Drinkers 'ignorant of sleep woes' Aug 19, 2009
As the body wakes more easily from REM sleep, many drinkers find they stir early in the morning without feeling as if they have slept properly. The Department of Health is urging all drinkers to avail themselves of the NHS's online interactive units calculator for a "better night's sleep and a happier brain". (BBC News -- UK)
That elusive good night's sleep Aug 18, 2009
The restorative sleep stage associated with rapid eye movements, REM sleep, was discovered in 1953, making the organized study of sleep relatively new ... He learned in a sleep study through Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City that he had a serious case of sleep apnea - gasping for air in the night, and getting little REM sleep. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Sleep Paralysis Can Terrorize Those Who Suffer From It Aug 14, 2009
"Putting it simply, wakefulness has occurred, but the body and part of the brain is still in REM sleep," the researchers wrote in the journal The Psychologist. "Most urgently, there is a need for greater awareness of the nature of the sleep paralysis amongst the general public and, particularly, amongst health professionals in order to minimize the anxiety and distress that often results from such attacks.". (Fox News)
Sleep patterns in children and teenagers could indicate risk for depression, researcher finds Aug 13, 2009
Those adolescents were more likely to develop depression by the end of the five-year study period than those who reached REM sleep later in the cycle. "Sleep is probably more helpful in determining who is at risk for developing depression than in being a diagnostic marker for depression since REM latency of those adolescents was shorter before they even developed the illness," Dr. Rao said. (EurekAlert!)
Insomniacs may not get the right prescription Jul 25, 2009
After about 10 minutes into REM sleep, the brain cycles back to the four other stages (known as non-REM). The cycles repeat throughout the sleep time. (CNN)
I Believe I Can Fly Jul 18, 2009
So I called up Jerome Siegel, the director of UCLA's and an expert in REM sleep behavior, to make sure I wasn't embarking on a fool's errand. Siegel said that while he had never experienced a lucid dream himself, he finds it plausible that some people do have them. (Slate)
Catch your Z's and let this device study them Jul 16, 2009
The clock and the graph indicate where you were at each five-minute interval: awake, in light sleep, in REM sleep or in deep sleep. Everything is polished and easy to use. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
Short on z's? Zeo could help you catch some Jul 9, 2009
It also analyzes the depth of your slumber: the time you were in light sleep, deep sleep (for physical restoration and growth) and REM sleep (dreamland). Results are combined into a so-called ZQ score between 0 and 120. (USA Today -- Tech)
McKeithan Column Jul 4, 2009
I think our pets are also part of a mysterious underworld plot to deprive me of third-stage REM sleep. We have a cat named Marbles, which is ironic since he doesnt have any (neutered, if you get my meaning). (Washington Daily News, NC)
Dreaming of Nonsense: The Evolutionary Enigma of Dream Content Jun 26, 2009
Remember, the key question for us to consider is why dreaming occurs at all, since it s not immediately apparent why natural selection wouldn t have simply engineered a dreamless, non-REM sleep. So, without further ado, here s a snapshot of the current evolutionary contenders in the field of dream studies: Brain Conditioning In the 1960s, sleep researchers began to notice that, in contrast to other stages of sleep, the brain was especially active during REM sleep ... And specific anatomical... (Scientific American)
Sleep Apnea Occurring During REM Sleep Is Significantly Associated With Type 2 Diabetes Jun 25, 2009
0 times higher in patients with REM-related OSA, defined as havng an REM apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 10 or more breathing pauses per hour of REM sleep ... "Generally, OSA is worse in REM sleep compared to non-REM sleep because of neurologically mediated impairment of skeletal muscles of upper airway and ventilation. This may be the reason for closer association of REM-related OSA and type 2 diabetes." ... Sleep fragmentation caused by OSA may reduce REM sleep time, which could explain a high... (Science Daily)
Vertical slumber Jun 23, 2009
THE ANSWER It is possible to sleep upright But in deep, dreamy REM sleep muscle tone is lost The monks may get around this by the way they sit Or it may be that they constrain their REM sleep ... " But for anybody thinking of starting to sleep upright, and only for a brief period, there are dangers in short duration sleep. Meditation is the main activity "There is a large body of epidemiological literature suggesting that there are associations between short sleep duration and a number of... (BBC News -- Health)
