Paradoxical dream

Paradoxes of paradoxical sleep

The electroencephalogram shows that the phase of rapid, paradoxical sleep is characterized by brain activity similar to the state of wakefulness, and sometimes even exceeding it.
However, and this is the paradox of paradoxical sleep, muscle tone drops sharply and the sleeper is completely motionless. Only the eyeballs under closed eyelids move very quickly. Pulse and breathing quicken, blood pressure rises, and sometimes limbs twitch. If a person is woken up, he will almost always talk about a vivid dream. You've probably seen how kittens and puppies feverishly move their paws in their sleep, squealing as they do so. The same thing happens with unborn and newborn children. Biocurrents show that they are almost always in the paradoxical phase of sleep. It’s a pity that they’re unlikely to tell you what they dreamed!

In the first cycle, REM sleep takes 5–10 minutes, then its duration increases, reaching a total of 1/5–1/4 of the total sleep duration per night. But its depth is decreasing. However, interrupting REM sleep is more difficult. It's not even safe for the psyche.

By the way, the phase of rapid, paradoxical sleep, accompanied by dreams, prevails in those suffering from mental illness, as well as in those who are in a trance or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A mental hospital patient and a drug addict confuse the real world with a dream, they can be aggressive, get injured, fall out of a window...

If REM sleep takes up too much of the time, a healthy person will feel groggy in the morning. Chaotic fragments of dreams swirl in my mind. Those complaining of insomnia most likely still slept for several hours, but were in the stage of paradoxical sleep.

Scientists suggest that slow-wave sleep restores daytime energy expenditure, and paradoxical sleep provides psychological protection to the brain; during this phase, the information received during the day is processed, the conscious and subconscious minds exchange information.

Another paradox: people who are blind from birth do not have the REM stage of sleep; they dream of sensations and sounds...

PARADOXICAL DREAM: PARADOXES OF NATURE AND PARADOXES OF SCIENCE

40 years ago the phenomenon of paradoxical (rapid eye movement) sleep accompanied by dreams was discovered. It was called paradoxical because the pronounced activation of the brain during this period of sleep, comparable to the activation of the brain during the most intense wakefulness, was paradoxically combined with maximum relaxation of the muscles. It was quickly established that in both humans and animals, paradoxical sleep occurs with strict frequency (in humans, up to 4–5 times per night) and that the brain resists any attempt to artificially prevent the occurrence of this type of sleep. Over the past decades, the science of sleep has been developing extensively, the number of publications in journals and monographs is growing every year (today reaching 1500 per year), but at the same time the number of facts that do not receive a sufficient scientific explanation and, at first glance, contradict each other, is growing. Paradoxically, leading researchers try to avoid discussing these contradictions and, as if by tacit agreement, avoid them in their publications. This conspiracy of silence becomes dangerous for the further development of science, because, by and large, science is not a register of facts, but their explanation and reduction into a certain system of views. That is why the organizing committee of the II World Sleep Congress, held in September 1995 in the Bahamas, willingly accepted the proposal of Professor V. Kovalzon to organize a special discussion “Paradoxes of paradoxical sleep” within the framework of the Congress. Professor M. Jouvet, the unconditionally recognized leader of world sleep science, and I were invited to chair this discussion, which, in terms of the composition of participants, was the most representative at the Congress. Among the participants was the President of the Congress, Professor A. Rechtschaffen, whose atlas on the analysis of sleep structure is used throughout the world; For the last 10 years, Professor A. Rechtschaffen, in his famous laboratory in Chicago, has been depriving (suppressing) all sleep and paradoxical sleep in animals and discovered that deprivation of paradoxical sleep inevitably leads to death in animals if the animal is placed on a small area surrounded on all sides by water , and thus no active behavior is possible. At the same time, the Chicago group of researchers was unable to find a specific reason for the death of the animals. These results are all the more surprising because, according to Professor V. Kovalzon, complete deprivation of paradoxical sleep, but carried out not on a water platform, but with the help of direct irritation of the brain in conditions of free behavior, does not lead to any catastrophic consequences. The problem becomes even more complex when we consider that deprivation of paradoxical sleep in depressed patients not only does not lead to negative results, but very often helps to reduce depression. Of course, patients are never subjected to such long-term deprivation of paradoxical sleep as in experiments on animals, but in this case the opposite direction of trends is important: when depriving paradoxical sleep using the “water playground” method, there is a tendency to reduce resistance and death, deprivation using the Kovalzon method turns out to be neutral, and deprivation of paradoxical sleep and dreams in depressed patients even has a therapeutic effect. So does the body need paradoxical sleep, is it always needed in the same way, and if it is still needed, then why? Data on phylo- and ontogenesis also make a significant contribution to this contradiction. According to classical studies, the rudiments of paradoxical sleep appear only in birds; it is absent in more primitive species of animals and reaches its maximum development in higher mammals and humans. Consequently, the higher the place an animal occupies on the hierarchical ladder of intellectual development, the more paradoxical sleep it has. But even here there are paradoxes. Such a highly developed animal as a dolphin, whose brain is second only to a human’s in its capabilities, is either completely devoid of paradoxical sleep or has it in scanty quantities. This is the data of Dr. L. Mukhametov, another participant in the meeting. If a dolphin does without paradoxical sleep, it means that there is no correspondence between the level of brain development and the need for paradoxical sleep. At first glance, ontogenetic data also lead to the same conclusion: paradoxical sleep is especially abundant soon after the birth of a child, when it occupies 40–50% of the total sleep duration, and with age its representation decreases by half. Thus, the dynamics of paradoxical sleep in ontogenesis are opposite to its dynamics in phylogeny, which also requires explanation. Professor R. Cartwright from Chicago and one of the leaders of the Boston research group R. Greenberg took part in the discussion. The names of these scientists are associated with pioneering studies of the role of paradoxical sleep in human mental life. They convincingly showed that in a healthy person, paradoxical sleep and associated dreams provide adaptation to emotional stress, play an important role in the mechanisms of psychological defense, and contribute to the assimilation of unusual and traumatic information that contradicts past experience. According to R. Greenberg, in a dream there is a kind of adaptation of “inconvenient”, conflicting information to habitual ideas and attitudes of behavior, to previously formed psychological defense mechanisms. Experiments with paradoxical sleep deprivation conducted in the laboratories of these scientists confirmed that deprivation of this phase of sleep leads to a change in the entire hierarchy of psychological defense, to increased repression, and to psychological maladjustment. This understanding of the function of paradoxical sleep helps explain the increased need for this type of sleep in depression, manifested by the early appearance of the first episode of paradoxical sleep (sometimes a few minutes after falling asleep instead of the required 80-100 minutes), and in some cases, an increase in its total content in night sleep. However, this idea of the protective function of paradoxical sleep is in obvious contradiction with the above data on the therapeutic effect of its deprivation in depression: if this sleep is so important for psychological adaptation and its need for depression is increased, then how does its suppression help to get rid of depression? In addition, from the ideas about the adaptive function of paradoxical sleep and dreams during emotional stress, it would seem that it clearly follows that under conditions of stress, paradoxical sleep should increase and adaptation is possible only with its increase. Experimental studies, however, reveal a much more complex picture: in some cases, in both people and animals, stress leads to an increase in paradoxical sleep, but in other cases it decreases, and with a very good effect - successful overcoming of a stressful situation. The increase or decrease in paradoxical sleep does not depend on the nature of the stress - the same stress can cause an increase in some subjects, and a decrease in the presence of paradoxical sleep in others, and as a result, for the group as a whole, the effect may appear to be zero. What factors determine changes in sleep under stress and how is this change related to the function of paradoxical sleep? The question remains open. The role of paradoxical sleep in the assimilation of new information, learning and memorization is very complex. On the one hand, it has been shown that for memorizing material that is not in conflict with past experience and does not require a creative approach, paradoxical sleep does not play a significant role: it does not increase in the process of such learning and the assimilation of such information does not suffer from its deprivation. To memorize unusual information, for which the subject is initially not ready to assimilate, paradoxical sleep is needed: only after its increase does a critical turning point in the learning process occur, and deprivation does not allow one to achieve significant success. But, on the other hand, it is known that the state of creative uplift in the process of solving problems that are significant for a person and require a non-trivial approach is often accompanied by a decrease in the need for sleep, its shortening - and above all due to a decrease in the duration of paradoxical sleep. Central nervous system stimulants, such as amphetamine, improve memory and promote learning—and at the same time suppress paradoxical sleep. Finally, one of the participants in the discussion, Canadian psychologist Professor K. Smith, has shown in numerous studies that an increase in paradoxical sleep occurs not only during the learning process, before consolidating new material in memory, but also some time after such consolidation. The meaning of this increase remains not entirely clear: if paradoxical sleep is needed to consolidate material in memory, then after completion of this process the need for paradoxical sleep should decrease. Finally, another very serious question discussed at this fascinating meeting - can we assume that paradoxical sleep always performs the same function? Is it possible to talk about qualitative differences between functionally complete and functionally defective paradoxical sleep? I put forward this hypothesis many years ago based on the results of my research: it turned out that in emotionally highly sensitive but healthy people, paradoxical sleep is full of vivid dreams; in a stressful situation there are more of them and they become brighter and more unusual, and at the same time mental health is maintained. At the same time, patients with mental and psychosomatic diseases, despite their even more pronounced emotional sensitivity and vulnerability than healthy people, have fewer dreams, they are less colorful and detailed, poor in images and events. The impoverishment of dreams is also accompanied by physiological changes in paradoxical sleep: the pulse during this stage of sleep undergoes a less pronounced increase compared to healthy ones, and the electrical resistance of the skin decreases. These data were confirmed later in other laboratories around the world and, in particular, by one of the discussion participants, Professor Mendelson. He also showed that in the process of successful treatment of mental patients, the number of reports of dreams increases, which may indicate the restoration of the functionality of paradoxical sleep.

