Articles tagged with Rem Sleep
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Researchers found that reading from light-emitting e-readers before bed suppresses melatonin release and shifts the circadian clock, leading to longer sleep latency and reduced REM sleep. Exposure to short-wavelength-enriched blue light disrupts natural sleep patterns.
Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center found that sleep apnea disrupts REM stage sleep, impairing spatial memory in humans. Sleep apnea can lead to longer completion times in a 3D maze, even when other sleep stages are intact.
A study found higher orexin levels in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease compared to controls. This association was also observed in relation to total tau protein levels and cognitive impairment, highlighting the potential link between orexinergic system dysregulation and AD progression.
A University of Iowa study found that sleep twitches activate the brains of mammals differently than movements made while awake. Twitches during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep comprise a different class of movement and provide evidence that sleep twitches teach newborns about their limbs.
Researchers found that increased safety signaling is associated with improved REM sleep consolidation and better management of fear conditioning in individuals with PTSD. This suggests that addressing sleep disturbances before treating daytime symptoms may lead to more beneficial outcomes for exposure-based treatments.
Scientists found a strong association between REM sleep disturbance and the development of progressive brain diseases like Parkinson's and dementia. Longitudinal imaging data showed decreased dopamine transporter density in patients with REM sleep disorder, which marked the first hints of Parkinson's disease.
Children who experience frequent nightmares before age 12 are three and a half times more likely to suffer from psychotic experiences. Night terrors also increase the risk, doubling it compared to nightmares alone.
Researchers have identified the precise causal link between neuronal activity in the lateral hypothalamus and REM sleep. Using optogenetics, they were able to induce and manipulate REM sleep in mice, providing a breakthrough in understanding sleep mechanisms and potentially leading to new therapeutic strategies.
Researchers found that patients with Auto-Activation Deficit could dream when awakened from REM sleep, even if they seemed mentally blank during the day. The dreams were simple and lacked complexity, but still demonstrated brainstem stimulation's role in generating dream imagery.
Researchers studying hibernating fat-tailed dwarf lemurs found they can go days without deep sleep during winter hibernation. This supports the idea that sleep regulates body temperature and metabolism in humans.
Researchers found that dwarf lemurs experience REM sleep at high temperatures, while ground squirrels do not, suggesting a link between temperature and metabolism. The study confirms that hibernation is not a state of dormancy but rather a unique form of sleep.
Researchers discovered baby owls spend large amounts of time in REM sleep, similar to human infants, and this changes as they age. The team also found a link between the expression of a melanism-related gene and sleep patterns, suggesting that brain development may influence adult traits.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have identified a specific group of cells in the brainstem critical for emotional memory processing during REM sleep. The activation of phasic pontine waves is linked to the development of long-term retention of fear extinction memory, making it a potential target for new treatments.
A novel brain mechanism has been identified that mediates the inhibition of critical breathing muscles during REM sleep, causing snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. This inhibition affects the airspace behind the tongue, leading to self-suffocation episodes, which can occur hundreds of times a night.
A new study found that sleep architecture, not just duration, affects hunger and food intake in healthy adults. Researchers discovered that shorter stages of deep sleep and less REM sleep are associated with higher hunger levels and increased calorie consumption from fat and carbohydrates.
Patients with COPD report fatigue, sleepiness, and impaired quality of life due to poor sleep quality. The study found an association between daytime hypoxemia and sleep efficiency in COPD patients.
A Weizmann Institute study found that people can learn new information while sleeping and retain it unconsciously, modifying their waking behavior. The research used a type of conditioning involving tones and odors presented during sleep, leading to responses similar to those experienced when awake.
Research reveals that smoking, head injury, and pesticide exposure may increase the risk of REM sleep behavior disorder, a rare condition where people act out their dreams. The study also found that farming work and lower education levels were associated with a higher risk of developing the disorder.
Hospital noise is a significant factor affecting quality-of-care in hospitalized patients, disrupting sleep, healing, and causing negative impacts on cardiovascular health. Research found that louder sounds are more disruptive, especially those engineered to alert, while noises like ice machines are arousing at low sound levels.
Research shows that earplugs can lower the incidence of confusion and delay cognitive disturbances in ICU patients. The use of earplugs resulted in better sleep quality, with a corresponding decrease in delirium risk by over 50%.
A Mayo Clinic study found that people with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder are twice as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or Parkinson's disease within four years. Researchers used the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire to diagnose probable RBD in neurologically normal individuals.
Researchers have found a brain mechanism that coordinates eye and arm movements, which may have implications for rehabilitation and prosthetics. The study used macaque monkeys to examine the neurological activity of the posterior parietal cortex, finding coherent patterns of firing in regions specialized for moving eyes or arms.
A recent study by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers found that sleep preserves and enhances unpleasant emotional memories. Contrary to previous assumptions, sleep was associated with maintaining the strength of initial negative feelings, rather than softening their effects.
Researchers at McGill University Health Centre have developed a novel melatonin drug, UCM765, that selectively activates the MT2 receptor in the brain, leading to increased phases of deep sleep. This discovery may pave the way for effective treatments for insomnia, a common public health problem affecting millions worldwide.
