REM sleep deprivation and pain thresholds in rats

The relationship between REM sleep deprivation and pain threshold was measured using 36 Sprague-Dawley female rats. Relative to that of the controls, a significant lowering of threshold to painful electrical stimulation was observed during each of the post-treatment tests, i.e., immediate, and after 3- and 24-hr. recovery periods, for the animals which had been REM deprived.