Study on the partial differential REM deprivation (PDRD)

With an aim to make observations on the rebound elevation of REM sleep, we have devised the partial differential REM deprivation (PDRD) method whereby the subjects are awakened forciby at a fixed time early in the morning. By this method, REM sleep is deprivated by about a half and stage 2 sleep by about one third of the baseline value; but stage SWS is not deprivated. When the test set of PDRD is performed repeatedly on an identical subject, the REM sleep time during PDRD night and recovery night is almost always constant. Our PDRD, we believe, is an excellent method that relieves the disconfort of the subject and the physical burden of research workers and yet is capable of measuring almost accurately the magnitude of rebound elevation of REM sleep in each subject.