During the discussion, I suggested that the concept of functionally complete and functionally defective paradoxical sleep, combined with the concept of search activity, could help resolve many of these contradictions. I've written a lot about the concept of search activity in this book, so I'll just briefly repeat its main points:

1. Search activity is activity aimed at changing the situation (or changing the attitude towards it) without a specific forecast of the results, but with their constant consideration. The process of search activity itself, regardless of the result, increases the resistance and stress resistance of the body.

2. Refusal to search creates the preconditions for a decrease in stress resistance and the development of diseases.

3. REM (paradoxical) sleep helps restore search activity (at least at the level of mental activity in dreams) and compensates for the state of search refusal.

4. Wakeful behavior, including pronounced search activity, reduces the body's need for REM sleep, while refusal to search increases the body's need for this phase of sleep.

One of the very strong arguments in favor of the concept are the results of an experiment by a prominent American physiologist, a participant in the discussion, Professor A. Morrison. He showed that when the neurons responsible for the fall in muscle tone in paradoxical sleep are destroyed in the animal’s brain, and as a result the tone does not fall, then the animal seems to participate in its dreams and perform complex behavior, which, according to Morrison, can most accurately be qualify as exploratory research. Let's consider how the above concept can help resolve paradoxes.

I. When paradoxical sleep is deprived in a small area surrounded by water, conditions are created that prevent active search behavior in wakefulness, and at the same time the animal is not allowed to compensate for this state in paradoxical sleep. Two factors act at once: a state is formed that increases the need for paradoxical sleep, and this need is not satisfied. Chronic deficiency of search activity leads to the death of the animal.

At the same time, deprivation of paradoxical sleep using the method of brain stimulation under conditions of free behavior is not accompanied by an increased need for this stage of sleep (there is no refusal to search) and therefore there is no fatal outcome.

II. Patients with depression have a refusal to search and an increased need for paradoxical sleep. But even in cases where paradoxical sleep is increased, this need is not satisfied, because paradoxical sleep is qualitatively inferior. Moreover, the dreams of depressed patients are often dominated by themes and moods that correspond to the reaction of surrender in wakefulness, and this reinforces the refusal to search. Eliminating such dreams by depriving paradoxical sleep or all sleep may have a positive effect. Here one more circumstance must also be taken into account: sleep deprivation is a difficult and unusual task for a depressed patient, requiring significant mobilization from him. And the very fact that he manages to cope with this task (and he gives in to most other life tasks) increases his self-esteem, his sense of control over the situation and has a positive effect.

III. Data on phylo- and ontogeny not only do not contradict the concept, but also agree well with it. Paradoxical sleep should first appear at a fairly high level of the phylogenetic ladder, when the brain mechanisms of search behavior have already matured and it has become possible. On the other hand, the early stages of ontogenesis of highly developed animals are characterized by helplessness, dependence on the parent; at these stages, a refusal to search is easily formed and consolidated, so a mechanism that compensates for this condition is especially necessary. In this regard, data on the absence of paradoxical sleep in dolphins is extremely interesting. This animal is constantly in active motion, actively monitoring the environment and interacting with it. Even he always sleeps with only one hemisphere, while the other is awake and controls active behavior. With such round-the-clock search activity, there is simply no need for REM sleep. If the dolphin is deprived of the opportunity to live an active life and an active friendship with the experimenter is not established, it quickly dies, because it is deprived of defense mechanisms that compensate for the refusal to search.

IV. Changes in sleep under stress are determined by the nature of the subject's behavior in a stressful situation. If this behavior is characterized by the dominance of search activity, even if it is accompanied by unpleasant emotional experiences, the need for paradoxical sleep decreases, its share in night sleep decreases without any damage to health. If the behavior reflects a refusal to search, the need for paradoxical sleep increases, but depending on the adaptive capabilities of the subject, this need can be satisfied or not. In the first case, the duration of paradoxical sleep and its saturation with dreams in which the subject behaves actively increases. In the second case, the duration of paradoxical sleep may even decrease, and if it is increased, then the saturation of this sleep with dreams is insufficient and the subject’s position in the dream is passive.

The state of refusal to search inhibits all mental functions: memory, creative activity, etc. Meanwhile, when faced with new and unusual circumstances and tasks, the risk of refusal to search is very high. Therefore, paradoxical sleep, which eliminates this state, can affect memory not directly, but indirectly, eliminating obstacles in the form of refusal to search precisely in the process of learning complex tasks. What is the role of paradoxical sleep in the later stages of consolidation of information remains to be seen, but in this area the data do not contradict the concept of search activity.

Solving the paradoxes offered by nature is a fascinating and rewarding task, stimulating search activity. But solving the psychological paradoxes associated with the position of scientists is a much more difficult task. How to explain why the most prominent specialists systematically avoid open discussion of the most pressing and pressing problems in science, to which they devoted their whole lives, and behave as if no contradictions exist and no approaches to solving these contradictions have been proposed? I must note with regret that at this unique meeting in the Bahamas, where it was possible to gather at one table everyone who determines the modern face of sleep science, an open and sharp dialogue did not work out, despite all my efforts. Perhaps the answer to this question can be found in the remark of Professor Vogel, who first proposed REM sleep deprivation for the treatment of depression. At one of the meetings of Congress where he presided, I asked those present: “Is paradoxical sleep, which performs an important adaptive function in healthy people and animals, the same paradoxical sleep, the deprivation of which helps with depression?” The question hung in the air, the meeting was closed, and as Professor Vogel passed me, he whispered to me: “Don’t tell anyone, but this question has been keeping me awake for years.” Maybe if the respected professor and other participants of the Congress openly, and not on the sidelines, and without fear for their prestige, discussed all the doubts and “damned” unresolved issues, this would help them get rid of insomnia.

