The pattern of clear rhythmic alpha activity associated with wakefulness gives way to N1, the first stage of sleep, which is defined by a low-voltage, mixed-frequency pattern. In healthy adults, sleep typically begins with NREM sleep. This stage is referred to as "deep" or "slow-wave" sleep.ĮEG recordings showing all three stages of typical NREM sleep. In stage N3, the deepest stage of NREM, EEGs reveal high-amplitude (large), low-frequency (slow) waves and spindles. In the progression from stage N1 to N3, brain waves become slower and more synchronized, and the eyes remain still. NREM sleep can be broken down into three distinct stages: N1, N2, and N3. This is thought to be a neurological barrier that prevents us from "acting out" our dreams. Interestingly, during REM sleep muscles in the arms and legs are temporarily paralyzed. In contrast, people report dreaming far less frequently when awakened from NREM sleep. Typically, when people are awakened from REM sleep, they report that they had been dreaming, often extremely vivid and sometimes bizarre dreams. Many sleep experts think that these eye movements are in some way related to dreams. On an EEG, REM sleep, often called "active sleep," is identifiable by its characteristic low- amplitude (small), high-frequency (fast) waves and alpha rhythm, as well as the eye movements for which it is named. The two main types of sleep are rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep.
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