Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
The sleep cycle is an oscillation between the slow-wave and REM (paradoxical) phases of sleep. It is sometimes called the ultradian sleep cycle , sleep–dream cycle , or REM-NREM cycle , to distinguish it from the circadian alternation between sleep and wakefulness .
The basic rest–activity cycle (BRAC) is a physiological arousal mechanism in humans proposed by Nathaniel Kleitman, [1] hypothesized to occur during both sleep and wakefulness. Empirically, it is an ultradian rhythm of approximately 90 minutes (80–120 minutes [ 2 ] ) characterized by different levels of excitement and rest.
The Oxford English Dictionary's definition of Ultradian specifies that it refers to cycles with a period shorter than a day but longer than an hour. [1] The descriptive term ultradian is used in sleep research in reference to the 90–120 minute cycling of the sleep stages during human sleep. [2]
Cycles of REM and non-REM stages make up sleep. A normal healthy adult requires 7–9 hours of sleep per night. The number of hours of sleep is variable, however the proportion of sleep spent in a particular stage remains mostly consistent; healthy adults normally spend 20–25% of their sleep in REM sleep. [5]
Chronic sleep deprivation (less than 8 hours of sleep) is associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI) and obesity. In a study with 3000 patients, it was found that men and women who sleep less than 5 hours have elevated body mass index (BMI). In another study that followed about 70.000 women for 16 years, there was a significant ...
Polyphasic sleep is the practice of sleeping during multiple periods over the course of 24 hours, in contrast to monophasic sleep, which is one period of sleep within 24 hours. Biphasic (or diphasic , bifurcated , or bimodal ) sleep refers to two periods, while polyphasic usually means more than two. [ 1 ]
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
Within a few months of postnatal development, there is a marked reduction in percentage of hours spent in REM sleep. By the time the child becomes an adult, he spends about 6–7 hours in NREM sleep and only about an hour in REM sleep. [46] [47] This is true not only of humans, but of many animals dependent on their parents for food. [48]