Rapid eye movement (REM) Overview
Rapid eye movement (REM) a phase of sleeping characterized by the rapid saccadic movements of the eyes. During sleep, the brain moves through four different phases or stages, one of these stages is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, while the other three phases are referred to as non-REM (NREM) sleep.
During rapid eye movement (REM) stage, the eyes move rapidly in different directions, in this phase, the activity of the brain’s neurons is quite similar to that when a person is awake. Most of the vividly recalled dreams also occur during the REM sleep. Most of the very vivid dreams are due to the increase in brain activity, as the muscles are immobilized yet the brain is very active, this stage of sleep is sometimes called paradoxical sleep.
Rapid eye movement (REM) Symptoms
During the rapid eye movement (REM) stage a person may be having rapid movement of the eyes, increased heart rate, variation in body temperature, irregular and fast breathing cycle, an increase in the blood pressure, sexual arousal in both the genders, the twitching or light movements of the face and limbs, brain activity that resembles the state when one is awake and also increased oxygen consumption by the brain.
Rapid eye movement (REM) Diagnosis
To diagnose REM sleep behavior disorder, the sleep doctor will go through your medical history and the symptoms you may have. A physical and neurological exam will be done to see if other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy exist.
Your sleeping partner might help answer a few of the sleep-related questions such as if you move your limbs or shout in your sleep. An in-lab sleep study may also be required to monitor the brain, heart and lung activity, limb movements, blood oxygen level, breathing patterns.
Rapid eye movement (REM) Treatment
Your sleep doctor may ask to make a few changes to the sleeping environment and habits, also you may be prescribed medications.