TL;DR: In rats stressed with mild foot shocks, REM sleep, the dream stage, dropped. The insomnia drug suvorexant and two related experimental drugs partly brought it back, and suvorexant also helped the rats fall asleep faster, but this was a small study in 9 male rats. Key Findings Stress cut REM sleep: The share of …
TL;DR: In sleeping mice, blood volume in the brain rose sharply during REM sleep, yet the energy molecule ATP inside neurons dropped. It bounced back as soon as the mice woke, suggesting REM sleep spends energy faster than blood supply alone can explain. Key Findings Imaged through the intact skull: Blood volume, support-cell fuel and …
TL;DR: Researchers used wrist trackers to estimate the sleep stages of 95,559 British adults, then followed their hospital records for about 9 years. Adults who spent more time in REM sleep had lower risk of 83 different diagnoses, and adults sleeping under 5 hours a night had higher risk of many conditions than those sleeping …
The Brain That Won’t Shut Down: How Fragmented REM Sleep Breeds Depression TL;DR: Chronic insomnia fragments REM sleep through persistent hyperarousal, preventing emotional memory consolidation and creating a vicious cycle that breeds depression—but cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia can break the cycle faster than antidepressants alone. Insomnia has a hidden mechanism. You lie awake for hours, …
A study found that REM sleep deprivation significantly impacts brain connectivity, particularly within the default mode network (DMN) and between the DMN and other brain networks, highlighting the importance of REM sleep for maintaining optimal brain function. Highlights: Connectivity Patterns: REM sleep deprivation resulted in stronger connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) and between …
