![]() These patterns of electrical activity (waves) resemble that of someone who is very relaxed, yet awake, but they have less variability (are more synchronized) and are relatively lower in frequency (8–12 Hz) and higher in amplitude than beta waves ( Figure 4.8). The early portion of stage 1 sleep produces alpha waves. In terms of brain wave activity, stage 1 sleep is associated with both alpha and theta waves. In addition, stage 1 sleep involves a marked decrease in both overall muscle tension and core body temperature. During this time, there is a slowdown in both the rates of respiration and heartbeat. Stage 1 sleep is a transitional phase that occurs between wakefulness and sleep, the period during which we drift off to sleep. The first stage of NREM sleep is known as stage 1 sleep. (credit "sleeping": modification of work by Ryan Vaarsi) NREM Stages of SleepĪs we begin to fall asleep, we enter NREM sleep, and brain wave patterns decrease in frequency and increase in amplitude. In this section, we will discuss each of these stages of sleep and their associated patterns of brain wave activity.įigure 4.7 Brainwave activity changes dramatically across the different stages of sleep. The first three stages of sleep are NREM sleep, typically followed by REM sleep. In contrast, non-REM (NREM) sleep is subdivided into three stages distinguished from each other and from wakefulness by characteristic patterns of brain waves. Brain waves during REM sleep appear very similar to brain waves during wakefulness. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized by darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids. Sleep can be divided into two different general phases: REM sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. Amplitude is the height of the brain wave ( Figure 4.7). The frequency of a brain wave is how many brain waves occur in a second, and frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). These changes can be visualized using an EEG and are distinguished from one another by both the frequency and amplitude of the brain wave. As we begin to fall asleep, our brain wave activity changes. As compared to the brain wave patterns while asleep, beta waves have the highest frequency (13–30 Hz) and lowest amplitude, and they tend to show more variability. While awake, our brain wave activity is dominated by beta waves. Instead, sleep is composed of several different stages that can be differentiated from one another by the patterns of brain wave activity that occur during each stage. Understand the role that REM and non-REM sleep play in learning and memory.Describe the differences between the three stages of non-REM sleep.Differentiate between REM and non-REM sleep.By the end of this section, you will be able to: ![]()
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