Naps With Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Increase Receptiveness To Positive Emotion Jun 20, 2009
Naps with REM sleep objectively and bi-directionally modify specific emotions. Individuals who took a 60 to 90 minute nap with REM sleep displayed increased receptiveness to happy facial expression following sleep ... 6, 2008) Four days' exposure to a REM sleep deprivation procedure reduces cell proliferation in the part of the forebrain that contributes to long-term memory of rats. (Science Daily)
Sleep Tourism Jun 18, 2009
Sleep researchers sleep into four different stages, including the well-known REM, or "rapid eye movement," stage, and three stages of non-REM sleep ... Most writers and scientists seem interested in REM sleep, because that's when Freud-style dreams take place. (Slate)
Can a Sleep Disorder Predict Parkinson's? Jun 17, 2009
People diagnosed with an unusual sleep condition called REM sleep disorder, in which they physically act out their dreams by kicking, screaming and even harming themselves and others lying next to them, are 18% more likely to develop a neurodegenerative disease like dementia or Parkinson's within five years of their diagnosis, and 52% more likely after 12 years. "We have been aware of the potential connection between REM sleep disorder and these diseases for some time, but this is the largest... (Time.com)
Got a Problem? Think about It Overnight Jun 16, 2009
"However, for new problems, only REM sleep enhances creativity." ... During the study, participants were tested in the morning and again in the afternoon after a nap with REM sleep, after a nap without REM sleep or after a quiet rest period ... Those who had REM sleep showed greater improvement in answering test questions than those who experienced other sleep or wake states, the study found. (MEDLINEplus)
Less Than Half Of Older Americans Get The Recommended 8 Hours Of Nightly Sleep Jun 16, 2009
(June 10, 2008) Decreased nightly total sleep time, even within the normal range, is associated with an increased percentage of REM sleep during subsequent. (June 15, 2007) Self-reported sleep complaints among the elderly serve as a risk factor for completed suicide. (Science Daily)
Can A Pill Help You Wake Up? May 15, 2009
"Taking something like a stimulant like caffeine decreases the amount of your deep sleep it also decreases and delays the amount of your REM sleep," he says. He also says getting a quick fix could be masking more serious medical problems. (W-USA News, DC)
Had a Bad Dream? Here's Why May 13, 2009
In fact, they say, emotional regulation may be the primary function of REM sleep, the sleep stage during which most dreams occur ... Dreams or, more broadly, REM sleep may serve to process fear memories so that the system does not become overwhelmed ... Studies show that during REM sleep, activity in certain brain regions including the limbic system, which is involved in emotional regulation, as well as memory spikes considerably. (Fox News)
Narcolepsy Is An Autoimmune Disorder, New Research Shows May 9, 2009
ScienceDaily (May 8, 2009) Ten years ago, Stanford University School of Medicine scientist Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, and his colleagues made headlines when they identified the culprit behind the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Now Mignot and his collaborators have shown for the first time that a specific immune cell is involved in the disorder confirming experts' long-held suspicion that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. (Science Daily)
'Hitting Walls' goes inside squash Apr 29, 2009
Jennifer Hall gives physical form to patterns of brain waves generated during REM sleep, but here we see an artist's sensibility at work: One of her pieces is made of sterling silver, and looks like a crown made of dribbling mercury. It's hard to resist "Fleshmap," by Fernanda Vi. (Boston Globe)
Inside the baby mind Apr 28, 2009
The scientists compare this unwound state of mind with that of dreaming during REM sleep, meditation, and other creative pursuits, such as the composition of poetry. But it also resembles the thought process of a young child, albeit one with musical talent. (Boston Globe)
New Way To Analyze Sleep Disorders Apr 19, 2009
Moreover, looking at the synchronization between heartbeat and breathing, the group could show that there is a significant relationship between sleep stages and cardio-respiratory synchronization patterns, i.e., heartbeat and breathing mostly synchronize during non-REM sleep (light and deep sleep), and cardio-respiratory synchronization is almost absent during REM sleep. Next they plan to extend their study to people with sleep disorders to determine whether their technique can accurately... (Science Daily)
Jet Lag Disturbs Sleep By Upsetting Internal Clocks In Two Neural Centers Apr 18, 2009