Table of contents

[edit] Ways to achieve the state

There are several ways to get into the Phase. This can be done through awareness in a dream, at the moment of awakening (Indirect method), directly from wakefulness (Direct method). There is also a method of electromagnetic brain stimulation.

Techniques for lucidity in dreams

Reality checks

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The method consists of periodic “reality checks”, the purpose of which is to increase the level of critical thinking, which allows you to determine whether it is a dream. It is known that the habit of doing something in reality persists in a dream. Therefore, by developing the habit of constantly checking whether you are dreaming, after a while you will ask yourself the same question in your sleep, which will lead to awareness. At the same time, if the reality check is not done objectively enough, then even while in a dream you can also frivolously answer that everything around is real.

Automatic reminder devices

There are special devices designed to remind you that everything around you is a dream. These devices periodically emit light and/or sound signals to indicate the need to perform a reality check.

Electromagnetic brain stimulation method

In modern experiments by J Allan Hobson from Harvard Medical School on 27 volunteers, it was found that waves of brain activity during sleep can be changed using electromagnetic stimulation. Volunteers during REM sleep had their brains stimulated at frequencies of 25-40 Hz, which correspond to wakefulness (gamma rhythm), resulting in awareness during sleep.

Lucid dream induction method (LDI)

According to this approach, all techniques for observing lucid sleep should be based on changing the sleep-wake pattern or inducing appropriate motivation before sleep. In particular, a lucid dream can occur when falling back to sleep after a short awakening. In accordance with this, S. Laberge compiled a technique for mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MIOS), which showed high efficiency.

Indirect method

Algorithm for entering the Phase. Indirect method

The essence of this method is to try to get into a state at the moment of awakening by performing special techniques, the purpose of which is to create “phantom” sensations.

Notes:

It should be noted that phantom sensations of movement during the execution of techniques may not differ in any way from real ones.
It is known that if sleep is interrupted for a short time (from a few minutes to an hour) a few hours before the usual awakening, the remaining sleep will be more interrupted than usual. Using this fact allows you to make attempts to enter the state more often.

The method allows you to enter the state directly from wakefulness without prior sleep. The essence of the method is that you need to try to fall asleep, but at the last moment before falling asleep, perform the steps from the “Indirect Method”.

The importance of REM sleep[ | ]

Laboratory studies of the REM phase have shown the necessity of this phase for the life of the body. A mouse deprived of REM sleep died after 40 days of REM sleep, while another mouse survived through REM sleep.[5]

During the REM sleep phase, the brain “filters” the information received during the day and discards unnecessary, secondary information. The necessary information is memorized. Thanks to its rapid sleep phase, sleep also prepares the body for morning awakening, activates all necessary neurohumoral processes before awakening, and changes human behavior[6].

REM sleep is especially important for newborns, providing neural stimulation that promotes the formation and development of the nervous system[7].

Dream Interpretation - Color (in dreams)

Colorful, colorful dreams are characteristic of people with an imaginative, artistic way of thinking. Black and white dreams speak of a rational outlook on life: for such people, emotions are usually inferior to reason. Green and blue tones of dreams are a sign of mental balance and well-being. Red and black shades of dreams - anxious state. Sharply red color, without halftones - loss of mental balance. Black color - sadness, illness. Sharp green and all yellow tones are harbingers of diseases. Dark blue, violet and purple tones in dreams are unfavorable. You will have to borrow from the wizard of the emerald hero, from the book of A. Volkova with the same name, glasses and watch dreams all night with pleasure. What color are these magic glasses?

Hypnotic phases of human sleep

Of particular interest are the first three hypnotic phases of human sleep.

. Usually the nervous system responds to irritation adequately: the stronger the irritation, the stronger the reactions of the nervous system. This pattern is disrupted during the transition from the waking state to the sleep state, that is, during the hypnotic phases of sleep.

Equalization phase of human sleep

Before sleep, there is a state during which the nervous system reacts to both strong and weak stimuli. So, for example, a person, falling asleep, equally hears the ticking of a clock, the sound of a light sea surf and the loud knock of a tram running not far from the house. This phase is called the equalizing phase of human sleep.

Paradoxical phase of human sleep

But paradoxical responses of the nervous system of a falling asleep person (and animal) are often observed. For example, you went to bed, covered yourself, your eyes are closed, neither noise nor loud speech bothers you. But somewhere in the distance a newspaper fell from a chair, and the quiet rustle of its pages is perceived by you so acutely that you wake up with a start. In this case, the response of the nervous system to irritation is inadequate; that is, it does not correspond to the strength of the irritation that caused it.

This phase of sleep, during which a weak stimulus causes a strong reaction from the nervous system, and a strong one causes an insignificant one, is called the paradoxical phase of human sleep.

Ultraparadoxical phase of human sleep

Ultraparadoxical phase of human sleep

characterized by an even more severe distortion of the nervous system’s reaction to various stimuli. What normally excites the nervous system now ceases to affect it and, conversely, what usually calms and causes inhibition in this phase causes excitement.

Neuropathologist G.V. Arkhangelsky, for example, describes such an interesting case.

The boy had a dog that, while playing with him, never made an attempt to bite even slightly. One day the boy saw that the dog was sleeping under the table and growling in his sleep. He decided to slowly wake her up and stroked her lightly. The dog flinched at the touch and bit the boy. She bit because she was in a phase of sleep when she responded to a slight irritation, in this case stroking, which she usually enjoyed, with a violent reaction.

This phase of falling asleep, in which stimuli that previously caused inhibition cause short-term excitation, is therefore called the ultraparadoxical hypnotic phase.

The listed hypnotic phases of sleep - equalizing, paradoxical, ultraparadoxical - are observed in humans both during gradual immersion in sleep and during gradual awakening, only in the reverse order.

Intellectual activity during sleep

There are known cases of creative intellectual activity during sleep

. Sometimes a person, carried away by a certain problem (solving a certain problem), is not able to solve it in the waking state, but in a dream he finds the correct solution. This possibility of solving problems in a dream is explained by the fact that in a state of diffuse inhibition, the “guard point” formed under the influence of the search for an answer is isolated from various extraneous irritations.

This suggests that some mental activity

However, experiments and, in particular, learning during sleep should be approached very carefully in order to avoid various sleep disturbances. It is more advisable to strive to deepen night sleep rather than disinhibit it

. Deep and sufficiently conducive to full wakefulness, a more economical and more fruitful process of thinking in the waking state.