Researchers at UC Berkeley found that dream sleep helps process emotional experiences, removing the edge from painful memories. During REM sleep, stress neurochemicals are suppressed, allowing the brain to connect and integrate memories in a more rational state.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine identified a specific enzyme that regulates the wake-sleep cycle, which could lead to more effective sleep aid medications. The study found that blocking or activating this enzyme triggers an important shift in consciousness between sleep and wakefulness.
A Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity has been shown to improve some symptoms of sleep apnea, including reduced number of disturbances during REM sleep. This study found a greater adherence to the calorie-restricted diet and increased physical activity in the Mediterranean diet group compared to the prudent diet group.
Scientists successfully induced non-REM sleep in mice by controlling the activity of orexin neurons using a light-activated protein. The study provides clues to the underlying cause of narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by abnormal sleep and muscle weakness.
Researchers found that Parkinson's sufferers exhibited work and health indications eight years before diagnosis, highlighting REM sleep behavior disorder as a potential early marker. The study suggests that intervening earlier could lead to improved treatment outcomes.
Researchers found that bursts of brain waves known as 'sleep spindles' may network between key brain regions to clear a path to learning. This networking helps shift fact-based memories from the hippocampus to the prefrontal cortex, freeing up storage space for new data.
A team of researchers demonstrated that the brain predicts consequences of rapid eye movements, improving accuracy in identifying objects. This process, which precedes eye movements, speeds up subsequent actions towards targets.
Researchers found that deep sleep strengthens new memories by transferring information from the hippocampus to the neocortex. Volunteers who experienced more sleep spindles overnight were more successful in connecting new words to existing knowledge.
A new pre-operative questionnaire has been identified to help patients at risk of surgical complications. The STOP-BANG questionnaire assesses the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and is found to be effective in identifying patients with increased rates of postoperative complications.
Researchers have identified neuroimaging techniques that can predict Parkinson's disease in patients with REM sleep disturbances, enabling early neuroprotective treatment strategies. A study found that 19% of patients developed a neurodegenerative disorder within two and a half years, with 5 cases of Parkinson's disease among those sho...
Researchers found that certain stages of sleep have distinct roles in people's memory capacity, with REM sleep stage crucial for memory systems. The formation of associative networks from previously unassociated information is facilitated by changes to neurotransmitter systems during REM sleep.
A recent study found that REM sleep behavior disorder can be an early warning sign of dementia or Parkinson's disease, with some patients experiencing symptoms for up to 50 years before diagnosis. The research suggests that the brain may be actively affected by these disorders for an extended period.
A study found that playing a video game before bedtime had only a small impact on the sleep of older male teens, with no significant differences in sleep latency or physiologic arousal. However, playing the game led to a slight increase in cognitive alertness and reduced subjective sleepiness.
Researchers found that a midday nap significantly improves learning capacity by clearing the brain's short-term memory storage and making room for new information. This finding supports previous data on the negative effects of prolonged wakefulness and all-nighters on cognitive function.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) significantly decreases the frequency of nightmare recall. The study involved 393 patients with high-frequency severe OSA and reported a decline in frequent nightmare recall as sleep apnea severity increased.
Researchers found that 71% of participants reported dreamlike mental content associated with sleepwalking or sleep terrors, often involving unpleasant emotions like fear or terror. The study also suggests that adults with these sleep disorders may be acting out dreamlike thoughts during episodes.
A study of 1,140 healthy young adults found that dream-enacting behaviors are more prevalent than previously thought. The most common behavior was 'fear,' followed by acting out emotions like anger and happiness.
A study published in the journal Sleep found that long-term alcoholism affects sleep quality and architecture, regardless of abstinence duration or sex. The findings suggest a possible permanent structural change in REM regulation mechanisms produced by long-term alcohol abuse.
A five-year study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher Dr. Uma Rao found that adolescents with shorter rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep latency are more likely to develop depression. These teens reached the REM stage earlier in their sleep cycles, indicating a greater risk for depression.
Researchers identified a mutated gene hDEC2 that allows individuals to thrive on six hours of sleep, and studied its impact on mice and fruit flies. The findings suggest that the gene modulates both sleep quantity and wakefulness-behavioral drive.
A study of 1,008 patients with obstructive sleep apnea found a significant association between REM-related OSA and type 2 diabetes, with adjusted odds ratios up to 2.8 times higher in middle-aged participants. The researchers suggest that REM-related OSA may be an early marker for type 2 diabetes, especially in women and younger patients.
A study found that napping with REM sleep decreases negative bias and increases recognition of positive emotions, making individuals more receptive to happy facial expressions. This adaptation is critical for social interactions and professional judgments.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) show a higher prevalence of parasomnia symptoms compared to those without OSA. Researchers found that 9.5% of OSA patients experienced parasomnias, significantly higher than the general population.
Research led by UC San Diego experts suggests that REM sleep fosters creative problem-solving by stimulating associative networks. The study shows that REM directly enhances creative processing more than any other sleep or wake state, leading to significant improvements in performance.