sleep (slēp) a period of rest for the body and mind, during which volition and consciousness are in abeyance and bodily functions are partially suspended; also described as a behavioral state, with characteristic immobile posture and diminished but readily reversible sensitivity to external stimuli.
REM sleep
REM sleep
NREM sleep non-rapid eye movement sleep; the deep, dreamless period of sleep during which the brain waves are slow and of high voltage, and autonomic activities, such as heart rate and blood pressure, are low and regular.
REM sleep the period of sleep during which the brain waves are fast and of low voltage, and autonomic activities, such as heart rate and respiration, are irregular. This type of sleep is associated with dreaming, mild involuntary muscle jerks, and rapid eye movements (REM). It usually occurs three to four times each night at intervals of 80 to 120 minutes, each occurrence lasting from 5 minutes to more than an hour.
REM sleep (r m)n. A stage in the normal sleep cycle during which dreams occur and the body undergoes various physiological changes, including rapid eye movement, loss of reflexes, and increased pulse rate and brain activity. Also called paradoxical sleep. |
REM sleep
Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep, a mentally active period during which dreaming occurs.
Mentioned in: Night Terrors
REM sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep, desynchronized sleep, paradoxical sleep Neurology A 5 to 20 min segment of a normal sleep cycle, characterized by irregular heart rate and respiration, BP, EEG similar to awake and alert state, involuntary
or jerky muscle movement, and higher threshold for arousal; the usual high-amplitude slow brain waves seen by EEG are replaced by rapid eye movement and rapid, low-voltage irregular EEG activity. See Insomnia, Sleep disorders.
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