Scientists have discovered the neural headquarters for REM sleep – that dreamy brain state where the eyes are the only part of the body actively moving.
When this circuit at the top of the brainstem is triggered in mice, researchers can make animals slip into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, even if they are wide awake to start with.
If the findings extend to humans, we will be one big step closer to understanding the biology of sleep and why it can go awry.
The knowledge could even help us manipulate REM sleep for the better in humans with sleep apnea, narcolepsy, frequent distressing nightmares, or REM disorders, which cause people to act out their dreams with movement or vocalizations – such as talking in their sleep.
This seems to be big for the field. Published in Cell which is a very high impact journal.
The science of sleep is such a fascinating field. With lots of garbage science out there (see #507184) it's good to remain critical but also excited about new developments.