Rapid eye movement sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep is the portion of sleep when there are rapid eye movements (REMs). Dreams occur during REM sleep. We typically have 3 to 5 periods of REM sleep per night. They occur at intervals of 1-2 hours and are quite variable in length. An episode of REM sleep may last 5 minutes or over an hour. About 20% of sleep is REM sleep. If you sleep 7-8 hours a night, perhaps an hour and half of that time, 90 minutes, is REM sleep. REM sleep is characterized by a number of other features including rapid, low-voltage brain waves detectable on the electroencephalographic (EEG) recording, irregular breathing and heart rate and involuntary muscle jerks.

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rapid eye movement sleep n REM SLEEP

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REM sleep the period of sleep during which the brain waves are fast and of low voltage, and autonomic activities, such as heart rate and respiration, are irregular. This type of sleep is associated with dreaming, mild involuntary muscle jerks, and rapid eye movements (REM). It usually occurs three to four times each night at intervals of 80 to 120 minutes, each occurrence lasting from 5 minutes to more than an hour. In adults, about 20 per cent of sleep is REM sleep and 80 per cent is NREM (non–rapid eye movement) sleep. Called also desynchronized, dreaming, or paradoxical s. See also REM rebound, under rebound.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Rapid eye movement (sleep) — Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. REM sleep is classified into two categories: tonic and phasic. [cite book|author=Kryger M, Roth T, Dement W|title=Principles amp; Pracitces of …   Wikipedia

  • Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder — Die Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) gehört zur Gruppe der Parasomnien und ist die am besten studierte mit der REM Phase assoziierte Parasomnie. RBD zeichnet sich durch den Verlust der herkömmlichen Atonie im REM Schlaf, welche… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • rapid eye movement sleep — noun a recurring sleep state during which dreaming occurs; a state of rapidly shifting eye movements during sleep • Syn: ↑paradoxical sleep, ↑REM sleep, ↑rapid eye movement, ↑REM • Hypernyms: ↑sleep, ↑slumber * * * …   Useful english dictionary

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  • Non-rapid eye movement sleep — NREM (non rapid eye movement) sleep is dreamless sleep. During NREM, the brain waves on the electroencephalographic (EEG) recording are typically slow and of high voltage, the breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, the blood pressure is… …   Medical dictionary

  • rapid eye movement sleep — REM sleep. One of the five stages of sleep. During REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly while closed and dreams occur. REM sleep is the lightest stage of sleep, during which a person may wake easily. During several hours of normal sleep, a person… …   English dictionary of cancer terms

  • rapid eye movement sleep — noun Date: 1965 REM sleep …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • rapid eye movement sleep. — See REM sleep. [1960 65] * * * …   Universalium

  • Rapid Eye Movement Sleep —    See REM Sleep …   Historical dictionary of Psychiatry

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