Ultradian rhythms and timings of human REM-sleep stages

1. Introduction

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Devices and Tools

Ultradian rhythms and timings of human REM-sleep stages

1. Introduction

The biorhythms in living organisms are stimulated by the circadian rhythms of geological origin [1], rhythms of cosmic radiation and other rhythms of environment. Since the present work has been executed as part of investigation into the correlations between dreams and astronomic phenomena, here under consideration are rhythms associated exclusively with the physiology of human sleep. To rhythms of the type we can attribute the ultradian rhythms that stimulate the 90-100 min cycles known as rapid eye movement (REM)-sleep stages and consisting in succession of slow and rapid sleep stages. However, in the present research not the periodicity is stressed but rather the shifts of sleep stages and phases are important as related to the global time; most likely these shifts also depend on some external rhythmical drives.

The aim of the present investigation was to reveal the factors that point – directly or indirectly – to the existence of rhythms belonging to the ultradian range and affecting the position of rapid eye movement (REM) stage of human sleep on the scale of global time, since it is the phase during which a person sees dreams.

To achieve this aim, the on-location timing measurements of REM phases have been run in order to obtain the probability distribution for the occurrence of events within the time interval equal to the period of a rhythm presumably located in the ultradian range.

Terms and notions accepted in the text

T – the full calendar period of observation: the time span from April 1, 2013 to May 20, 2014, during which the noises produced by body movements of a sleeping person under test were recorded, read from the end REM-phase audiogram and placed in the database together with the texts of associated dreams.

3. Results

4. Discussion

Analysis of the probability distribution Φ_∆Τ(t) over the time interval ∆Τ for awakings estimated as the end of REM-sleep stage with the completed and the uncompleted awaking allows for the inference that REM phases are connected with some external rhythm of unknown nature. Such inference relies upon the invariance of distribution Φ_∆Τ(t) type for time spans T_i(i=1,2,3,4). The central maximum in the distribution curve presents the upper part of normal distribution, which means that there is some common source of rhythm. The smaller maximum are presumably indicative of less intensive rhythms.

The results presented here have been obtained from the author’s observations; therefore, so far we might consider the observed pattern of probability distribution Φ_∆Τ(t) as some individual characteristic.

5. Devices and Tools