronts, including faster response to treatment and higher remission rates. In contrast, those who spent six hours in bed experienced no significant differences in treatment response.
A new study discovered that adenosine inhibits REM sleep by acting on specific receptors in the olfactory bulb. This finding suggests a link between REM sleep and odor perception, which may help treat diseases such as REM sleep behavior disorder. The research team hopes to explore adenosine as a potential treatment target for RBD.
Researchers found that birds can engage in slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep while flying, with SWS occurring in one hemisphere or both hemispheres. The study revealed unique sleep patterns in flight, including the ability of birds to watch their surroundings while asleep.
A team of researchers at UC Riverside led by Sara C. Mednick found that the autonomic nervous system is responsible for promoting memory consolidation during sleep. They demonstrated a correlation between increased ANS activity and improved memory performance after a nap.
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A new study from the University of Pennsylvania found that body mass index, body fat percentage, and resting energy expenditure are not significant predictors of sleep stage duration. However, overweight adults spent more time in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep than normal-weight adults.
A study published in Science reveals that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation in mice. The research found that silencing neurons during REM sleep impaired spatial memory formation, suggesting a causal link between REM sleep and memory impairments observed in Alzheimer's disease.
A new study in mice shows that REM sleep is essential for consolidating both contextual and emotional memories. Inhibiting theta oscillations during REM sleep kept mice from forming these memories, while disrupting them outside of REM sleep had no effect.
A new study reveals that reptiles, like mammals and birds, experience REM and slow-wave sleep patterns. This discovery suggests a common ancestor for these sleep states, evolving over 300 million years ago in amniotes.
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Scientists have discovered REM and slow-wave sleep in bearded dragons, a finding that suggests brain sleep dates back at least to the evolution of amniotes. The study's authors believe that this common origin is more plausible than convergent evolution, given the early branching out of reptiles.
During deep sleep, hippocampal sharp-wave ripples and cortical slow oscillations interact to strengthen synapses and form long-term memory. The study provides a mechanistic explanation for memory consolidation during deep sleep.
Researchers found that humans are exceptionally short sleepers, getting an average of seven hours of sleep per night, whereas other primates need up to 17 hours. Human sleep is also more efficient, spending less time in light stages and more in deeper stages.
A new study identifies neurons that inhibit REM sleep and induce non-REM sleep in mice, revealing a complex relationship between the two stages of sleep. The discovery sheds light on the brain's mechanism for regulating sleep patterns.
Researchers identify a neural circuit that regulates REM sleep and show that it controls the physiology of non-REM (NREM) sleep. They also found that REM sleep plays a crucial role in the generation of slow waves during NREM sleep.
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Researchers identified a neural circuit in the brain that regulates REM sleep and show it controls NREM sleep physiology. The study also found that REM sleep interacts with NREM sleep in a hierarchy, affecting slow wave activity.
UC Berkeley researchers discovered a neural switch in the medulla that activates rapid transition to REM sleep, characterized by muscle paralysis and cortical activation. Activating this group of neurons can send mice into dreamland, while inactivating them reduces or eliminates REM sleep.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University and UCLA found that rapid eye movements during REM sleep reflect brain activity patterns associated with new images. This study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that eye movements during REM sleep are responsible for resetting our dream 'snapshots'.
A new study from Washington State University suggests that REM sleep plays a crucial role in converting waking experiences into lasting memories and abilities in young brains. The study found that brain circuits change in the visual cortex during exploration, but REM sleep is required to make those changes "stick".
Researchers found that brain cells coding for direction remained electrically active during deep sleep as they were during wake time, with visual and vestibular cues guiding them. This discovery could help develop navigational treatments for Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders.
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A study by Nationwide Children's Hospital found that 43% of children with positive marijuana urine screens had test results consistent with narcolepsy or abnormal REM sleep patterns. The study highlights the importance of obtaining a urine drug screen before accepting a diagnosis of narcolepsy in adolescents.
Researchers found that activation of cholinergic neurons in brain stem structures induced REM sleep in animal models. The findings provide a better understanding of brain mechanisms controlling different sleep states, essential for treating sleep disorders.