Dream Interpretation - Censorship in dreams

Conscious knowledge about the purpose of objects penetrates into the unconscious, dreams, along with the emotional background. For example, you love ice cream. You get pleasure from enjoying the product on a hot summer day. If you find ice cream near your mouth in a dream, you will experience a pleasant emotion again. Note that children are most passionate about ice cream. And the pleasure that adults receive are only echoes of childhood. Therefore, if you see ice cream in a dream, you can believe that you need someone's care, as you did in childhood. But it could also be a sign indicating that you should pay more attention to your children. All these interpretation options are quite consistent with problems that are considered acceptable in society. The situation is more complicated with concepts that are not approved by society. For example, forbidden sexual intimacy outside of marriage. Society places our biological instincts within the framework that we crush in a dream. But, even going beyond what is permitted in a dream, the dreamer uses only symbols that have been passed by censorship. The concept of “censorship” was introduced by Freud. He showed the emergence of signs of censorship using the example of a dream of an elderly lady from high society. Sometimes the unconscious uses harmless substitute symbols. And then, instead of an ellipsis, specific actions and objects appear. Such an object in a dream is a spiral staircase. Freud considered climbing along it a substitute for sexual intercourse. The penis in dreams is often replaced by sticks, umbrellas, and weapons. Sometimes elongated vegetables can indicate this organ. These symbols were also used in ancient myths and tales. Thus, the flight of a witch on a broom can indicate a stalk brooms as a substitute for the penis. Women dream of such objects when they have a suppressed desire for sexual intimacy with a man. Men dream of long, penetrating objects during the period of abstinence or puberty. Men are usually very energetic in their actions in a dream. They engage in a duel, break down doors. Women's manifestations of sexual desires are softer. The upbringing of a person, the censorship of the ban on murder has very deep roots and influences a person's actions even in a dream. Even when the dreamer feels hatred for someone, he rarely dreams kills him. In a dream, the corpse of an animal, a gravestone and evil dogs may appear, tormenting his enemy.

Night rest productivity: criteria and ways to improve

The duration of sleep affects a person’s mental and physical activity. Different ages require different lengths of rest. A child needs significantly more time compared to an adult. It is worth taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.

In order to understand whether you are getting enough sleep, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

Do you need an alarm clock to wake up?
Do you need to drink coffee or energy drinks to stay alert during the day?
whether falling asleep occurs in the first five minutes.

If the answer to the first two questions is “yes” and the third “no”, the body urgently needs rest. Sometimes a few extra hours are enough, or a full vacation may be needed.

Many people experience at least occasional sleep problems. This depletes the immune and nervous systems and reduces brain performance

To improve your sleep quality, you need to pay attention to the following recommendations:

maintain proper nutrition;
control coffee intake;
do not disturb sleep patterns;
sleep in one place;
provide a comfortable bed;
rest in the dark;
avoid daytime naps;
eliminate irritating factors;
carry out evening hygiene;
do not neglect an evening walk;
take a warm bath in the evening.

All these procedures will help you fall asleep quickly. The holiday will be calm and long. Many new sleep medications are presented every year. Try not to use sleeping pills unless absolutely necessary.

Required duration of rest by age

There is no specific norm. Individual characteristics of people influence sleep time:

age;
wrong lifestyle;
lack of daily routine;
sleep disorder

A newborn baby recovers in 12-18 hours, school-age children - 7-8. On average, people are able to get enough sleep in 7-10 hours. If one stage of sleep replaces another in the correct mode, then all cells in the body are renewed in a short time.

In adults, the stages are reproduced in the same sequence if they are healthy.

In old age, many people experience insomnia. Due to chronic lack of sleep, proper night rest is impossible.

The quality of dreams suffers greatly if a person has developed pathologies of the brain and spinal cord. The symptoms that accompany these diseases do not allow you to rest properly. The patient is constantly in a state of superficial dreaming.

In exceptional cases, people can remain without sleep for quite a long time. But you need to clearly understand that chronic lack of sleep has a negative impact on human health. Your sleep schedule needs to be adjusted properly.

Paradoxical sleep phase with increasing human age

It is impossible to calculate how much sleep a person should have. The indicator depends on individual characteristics, age, sleep disturbance and daily routine.

Age	Decoding REM sleep, %
Age	from the total duration of rest	in 24 hours
Premature baby	60-84	40-56
Newborn 1-15 days	49-58	33-39
Child under 2 years old	30-40	17-22
2-5 years	20-30	10-14
5-13 years	15-20	6-8
Person 18-30 years old	20-25	7-8
30-50 years	18-25	5-7
65-87 years	20-22	4-5

Dreams

Dreams are the main characteristic of paradoxical sleep, representing the boundary between real life and other worlds. Experts say that sleep is a continuation of wakefulness. The content of the main part of dreams is related to information about people and events received by the sleeper in real life.

Somnologists distinguish several main forms of dreams:

Phenomena in which wishful thinking is presented as reality. For example, when a person seeks to protect himself or is thinking about procreation.
Anxiety and psychological reactions (pain, suffering, fear that the sleeper feels in his environment).
Nostalgia, when the sleeper sees in a dream experienced events or episodes from childhood.
Meaningless pictures or events that have no relation to the person. Dream interpreters and surrealists show increased interest in this group of dreams.
Collective knowledge in which the sleeper “absorbs” the experience of his family tree or the world community.

Sometimes dreams serve as a kind of impetus for creative inspiration or solving personal psycho-emotional problems. The paradox of dreams is that they appear to the sleeper in a matter of moments, but in reality they last much longer.

In a dream, we see what was once captured by our brain and deposited on the distant shelves of memory. Memories are recreated in the form of a vivid picture, events that did not take place in reality are realized.

The emergence of dreams

Transitional phases of human sleep are the basis for the appearance of dreams

, which is due to the continuous activity of the brain during sleep. Dreams are the “natural companion” of sleep. And if there are rare cases when this or that person declares that he does not see dreams, this is because the deep sleep that follows them (deep inhibition) leads to the fact that the person forgets them and does not remember about them after waking up.

There is reason to believe that dreams occur not only in humans, but also in animals. You can often see, for example, dogs squealing during sleep, shaking their heads, barking, and moving their paws. We do not know in what form dreams appear in animals. In humans, as the word “dream” itself shows, they are visual in nature. In the vast majority of cases, in dreams we see various images, often fantastic combinations of them. We experience various scenes that reflect reality. Sometimes dreams, to one degree or another, coincide with certain life circumstances, as if they “come true.” This gives superstitious people reason to believe that there are “prophetic” or “prophetic” dreams, “dreams in hand”.

The very fact of the possibility of experiencing in dreams some other life, different from the one we experience in the waking state, seems to be a mysterious and enigmatic phenomenon, and therefore, from ancient times it has attracted the attention of man.

Primitive man imagined dreams as “the experience of the soul during its wanderings” away from the body it left.

Religion and the church have always supported naive ideas about the essence of dreams among the masses. All religions believe that dreams are a means of communicating with God. According to the stories of the Bible, angels in dreams tell people the will of God, his intentions and reveal to him the means for healing from ailments. It was also believed that the souls of the dead could visit the souls of living people and, through dreams, inform them about events that were about to happen in their lives.

On this basis, the interpretation of dreams was created, which was widely used in ancient times. The art and right to interpret dreams was in the hands of representatives of religion, who explained dreams in a way that was beneficial to them.

Despite the fact that medicine of the 18th and 19th centuries abandoned the religious and mystical interpretation of dreams, it could not explain them scientifically, nor could it give a correct explanation of the essence of sleep.

NREM sleep

Sleep (types and phases of sleep are discussed in this article) is divided into phases into slow and fast. Typically, the slow phase begins with a nap that lasts about fifteen minutes. After dozing, light sleep begins, which is characterized by insignificant depth. At this stage, the ear canal is particularly sensitive, so it is very easy to wake a person. After this, the period of falling asleep begins, and the person falls into a deep sleep. The slow phase usually lasts about an hour. At this time, a person sees dreams that in the morning he cannot remember.

It is this phase that is characterized by sleepwalking and the ability of a person to speak in his sleep. However, his speech will be incoherent and incomprehensible. It is this phase that is very important for a person, since during it the body restores its strength. If the slow phase is deliberately interrupted, then in the morning the person’s condition will be very bad.

