Rem Sleep: Why Do I Wake Up During Dreaming?

Sleep is a complex and mysterious process that is essential for our health and well-being. During sleep, our body cycles through different stages, including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is characterised by quick eye movements, irregular breathing, elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. While REM sleep is important for memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development, and dreaming, waking up during this stage can result in sleep inertia, a state of grogginess and reduced capacity that can last for several hours. So, if you're wondering why you're waking up during REM sleep, read on to explore the potential causes and consequences.

REM sleep is important for learning and memory

During REM sleep, the brain is highly active, with brain activity resembling that of a waking state. This is when the brain replenishes neurotransmitters that are essential for learning, memory, performance, and problem-solving. Sleep spindles, or spikes of neural activity, occur during REM sleep and are believed to play a key role in helping people learn and remember how to perform physical tasks. For example, if you take a golf lesson, sleeping for an adequate duration afterward will help solidify that learning. However, sleeping fewer than six hours may block sleep spindles, hindering the consolidation of new information into long-term memory.

REM sleep also aids in linking related memories together, a process that may contribute to improved problem-solving abilities. Furthermore, REM sleep helps in processing emotional memories, which can lead to a reduction in the intensity of emotions associated with those memories.

The importance of REM sleep for learning and memory is evident in studies where sleep deprivation or disruption has been shown to negatively impact cognitive performance, including concentration, memory, and problem-solving abilities.

It helps with emotional processing

REM sleep is important for emotional processing. It helps to regulate emotions and is associated with the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes emotions.

REM sleep is believed to help with the reorganisation of neural representations of emotional experiences. This is done by the distributed reactivation of these representations in the amygdala, hippocampus and neocortical structures, driven by synchronised theta oscillations between these regions and increased cholinergic activity.

REM sleep is also associated with reduced adrenergic neurotransmission, which allows for the concomitant reduction of the affective arousal associated with experiences.

REM sleep may also help to regulate emotions by diminishing the amygdala's inhibition by the anterior cingulate cortex.

REM sleep has been found to increase general negative affect, which may be in line with the idea that it helps to process emotions.

Lack of REM sleep can cause grogginess and negative self-appraisal

Sleep inertia, or the feeling of grogginess and incomplete awakening, is caused by a sudden awakening during REM sleep. When you wake up during REM sleep, your body still has high levels of melatonin, which causes sleepiness. The longer you sleep, the higher the level of melatonin observed during the REM stage.

A study by the Boston University School of Medicine and VA New England Healthcare System found that self-appraisals of depressed or anxious participants were significantly less positive and more negative after awakenings from REM sleep compared to non-REM sleep. The study also found that depressed or anxious participants rated themselves significantly less positively compared to others after REM sleep awakenings than the healthy control group.

In addition to negative self-appraisal, a lack of REM sleep can also cause grogginess and affect your health and learning. REM sleep is thought to be important for procedural memory and problem-solving. 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 affect cardiovascular health and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

It aids brain development

REM sleep is vital for brain development, particularly in newborns and infants. This is because REM sleep is thought to aid in the development of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.

REM sleep is characterised by increased brain activity, with brain waves that look similar to those when we are awake. During this stage, the brain prunes its synapses, improving memory and problem-solving abilities.

Research has also shown that REM sleep is critical for brain development because newborns spend most of their sleep time in this stage. Further evidence comes from the fact that animals born with less developed brains, such as humans and puppies, spend even more time in REM sleep during infancy than those born with more developed brains, like horses and birds.

REM sleep is also important for memory consolidation and emotional processing, which are both crucial for brain development.

REM sleep paralysis prevents you from acting out your dreams

During REM sleep, your body experiences temporary muscle paralysis, also known as muscle atonia. This paralysis is a protective measure that prevents you from acting out your dreams and causing potential injury to yourself or your bed partner.

REM sleep is the fourth of four stages of sleep. It is characterised by relaxed muscles, quick eye movement, irregular breathing, an elevated heart rate, and increased brain activity. Most adults need about two hours of REM sleep each night.

During REM sleep, your eyes move rapidly behind closed eyes, and your breathing becomes irregular. Your heart rate speeds up, and your brain waves become more variable. While your brain is highly active during this stage, your body experiences temporary muscle paralysis. This paralysis ensures that you remain still and prevents you from acting out your dreams.

REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder where this temporary paralysis does not occur, and individuals unknowingly act out their dreams. This can lead to injuries and is considered dangerous. RBD can be caused by certain antidepressants and is usually treated by creating a safe sleeping environment and, in severe cases, medication.

While the exact cause of sleep paralysis is unknown, it is believed to be associated with sleep deprivation, irregular sleep schedules, obstructive sleep apnea, and certain medications and substances.

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