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REM sleep (random eye movement sleep) is the fourth stage of sleep in which the eyes can be seen to be moving rapidly behind the eyelids. It is associated with increased brain activity and dreaming, but decreased muscle tone.
Auditory stimulation during REM sleep in a cohort of healthy adults can modulate REM time and subsequently influence the participants’ performance in memory-related tasks.
Hong et al. show that activation of the medial prefrontal cortex induces REM sleep via its projections to the lateral hypothalamus, thus demonstrating a critical role of the cortex in the regulation of REM sleep.
Pontine waves are a hallmark of REM sleep. Here, the authors identify a distinct population of medullary neurons that constitute a hub in the REM sleep circuitry promoting REM sleep with an enhanced density of pontine waves.
A group of thalamic neurons in mice promote arousal and defensive behaviours in response to threat and enable sleep adaptations in the face of long-term predatory stress.