Slow (deep) sleep

It is difficult to answer unambiguously how long deep sleep should last, because its duration depends on what sleep cycle a person is in, so in cycles 1-3, the duration of the deep sleep phase can be more than an hour, and with each subsequent cycle the duration of deep sleep is greatly reduced.

The phase of slow, or orthodox, sleep is divided into 4 stages: drowsiness, sleep spindles, delta sleep, deep delta sleep.

Signs of slow-wave sleep are loud and rare breathing, less deep than during wakefulness, a general decrease in temperature, a decrease in muscle activity, smooth eye movements that freeze towards the end of the phase.

In this case, dreams are unemotional or absent; long and slow waves occupy an increasing place on the encephalogram.

It was previously believed that the brain rests at this time, but studies of its activity during sleep have refuted this theory.

Stages of slow-wave sleep

In the formation of slow-wave sleep, the leading role is played by such areas of the brain as the hypothalamus, raphe nuclei, nonspecific nuclei of the thalamus and the Moruzzi inhibitory center.

The main characteristic of slow-wave sleep (aka deep sleep) is anabolism

: creation of new cells and cellular structures, tissue restoration; it occurs at rest, under the influence of anabolic hormones (steroids, growth hormone, insulin), proteins and amino acids. Anabolism leads to the accumulation of energy in the body as opposed to catabolism, which consumes it.

The anabolic processes of slow sleep begin at stage 2, when the body completely relaxes and recovery processes become possible.

It has been noticed, by the way, that active physical work during the day prolongs the deep sleep phase.

The onset of falling asleep is regulated by circadian rhythms, and they, in turn, depend on natural light. The approach of darkness serves as a biological signal to reduce daytime activity, and the time for rest begins.

Falling asleep itself is preceded by drowsiness: a decrease in motor activity and level of consciousness, dry mucous membranes, sticking eyelids, yawning, absent-mindedness, decreased sensitivity of the senses, slow heart rate, an irresistible desire to lie down, momentary lapses into sleep. This is how the active production of melatonin manifests itself in the pineal gland.

At this stage, the rhythms of the brain change insignificantly and you can return to wakefulness in a matter of seconds. Subsequent stages of deep sleep demonstrate an increasing loss of consciousness.

Drowsiness, or Non-REM
(REM - from English rapid eye movement) - the 1st stage of falling asleep with half-asleep dreams and dream-like visions. Slow eye movements begin, body temperature decreases, heart rate slows down, and on the brain encephalogram, alpha rhythms that accompany wakefulness are replaced by theta rhythms (4-7 Hz), which indicate mental relaxation. In this state, a person often comes to a solution to a problem that he could not find during the day. A person can be brought out of slumber quite easily.
Sleepy spindles
are of medium depth, when consciousness begins to turn off, but the reaction to calling one’s name or crying of one’s child remains. The sleeper's body temperature and pulse rate decrease, muscle activity decreases; against the background of theta rhythms, the encephalogram reflects the appearance of sigma rhythms (these are altered alpha rhythms with a frequency of 12-18 Hz). Graphically, they resemble spindles; with each phase they appear less frequently, become wider in amplitude, and fade away.
Delta
- without dreams, in which deep and slow delta waves with a frequency of 1-3 Hz and a gradually decreasing number of spindles are visible on the brain encephalogram. The pulse quickens slightly, the breathing rate increases with a shallow depth, blood pressure decreases, and eye movements slow down even more. There is a blood flow to the muscles and active production of growth hormone, which indicates the restoration of energy costs.
Deep delta sleep
is a complete immersion of a person in sleep. The phase is characterized by a complete shutdown of consciousness and a slowdown in the rhythm of delta wave oscillations on the encephalogram (less than 1 Hz). There is even no sensitivity to smells. The sleeping person's breathing is rare, irregular and shallow, and there is almost no movement of the eyeballs. This is a phase during which it is very difficult to wake a person. At the same time, he wakes up broken, poorly oriented in the environment and does not remember dreams. It is extremely rare in this phase that a person experiences nightmares, but they do not leave an emotional trace. The last two phases are often combined into one, and together they take 30-40 minutes. The usefulness of this stage of sleep affects the ability to remember information.

Characteristics of paradoxical sleep

The theory of paradoxical sleep was developed by N. Kleitman in Chicago.
Studies have noted rapid movement of the eyeballs in newborns and low-voltage rhythmic impulses on a graphic recording recording the biocurrents of the brain. This fact has led scientists to believe that children dream. This stage of sleep was originally called the REM phase (short for Rapid Eye Movements). Frequent rhythms in the recording of an electrical device corresponded to the indicators of a awake person, therefore this phase is also called fast. The name “paradoxical sleep” was given by the French neurologist Michel Jouvet in view of the many mysteries and paradoxes that happen to a person during this period of rest. In the modern scientific world, all three definitions are used.

Rapid wave sleep is characterized by:

disruption of biorhythms;
relaxation of the muscles of the neck and face;
increased blood flow to the brain area;
rapid movement of the pupils;
arrhythmia and surges in blood pressure;
colorful dreams.

During REM sleep, a person is completely relaxed. This is how nature arranges it so that he dreams in a calm, and not in an active state. When the sleeper has a pleasant dream, the pulse becomes rapid; During unpleasant dreams, the pulse rate remains normal. Similar processes occur with breathing: smooth - during nightmares, fluctuating - during calm dreams.

The fetus, located in the mother's womb, is in a state similar to REM sleep. After birth, most of the baby's nightly rest is also in the REM phase. In a two-year-old child, the share of the fast phase of sleep is reduced to one third of the daily norm, in a five-year-old child - to one fifth.

Paradoxical sleep of an adult accounts for 23.5% of the total duration of night rest.

REM sleep is responsible for accelerated development of mental abilities, especially immediately after birth. Scientists have suggested a direct interaction of this phase with data processing processes in the brain. It has been proven that paradoxical sleep is directly related to human memory. During this period, the information that a person received while awake is combined with genetic data, developing instincts.

In an adult, during REM sleep, experienced emotions that were forgotten by conscious memory are reproduced. It is worth noting that during the period of paradoxical sleep, the hormone of happiness (serotonin) is restored, without which a person cannot think and exist normally.

Signs and duration

Characteristic symptoms of rapid dreaming are the occurrence of rapid eye movement, desynchronization of cortical activity in the form of the appearance of low-amplitude frequent work on the EEG, loss of muscle tone in the musculature of the face and neck.

The sign of the phase of eye movement is determined by their rapid rotation in a sleeping person under drooping eyelids. Sometimes the limbs twitch.

The second symptom that indicates paradoxical sleep indicates weak muscle tone. During the period of night rest, movement and movements are impossible. Only the muscles of the diaphragm and auditory ossicles, which control the eyes, continue to work. Motor fibers located in the spinal cord become disconnected, resulting in muscle paralysis and inability to move.

In the REM phase of dreaming, the brain becomes active, breathing and heart rate become faster, and blood pressure rises. However, although the work of the brain contributes to the position of REM sleep, which is similar to the organization of wakefulness, it is very difficult to wake up a sleeper who is experiencing the moment. Due to the dual state when the brain continues to work and the body sleeps, the REM sleep cycle is also called paradoxical. It happens that when a person suffers a brain injury, he loses this stage, but still sees dreams.

Night rest has a beginning - a slow stage. First, the person dozes, which takes about a quarter of an hour. Then phases 2, 3, and 4 gradually occur, which take up to an hour. With the subsequent stage, sleep becomes deep and a short fast phase comes. Then there is a return to cycle 2 of slow-wave sleep.

The duration of the REM phase does not last long - 10-20 minutes with the transition to the stage of slow-wave sleep. Such transitions occur 4 to 5 times per night.

