Optimal Sleep Airway Health

RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM)

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is a stage of sleep that occurs after stage 4 NREM sleep and is actually closer to stage one and awake brain rhythms than it is to deep sleep. You must transition to stage 2, then 1, to move into REM sleep phase.

REMIts characteristics are:

  • Rapid eye movements
  • Along with increased brain activity
  • Increased blood flow to the brain

Trivias about REM

  • During REM sleep, the brain is more active than during non-REM sleep
  • It produces brain waves that are like those produced when a person is awake.
  • During REM sleep, the body becomes paralysed, and the person is unable to move. This is thought to be a protective mechanism that prevents the person from acting out their dreams. The paralysis can be come dysregulated in some people and become over strong leading to airway collapse, snoring hypopneas and apnoea, and all the many associated diseases that they cause.
  • This is associated with tongue tie, oral airway maldevelopment syndrome (OAFMS), orthodontics, jaw clenching, and sinus issues amongst others.

The first REM period typically occurs about 80-90 minutes after falling asleep and lasts for about 10 minutes.

As the night progresses, the duration of REM sleep increases and the periods of non-REM sleep decreases. By the end of the night, a person may be in REM sleep for up to an hour.

The brain’s activity changes during the different stages of sleep and can be measured using an electroencephalograph (EEG), which records the brain’s electrical activity.

Types of Memory

Stage 1

The brain waves are slower and less synchronized than when the person is awake. The brain produces alpha and theta waves, which are slower frequency waves. Alpha waves have a frequency of 8 to 12 Hz, while the Theta waves have a frequency of 4 to 8 Hz.

Stage 2

The brain waves become even slower and more synchronized. The brain produces sleep spindles, which are bursts of rapid brain activity, and K-complexes, which are sharp, single waves.

Stage 3

The brain produces slow, large delta waves. Delta waves have a frequency of 0.1 to 4 Hz

Stage 4

The brain continues to produce delta waves, which are even slower and larger than in stage 3 sleep. Delta waves have a frequency of 0.1 to 4 Hz

Brain Waves

These are approximate ranges, and the exact frequencies can vary somewhat depending on the individual and the specific activity they are engaged in. It’s also worth noting that these are just general ranges, and there can be some overlap between them. For example, a person may produce waves that fall into both the Theta and Alpha range.

It is important to note that the brain does not progress through the stages of sleep in a linear fashion. It will often go back and forth between the different stage’s multiple times throughout the night.

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