REM sleep

The Most Important Stage of Sleep: REM Sleep

REM sleep stands for Rapid Eye Movement sleep, named because people are constantly scanning their eyes as if they are searching for something when they are sleeping. REM sleep is very important because brain activity is most active in this stage allowing them to dream vividly and explore their minds.

Sleep was believed to be just an inactive period of the body giving scientists no interest to do research on sleep and dream until the REM stage was discovered. The groundbreaking discovery of REM sleep in 1953 encouraged scientists to examine sleep more carefully. Also, it initiated the research and importance of dreams. Researchers realized that when patients were awakened during REM sleep, almost all of them remembered their dreams. It helped them to collect data and examine dreams.

REM sleep is a very distinguishable stage of sleep because it is marked by intense brain activity and paralysis in the major muscle groups. Scientists believe the cause of muscle paralysis is to keep bodies from acting out the dream while they are sleeping. The sleep cycle, which is composed of five stages, recurs during sleep and each time, the period of REM sleep is extended. During the first cycle, REM sleep lasts only about 10 minutes, but final one usually lasts for an hour.

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