The duration of night rest in infants is 12-16, adults 6-8 and elderly people 4-6 hours a day. Increasing the duration of REM sleep can improve memory and mental performance.

Dream Interpretation - General features of magical dreams

Very long, confusing, fantasy, entertaining stories. A situation of temptation, seduction, special alluring interest. Seduced by mystery and possibility. Reasonable leading Voice. The so-called spiritual “contacting” (accepting spiritual information from the dream world). Incessant insatiability, greed and an irresistible desire to experience more and more nightly adventures. Burning, scorching hot or piercing cold chilling winds in a dream. Upside-down pictures, landscapes, objects. For example, in a night scene, a pine tree grows with its roots up and its branches down; a burning candle is turned 180 degrees, burning downwards. In the world of the devil, everything seems to be the other way around, because he is the monkey of God, an inverted God.

Description of phases and their internal stages

About 25 years of life time are spent sleeping. The phases and stages of this “sleepy” time are well studied and confirmed by research and numerous experiments. Let's look at their main characteristics.

1. Phase one (80-90 minutes) - slow or slow wave, it is sometimes given a name - orthodox sleep.

Any healthy sleep begins with the first stage. Its duration is approximately 10 minutes. Experimental data indicate that alpha rhythms transform into theta rhythms. Drowsiness sets in, half-asleep dreams set in, and the body relaxes.
The second stage, shallow or mild, lasts approximately 20 minutes. Sigma rhythms are born - this is rapid alpha-ri. They reduce muscle activity and gradually turn off consciousness.
In the next 30-40 minutes, stages three and four occur. The resulting delta oscillations continue to plunge the body into the deepest, slow-wave sleep. At this stage, attacks of sleepwalking, horrors and nightmares in dreams, conversations and screams, and enuresis are recorded. The next morning, what happened at night at this stage, people do not remember anything.
Then, the second “slow” stage begins again. Next comes the first episode of the second fast phase.

This complete rest usually consists of five such cycles. The time of the first phase leads to the replenishment of strength and resources.

Structures of the central nervous system that are responsible for the quality of slow-wave sleep: the anterior parts of the hypothalamus, nonspecific nuclei of the thalamus, raphe nuclei and the Moruzzi inhibitory center (middle pons).

2. Phase two (10 - 15 minutes) - fast or fast wave, the authors called it paradoxical sleep.

This is the fifth stage, in which active eye movement is observed with closed eyelids. Beta waves have characteristics similar to those in waking life. This is the paradox: the sleeper is outwardly motionless, but inside there is work going on, he sees vivid dreams.

The paradoxical sleep phase lengthens in duration with each subsequent cycle, and its depth decreases.

The protective function of the psyche at this stage is to conduct a painless exchange of “messages” between consciousness and the unconscious.

At the physical level, the secretion of adrenal hormones, cerebral blood flow, heart contractions, arrhythmias, and erections increase.

The centers that are responsible for this phase are the locus coeruleus, the vestibular nuclei of the medulla oblongata, the superior colliculus of the midbrain and the reticular formation of the midbrain.

Problems can arise on any cycle

When they are persistent, it is important to consult a specialist in time. What diagnoses have been studied and are currently given to patients?

Dyssomnia – problems with falling asleep at night, extreme occurrence – complete insomnia (insomnia).
Apnea is a sudden interruption in the breathing of a sleeping person.
Hypersomnia – pathological drowsiness (narcolepsy, lethargy).
Parasomnia is an atypical activity of a sleeping person (sleepwalking, nightmares, epileptic seizures, etc.).
Sleep paralysis is the immobilization of muscles before or after sleep.

Often sleep is interrupted. Serious mental problems can occur when there is a sudden exit from the second phase, from paradoxical sleep. The interrupted part will have to be restored in subsequent cycles.

Who among us does not know what sleep is? We all experience this phenomenon every night, and for us it is an integral part of our daily lives. This is such a natural process that we rarely think about why we actually sleep, and why we waste so much useful time (a third of our lives, to be precise), as it seems, “in vain.”

Maybe it’s time to invent a pill that, when taken, you can forget about sleep and devote the free time to your favorite activities? Let's try to understand why we need sleep and whether life without sleep has prospects.

To begin with, let's make a distinction between the concept of sleep, as a physiological process, and dreams, as a psychological process. The science of somnology deals with sleep, while oneirology deals with dreams. When we say “I had a dream,” we are not talking about sleep as such, but about dreams that take place during sleep. We will talk about dreams in detail in the following posts, but let's start with the basics of sleep physiology.

What is sleep?

We know that the life of all living beings is divided into two large phases: the active phase (waking) and the resting phase (sleep). For a long time, these phases were determined only visually, that is, if a person or any other animal is in a motionless state, often in a characteristic pose, and his reactions to stimuli from the surrounding world are inhibited or absent altogether, it means that the person is in a state of sleep.

However, such a state can be caused not only by natural physiological sleep, but also by other unconscious states: hypnotic sleep, lethargic sleep (or imaginary death), coma, fainting, suspended animation and some other conditions. Death also fits within these parameters.

It is not for nothing that the ancients closely linked sleep and death in their complex pantheon of deities and called sleep the little death, which is often reflected in art (Fig. 1) and in mythology (Fig. 2), according to which Sleep (Hypnos) and Death (Thanatos) - twin brothers, children of the Goddess of the Night - Nyukta.

Figure 1. John William Waterhouse, “Sleep and his half-brother Death,” 1874 (Private collection).

Figure 2. Image of the goddess of Night with children - Sleep and Death. Bertel Thorvaldsen, bas-relief, 1815 (Thorvaldsen Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark).

Indeed, some pathological types of sleep, such as lethargic sleep, are sometimes extremely difficult to visually separate from death. After all, the metabolic rate decreases so much that the heart beats at a frequency of up to 2 beats per minute, so the pulse cannot be felt.

Agree, without special equipment it is extremely difficult to determine whether a person is dead or asleep. Hence the frequent cases in the past of burials of people who were still alive. Of course, physiological sleep can be quite easily distinguished from other unconscious states: a sleeping person can be awakened by giving him an auditory or tactile stimulus of sufficient strength.

This does not work with pathological forms of sleep. Thus, we can say that sleep is a natural physiological process with a reduced reaction to the outside world. However, this visual approach is more everyday than scientific.

With the discovery of electroencephalography and its first successful use in humans in 1934, sleep specialists now have a powerful, non-invasive and objective method for measuring the electrical activity of a sleeping person's brain. Until now, this method is dominant in the diagnosis of many pathological conditions of the brain and almost the only objective criterion in diagnosing “brain death”.

It turned out that the electroencephalogram (EEG) of the sleeping brain differs from that of the waking brain. In a healthy person in a state of active wakefulness, the EEG of the brain is dominated by waves of the Beta rhythm ( β-rhythm ) with an average amplitude of 15–30 μV and a frequency range of 14–30 Hz. This rhythm is especially evident during concentration, emotional arousal and increased mental activity. With extreme degrees of mental stress, for example, when solving problems that require maximum concentration, Gamma waves ( γ rhythm ) begin to appear in the EEG of the human brain, characterized by a very low amplitude - less than 10 μV and a high frequency - from 30 and, according to some data, up to 500 Hz.

Gamma waves are associated with human consciousness. However, if a person, while awake, is relaxed and does not think about anything, especially with his eyes closed, then Alpha waves ( α rhythm ) with a frequency of 8–14 Hz and an amplitude of 30–70 μV appear on his EEG.