Deep sleep is most closely tied to light-dark cycles and typically adjusts to a new schedule in a couple of days, but REM sleep is more tied to the light-insensitive dorsal neurons and can be out of sync for a week or more ... When the artificial 22-hour light-dark schedule was imposed, he found that the rats' deep sleep, largely governed by light but also a response to fatigue, quickly adapted to the 22-hour cycle, while their REM sleep continued to follow a 25-hour cycle ... As a result, REM... (Science Daily)
Wake in fright: how to beat night terrors Apr 16, 2009
Nightmares happen in the early hours of the morning, in the lighter REM sleep phase. "Nightmares are common between two and adolescence," says Robin Barker, the author of Baby Love. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Can one do without sleep? (1) Mar 30, 2009
Although there is still much to be learned about what happens as we sleep, during NREM sleep we know growth hormones are released, which stimulate tissue growth and muscle repair ... During REM sleep, it seems that the mind is restored in part by clearing out irrelevant information, but it also facilitates learning and memory ... This may be why students who get a good night s sleep (with uninterrupted REM sleep) fare better than students who stay up all night studying. (Rockport Pilot, TX)
Sleep Problems Common in Children with ADHD Mar 28, 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are not receiving medication often have sleep disturbances characterized by difficulty falling asleep and short duration of sleep and of REM sleep, Canadian investigators have found ... They also had reduced REM sleep (84 min vs 100 min), and a smaller percentage of REM sleep out of total sleep time (17 percent vs 19 percent). (MEDLINEplus)
Do Cats and Dogs Dream? Mar 20, 2009
Evidence Exists that Pets Experience REM Sleep ... Evidence Exists that Pets Experience REM Sleep ... "Scientific studies support that dogs and cats experience REM sleep, which is the phase in which people dream," says Lisa Boyer, DVM.. (Suite101.com)
Walruses are world's most unusual snoozers Mar 11, 2009
Siegel told Discovery News that when the walruses slept underwater, they could hold their breath for "about 4 to 5 minutes." Although the marine mammals experienced REM sleep while in water, it was fleeting ... REM sleep was characterized by "visually detectable posture changes the neck extended and the head moved forward and rested on the platform muscle and vibrissae jerks as well as rapid eye movements.". (MSNBC -- Technology)
Why Dreams Are So Difficult To Remember Mar 9, 2009
"It was surprising," says Wierzynski, "to find that the timing relationship almost completely went away during REM sleep.". Since REM sleep is the phase during which dreaming occurs, the scientists speculate that this absence of memory-consolidating chatter may eventually help to explain why dreams can be so difficult to remember ... 17, 2008) Sleep in humans is divided in two main phases: non-REM sleep, which occupies most of our early sleep night, and REM sleep, during which our dreams... (Science Daily)
Genes Important To Sleep Discovered Mar 3, 2009
(June 10, 2008) Decreased nightly total sleep time, even within the normal range, is associated with an increased percentage of REM sleep during subsequent. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Underlying sleep problem linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children Mar 1, 2009
A study in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests the presence of an intrinsic sleep problem specific to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and supports the idea that children with ADHD may be chronically sleep deprived and have abnormal REM sleep. Results show that children with ADHD have a total sleep time that is significantly shorter than that of controls. (EurekAlert!)
Trichomonas STD treatable Feb 21, 2009
During REM sleep, we re paralyzed except for our eyes and our breathing. This is a protective mechanism to keep us from acting out our dreams and hurting ourselves (or our sleep partner). (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Physical Exercise May Ease Nocturnal Leg Movement Feb 7, 2009
Chronic physical exercise increased sleep efficiency and REM sleep and reduced sleep latency (time to takes to fall asleep). The release of beta-endorphins, opioid compounds that provide a feeling of well-being, after acute intensive exercise corresponded with reduced periodic leg movements levels. (MEDLINEplus)
Sleep Disorder Could Signal Neurological Disease Feb 7, 2009
"When people who have RBD [REM Sleep Behavior Disorder] dream they are in a fight, which is very common, they will make punching movements." ... "Everybody who has strong signs of REM sleep behavior disorder should probably be evaluated and probably be followed by a neurologist to make sure that everything's OK and to pick up early signs," Postuma said. (MEDLINEplus)
