About

What is Sleep?
Why we Sleep
Theories about REM
Amount Needed

Stages of Sleep
  Stage I
  Stage II
  Stage III
  Stage IV

Animals
  In REM Sleep
  Sleep Habits
  Hibernation

     Theories on REM Sleep

    The function of REM sleep (and the dreams that often accompany this phase) is unknown. Since the repairing of body cells occurs during non-REM sleep, what could this possibly do? There are many theories on the subject, but we still have no clear answer as to why we go through REM.

• People once thought that REM sleep deprivation could cause insanity. Instead, it can alleviate clinical depression (the deprivation acts like an antidepressant).
• REM sleep is needed, since studies showed that when animals were deprived of REM sleep, they made it up when they got the chance.
• Intense neuronal activity during this phase can help mammals react more quickly when awakened.
• REM sleep may help to preserve memory, but others argue that people who have brain damage preventing REM sleep have normal memory.
• Immaturely-born mammals have a lot of REM sleep and often have the same amount later in life. REM sleep may act like the stimulation that creatures need to start neuronal development.