The appearance of the alpha rhythm indicates the brain is preparing for sleep. This condition is accompanied by yawning, decreased level of consciousness, decreased heart rate, etc. When falling asleep, characteristic Theta waves ( θ rhythm ) with a frequency of 4–8 Hz and an amplitude of 10–35 μV, sometimes up to 400 μV, appear on the EEG, representing a transitional stage between sleep and wakefulness.

Theta waves are associated with the functioning of areas of the brain responsible for memory and emotions, are produced by the hippocampus and are most pronounced in children 2–8 years old. Until the age of 13, theta waves can be recorded in a state of wakefulness, but they are normally absent in an adult.

In the process of immersing deeper into a state of sleep, high-amplitude Delta waves ( δ-rhythm ) with a frequency of 1 – 4 Hz appear more and more clearly on the EEG. This is, strictly speaking, deep sleep. It should be noted that the δ rhythm is also recorded during narcotic sleep and coma, as well as at the borders with the affected parts of the brain (tumor). Moreover, the δ rhythm predominates on the EEG of the brain of healthy children aged 3–6 years in a state of wakefulness.

Based on EEG data, a structure of the sleep-wake cycle was developed, according to which the night sleep cycle consists of 4 stages (Fig. 3):

First stage. The α rhythm predominates, but θ waves already appear. Corresponds to the state of drowsiness.
Second stage. The θ rhythm predominates, sleep spindles and K-complexes appear. Corresponds to the process of falling asleep and shallow sleep.
Third stage. Against the background of the θ rhythm, δ waves appear. Corresponds to the transition to deeper sleep.
Fourth stage. The δ rhythm predominates. Deep dream. According to modern concepts, stages 3 and 4 are often combined into one and called delta sleep (SWS, slow wave sleep).

Figure 3. Examples of EEG recordings of the brain at different stages of the sleep-wake cycle. Schlafspindel – sleepy spindle; Thetawallen – θ waves; K-complex - K-complex. Source: Spork P., 2010.

For a long time, this classification remained classic, until in 1953, our former compatriots Nathaniel Kleitman and his assistant Eugene Aserinsky from the University of Chicago discovered a completely new phase of sleep - the so-called rapid eye movement phase or REM sleep. ).

In the course of their experiments, they discovered that sleeping people, some time after falling asleep, began to quickly rotate their eyes under closed eyelids, as if they were watching something. Moreover, their sleep was so deep that it was necessary to try to wake them up.

But if they managed to wake up, they all spoke in vivid colors about the dreams they had just experienced. During REM sleep, the body becomes even more resistant to external stimuli than during normal sleep. This is a special state of human consciousness, and not wakefulness or sleep, but something qualitatively different, in which the muscles are completely relaxed, as if paralyzed, while the activity of the brain and the parameters of the visceral system: breathing rate, heart rate, etc. are active as in the waking state.

There is a surge in the secretion of adrenal hormones, changes in blood pressure, increased cerebral blood flow, and an erection often occurs. This condition is called a “vegetative storm.” Therefore, the REM phase of sleep is often called paradoxical sleep: a person seems to be awake in all respects, but is unconscious and paralyzed. The duration of this phase is approximately 90–120 minutes per night (or 20–25% of sleep), 10–20 minutes for each cycle. The only muscles that can contract during REM sleep are the eye muscles, since they are not controlled by nerves passing through the spinal cord.

It is also impossible to determine from the EEG pattern during the REM phase whether a person is awake or asleep, since brain activity is extremely high and is similar, although not identical, to the EEG pattern during enhanced thought processes. Therefore, in order to correctly “read” EEG recordings, new parameters were introduced in addition to the electrical activity of the brain: electrical activity of the eyes (EOG - electrooculogram) and neck muscles (EMG - electromyogram).

The EEG of the brain during REM sleep can be easily distinguished from that in the waking state by the absence of EMG activity (Fig. 4). Currently, it is precisely these three simultaneously recorded parameters that are used to study the brain of a sleeping person. This is especially important for diseases associated with disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle.

Figure 4. Electrical activity of the brain during wakefulness, slow-wave sleep, and REM sleep. I – EEG, II – EOG, III – LCT (lateral geniculate body), IV – EMG. Source: Rechtschaffen, Siegel, 2000.

Thus, according to modern concepts, human sleep consists of slow-wave (synonyms: slow-wave, synchronized, orthodox sleep or NREM sleep) sleep, represented by four stages from drowsiness (stage 1) to deep sleep (stage 4) and subsequent REM sleep (synonyms : REM sleep, desynchronized sleep, paradoxical sleep or REM sleep).

This is one sleep cycle lasting approximately an hour and a half. During the night, a person experiences 4–6 such repeating cycles, which, however, are not identical to each other. The duration of slow-wave deep sleep, especially its fourth stage, decreases with each subsequent cycle, while the duration of REM sleep increases. As a rule, in the morning stage 4 of slow-wave sleep is no longer achieved. An example of a hypnogram for a healthy person is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Hypnogram of a healthy middle-aged person. Source: Kovalzon V.M., 2012.

For a long time, the REM phase of sleep did not fit into the general theory of the evolution of sleep, according to which initially activity and rest (sleep and wakefulness) were present in the animal world, and then for some reason REM sleep appeared.

Its appearance as a new evolutionary acquisition of mammals could not be explained. According to the most recent ideas, the new evolutionary acquisition is not the REM sleep phase, but, oddly enough, wakefulness.

In other words, the rest of cold-blooded animals corresponds to our slow-wave sleep, and their activity corresponds to our rapid sleep. Our wakefulness is precisely the new acquisition that allowed mammals to reach a qualitatively new evolutionary level. This hypothesis can be confirmed by the fact that during the REM phase of sleep thermoregulation is not maintained, that is, if the REM phase lasted not 10–20 minutes, but, say, all night, then our body temperature would be equal to the ambient temperature. In some ways, we can say that we live the life of a cold-blooded animal during REM sleep.

To be continued in the next posts.

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What is characteristic of paradoxical sleep?

The very name “paradoxical” was proposed because human behavior in it is full of mysteries and paradoxes.

In general, it is characterized by the following biological features:

Its biorhythms are not synchronous.
The brain is abundantly supplied with blood.
The muscles of the head and neck are relaxed.
Eye movements under the eyelids are spontaneous, chaotic and fast.
The sleeper experiences instability of heart rate and constant changes in blood pressure.
Sleepers see vivid and memorable dreams.

A certain change in the characteristic physiological characteristics of a person in this phase was also noticed. For example, when a sleeper dreams of unpleasant phenomena, his pulse and breathing are even; on the contrary, pleasant dreams cause arrhythmias and frequent changes in breathing rhythms.

REM or paradoxical sleep, characterized by such “active” behavior of the body, plays an important role in the formation of a person’s mental abilities; This is especially important for children in the first months of life. There are several hypotheses linking the phase of paradoxical sleep with the time of processing and storing data in the human brain

During the period of paradoxical sleep, a person produces serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone. It plays an important role in life processes and without it a person cannot live a full life.

When dreams come

Dreams, which a person then remembers and can retell, come to him during the period of paradoxical sleep. They contain information that the sleeper received while awake. Even random passers-by can become participants in night visions, although the person will not remember that he once saw these faces.

Somnologists identify five forms of visions in sleep:

Desired events become reality, for example, an early pregnancy, getting a job.
In dreams, the sleeper experiences the most vivid moments from his past life.
Psychological reactions of various kinds, the basis of which lies not in the logic of the plot, but in sensations such as joy, happiness or fear.
Meaningless visions that, at first glance, have nothing to do with a person.
Events or phenomena resulting from collective knowledge, such as a family tree.

