Rem Sleep Deprivation: Deadly Effects And Solutions

Sleep is a complex and mysterious body process that is essential for the human body and brain to rest and repair. While missing out on a night or two of sleep won't kill you, it can have a negative impact on your health and ability to function during the day.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is one of the four stages of sleep and is associated with dreaming and memory consolidation. While the purpose of REM sleep is still unknown, research suggests that it is important for daytime function and wakefulness, learning and consolidating memories, and emotional processing.

A lack of REM sleep can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, changes in mood and memory, and issues with cognition and problem-solving. It can also affect cardiovascular health and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases.

While rare, long-term sleep deprivation can eventually lead to organ failure and death. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize sleep and seek help if you are experiencing sleep disturbances or disorders.

REM sleep and memory consolidation

REM sleep is a stage of sleep characterised by rapid eye movement, muscle paralysis, irregular breathing, increased heart rate, and heightened brain activity.

REM sleep is one of four stages of sleep, the others being light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. During REM sleep, the brain is highly active, and the body experiences muscle paralysis, irregular breathing, and an increased heart rate.

The amount of REM sleep needed varies with age. Newborns spend eight hours in REM sleep each day, while adults need an average of two hours of REM sleep each night.

A lack of REM sleep can lead to impaired memory and emotional processing, and may be associated with certain sleep disorders, such as REM sleep behaviour disorder, narcolepsy, and nightmare disorder.

REM sleep and emotional processing

REM sleep is important for emotional processing. It plays a role in regulating our emotional brain-state and is involved in the consolidation of emotional memories.

REM sleep deprivation has been found to affect emotional reactivity and social function. Negative emotional reactivity is enhanced and positive reactions to positive events are often subdued.

REM sleep deprivation also increases amygdala responses and alters its functional connectivity with the anterior cingulate cortex during social exclusion.

REM sleep and brain development

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is one of the four stages of sleep, characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. It is important for memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development, and dreaming.

Brain Development

REM sleep is vital for brain development, particularly in newborns. Newborns spend eight hours in REM sleep each day, and it is theorised that REM sleep promotes brain development as newborns spend most of their sleep time in this state. Research has shown that REM sleep selectively prunes and maintains new synapses in development and learning.

REM sleep is associated with brain development as it provides the neural stimulation needed to develop and prepare the neural circuitry for later higher cognitive processing. During REM sleep, the brain's mental activity is associated with dreaming, and the brain consolidates and integrates memories.

REM sleep is particularly important for early brain development as it provides the endogenous neural stimulation that a newborn is not yet able to achieve exogenously. It lays the groundwork for brain morphology and early neural circuitry.

NREM Sleep and Brain Development

Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep is believed to function as a restful and restorative sleep phase. NREM sleep represents a period of relatively low brain activity, during which the regulatory capacity of the brain remains active and body movements are preserved.

NREM sleep is also important for brain development, particularly in later developmental stages from childhood onwards. NREM sleep contributes to brain development by optimising neuronal networks through mechanisms of synaptic downscaling and pruning.

REM and NREM Sleep in Different Developmental Stages

The relationship between REM sleep and brain development is influenced by a child's developmental stage. REM sleep is important for forming synapses, especially in early development. NREM sleep has been positively associated with brain maturation in later developmental stages, from childhood onwards.

Both REM and NREM sleep play distinct and vital roles in brain development. While REM sleep contributes to brain development by providing neural stimulation and laying the groundwork for brain morphology, NREM sleep optimises neuronal networks through synaptic downscaling and pruning. These contributions are influenced by a child's developmental stage, with REM sleep being more prominent in early development and NREM sleep becoming more important in later developmental stages.

REM sleep and dreaming

REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, is the fourth of four stages of sleep. It is characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. The brain activity during REM sleep is similar to brain activity when awake. Most adults need about two hours of REM sleep each night.

REM sleep is important for memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development, and dreaming. Dreaming mostly takes place during REM sleep, and these dreams are usually more vivid than those that occur during non-REM sleep.

REM sleep was first discovered in the 1950s when scientists studying sleeping infants noticed their eyes moved rapidly from side to side. This rapid eye movement gave the sleep stage its name.

During REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids, the heart rate increases, and breathing becomes irregular. The body experiences a temporary loss of muscle tone, except for the eyes, which continue to move. This is hypothesised to be a protective measure to prevent people from acting out their dreams and injuring themselves.

REM sleep makes up about 25% of total sleep time. The first REM cycle is the shortest, at around 10 minutes, and each cycle that follows is longer, up to an hour. The first cycle occurs about 60 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, and the cycles increase in time and frequency as the night progresses.

Missing out on REM sleep is not recommended. Sleep deprivation can lead to difficulty concentrating, excessive daytime sleepiness, and forgetfulness or poor memory. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation is linked to health conditions like diabetes, depression, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

How to Get More REM Sleep

There are several ways to increase the amount of REM sleep you get:

• Develop and maintain a sleep schedule, even on weekends.
• Treat any sleep disorders that may be disrupting REM sleep.
• Stop taking sleep aids, as certain medications can reduce or suppress REM sleep.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, especially in the late afternoon or evening.
• Adopt sleep hygiene techniques, such as exercising regularly, maintaining a cool and dark bedroom, and keeping gadgets out of the bedroom.

REM sleep and mental health

REM stands for rapid eye movement. It is the fourth of four stages of sleep, characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. The other three stages are referred to as non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), during which the eyes are mostly still.

REM sleep is important for several mental processes, including memory and learning. It is also important for emotional processing and creativity. It is thought to play a role in brain development, as newborns spend 50% of their sleep in this stage.

Most adults need about two hours of REM sleep each night, which is about 20-25% of our total sleep time.

A lack of REM sleep can lead to fatigue, irritability, changes in mood and memory, and issues with cognition and problem-solving. It can also contribute to physical health issues such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic conditions like Type 2 diabetes, and cognitive impairment.

How to Get More REM Sleep

• Develop and maintain a sleep schedule, even on weekends.
• Treat any sleep disorders that may be disrupting your REM sleep.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, especially in the evening.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom environment.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Keep gadgets and screens out of the bedroom.

Frequently asked questions