Table of Contents
REM Sleep and NREM Sleep – Stages of Sleep
REM sleep:
The stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement (REM) and dreaming. In REM sleep brain become more active, the body becomes relaxed and immobilized, dreams occur, eyes move rapidly, hard to awaken, 20-25% of sleep time. The delta waves produced during REM sleep.
NREM sleep:
The stages of sleep characterized by nonrapid eye movement (NREM).
4 Stages of Sleep
Stage 1 NREM – transition period between wakefulness and sleep, aware of surroundings, relaxed, eyes closed, lasts a few minutes(5 -10 minutes) 4-5% of sleep time; In NREM sleep stage 1, individuals are relaxed and aware of their surroundings, but their eyes are closed. The theta waves occurs in EEG in this stage
Stage 2 NREM – unaware of surroundings, easily awakened, 50% of sleep time; In NREM sleep stage 2, individuals are unaware of their surroundings but can be awakened easily, the body temperature drops and the heart rate begins to slow, the brain begins to produce sleep spindles, and K-waves, last approximately 20 minutes
Stage 3 & 4 – deeper stages of sleep, important for restoration, 20-25% of sleep time; In NREM sleep stages 3 and 4, individuals are in a deeper stage of sleep that is particularly important for physical rest and restoration. muscle relaxation occurs, blood pressure and respiration rate drops. The deepest sleep occurs in this stage.
Sleep Cycle
A person continuously going through the number of sleep cycles during a single sleep time. NREM sleep occurs first and followed by REM sleep. In NREM sleep, from wakefulness to stage 1, then Stage 2 followed by stage 3 & 4, but then it returns to NREM Stage 2, then only it reaches to REM sleep. From REM Sleep a new cycle starts from NREM Stage 1. So this cycle will repeat till awake. The circadian rhythm plays important role in deciding the time of sleep and awake, it will set a biological clock inside each person.
Sleep and Rest Related Nursing Quiz
- Which of the following medications are the safest to administer to adults needing assistance in falling asleep?
A. Sedatives
B. Hypnotics
C. Benzodiazepines
D. Anti-anxiety agents
The correct answer is benzodiazepines
The group of drugs that are the safest are the benzodiazepines. They facilitate the action of the neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) that suppress responsiveness to stimulation, therefore decreasing levels of arousal.
2. The nurse understands that the most vivid dreaming occurs during:
A. REM sleep
B. Stage 1 NREM
C. Stage 4 NREM
D. Transition period from NREM to REM sleep
The correct answer is REM Sleep
Although dreams occur during both NREM and REM sleep, the dreams of REM sleep are more vivid and elaborate and are believed to be functionally important to learning, memory processing, and adaptation to stress.
3. Which of the following conditions characterizes rapid eye movement (REM) sleep?
A. Disorientation and disorganized thinking
B. Jerky limb movements and position changes
C. Pulse rate slowed by 5 to 10 beats/minute
D. Highly active brain and physiological activity levels
The correct answer is highly active brain and physiological activity level
Highly active brain and physiological activity levels characterize the REM stage. Stages 3 and 4 of NREM sleep are characterized by disorientation and disorganization, During REM sleep, the body movement ceases except for the eyes. The pulse rate slows by 5-10 beats/minute during NREM sleep, not REM sleep
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