There are cases when the most vivid dreams had a strong influence on a person’s real life. Having awakened, he analyzed certain aspects of his life and changed them in accordance with what he saw. Even long “stories” during the resting process last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, that is, this time is enough to realize the mistakes made over the years - this is another paradox of dreams in the fast-wave phase.

Treatment of disorders

Regulation of problems with pharmacological agents is useful only as prescribed by a specialist and according to a strict scheme.
The duration of use of sleeping pills affects the overall effect; it decreases. Overuse of anti-anxiety medications is dangerous and, unfortunately, a common practice. Luminal, other barbiturates, melatonin are the most effective modern means that are close to the chemical needs of the body.

Melatonin is produced if there is enough magnesium, which reduces stress and general tension. Magnesium is recommended to be added to any dietary program for diagnosed sleep problems.

Electrosleep is a hardware method of therapy, neurostimulation of the patient’s central nervous system with a pulsed current of low frequency and low strength, causing drowsiness. This method is prescribed as a restorative procedure for various problems and diseases.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=evxrjSNWILI

[edit] Sources

Celia Green and Charles McCreery. Lucid dreaming: The paradox of consciousness during sleep. London & New York, 1994
↑ Levitan L., LaBerge S. Other Worlds: Out-of-Body Experiences and Lucid Dreams. Nightlight. - 1991. - V. 3 (2-3).
↑
↑
Moody R.
Reflections on Life After Life.—New York: Stackpole Books, 1977.—p.113
, p. 309
↑
LaBerge S. Lucid Dreaming: Psychophysiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep // Sleep and Cognition, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1990. - pp. 109—126
↑ Holzinger B. Psychophysiological Correlates of Lucid Dreaming // Dreaming. 2006. Vol. 16. No. 2.
↑ Krippner, Stanley. "Dreams and Creative Problem Solving"
Laberge S. Lucid dreaming. St. Petersburg : Sofia, 2009, 320 p.
Tsvetkov Evgeniy Petrovich “Happy Dreams”

How to form a good rest

The average sleep duration for a healthy adult is 8 hours. In infancy, adolescence, and adolescence, there are different standards. A similar situation occurs with older people.

Considering different age categories, we can determine the average indicators for each of them.

Children in their first year of life spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping.
From one to three years old, babies need about 14 hours of sleep.
For preschoolers, up to 12 hours will be enough.
Primary school students - 10 hours. Sometimes you can increase the duration of sleep to 12 hours so that the child can fully recover from increased stress.
Teenagers are treated the same as adults. Their sleep duration is 8 hours. In some cases it can be increased to 10 hours.
Elderly people are recommended to sleep at least 7 hours a day. Constant lack of sleep has a negative impact on your health.

Sound sleep is the key to human health and longevity. But how to develop the optimal regime? To do this, we suggest using the recommendations of experts:

We adhere to the optimal regime. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, regardless of whether it’s a weekend or vacation. This approach will help set up the correct functioning of the biological clock.
We plan time for sleep. An adult spends from 6 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours a day sleeping. But not only sleep time has an impact, the quality component of rest plays a big role. In other words, a person normally sleeps without awakening.
When you wake up in the morning, try to reduce the time you get up. You shouldn't lie in bed for a long time. Otherwise, you may fall asleep again, and this will negatively affect the coming day. Warming up in bed helps a lot; it will invigorate you and put you in a positive mood for the whole working day.
If you want to get a good night's sleep, spend two hours in a quiet environment before your planned rest. Avoid watching programs and films with negative plots. Avoid physical activity as well.
To get a good night's sleep, avoid napping during the day. Of course, a 30-minute nap at lunch will give you strength and put your thoughts in order. However, people prone to insomnia should avoid resting during the day.
It is recommended to fill your life with physical activity and a colossal flow of information during daylight hours. But when evening comes, it’s time for relaxation and rest.
Smoking, drinking too much coffee and alcohol guarantee sleep deprivation and health problems. If you don’t have the will to completely say goodbye to your habits, try to reduce them to a minimum.

Age has a huge impact on the duration of rest. Below is a table that clearly describes the age category of people and the average duration of their sleep.

Age category of people	Average sleep duration
0-3 months	14-17
4-11 months	12-15
1-2 years	11-14
3-5 years	10-13
6-13	9-11
14-17	8-10
18-25	7-9
26-64	7-9
Over 65 years old	7-8

In addition, scientists have found that fluctuations in the duration of night rest negatively affect not only its quality, but also the general condition of a person.

In other words, if you stick to a specific sleep time, you will feel alert and in good health, but if you sleep at different times, the negative consequences will follow almost immediately.

It doesn’t matter your gender; your vacation should be based on your professional activity. People engaged in mental work require long rest. But workers involved in occupations that require more physical activity can sleep less.

Sleep duration according to age

Sleep serves as protection against hypertension, obesity, cancer cell division, and even damage to tooth enamel. If a person does not sleep for more than 2 days, his metabolism will not only slow down, but hallucinations may also begin. Lack of sleep for 8-10 days drives a person crazy.

At different ages, people need different amounts of sleep:

Unborn children sleep the most in the womb: up to 17 hours a day.

Newborn babies sleep about the same amount: 14-16 hours.
Babies between 3 and 11 months of age require 12 to 15 hours of sleep.
At the age of 1-2 years – 11-14 hours.
Preschoolers (3-5 years old) sleep 10-13 hours.
Primary schoolchildren (6-13 years old) – 9-11 hours.
Teenagers need 8-10 hours of rest at night.
Adults (from 18 to 65 years old) – 7-9 hours.
Elderly people over 65 years old – 7-8 hours.

Old people often suffer from insomnia due to ailments and physical inactivity during the day, so they sleep 5-7 hours, which in turn does not have the best impact on their health.

History of the discovery of the paradoxical phase

In the 50s of the 20th century, the famous American-born scientist Nathaniel Kleitman became fascinated by the phenomenon of rotating eyes during sleep. Together with his assistants, he conducted a huge amount of research. Scientists have noticed that there are periods of sleep during which the activity of the eyeballs increases significantly. Sharp chaotic movements are observed under closed eyelids.

The experiments did not end there. Researchers tried to wake a person at this stage of sleep. The awakened experimental subject could immediately tell everything that happened to him in the dream, while detailing all the images he saw.

This led scientists to two facts:

In the human brain, dreams appear in the rapid phase.
The main feature of the phase is increased brain activity.

A person is able to dream in other phases, but the plot lines are almost never remembered. But waking up during the REM sleep stage will allow you to remember all the events of the dream.

Before conducting observations on the human body, scientists used laboratory mice and rats for experiments. And over time, cats were included in the number of experimental animals.

REM sleep in animals[ | ]

Although it manifests itself differently in different animals, REM phase or something similar occurs in all land mammals, as well as birds. In aquatic mammals, this phase may be absent altogether, or appear only when sleeping on land[27].

The main criteria used to identify REM are changes in electrical activity and loss of muscle tone alternating with bouts of twitching.[28] The amount of REM sleep and cycling varies among animals. Predators enjoy more REM sleep than prey.[29] Larger animals also tend to remain in REM longer, possibly because the greater thermal inertia of their brains and organs allows them to tolerate a longer thermoregulatory suspension.[30] The period lasts about 90 minutes in humans, 22 minutes in cats and 12 minutes in rats.[31]

Sleeping reptiles do not appear to have the waves or localized brain activation seen in mammals. However, they exhibit sleep cycles with phases of REM-like electrical activity[28]. A recent study found periodic eye movements in bearded dragons.[32] Also, an analogue of the REM sleep stage was found in the medicinal cuttlefish.[33]