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Updated: May 10, 2026

The Sleep Nullifying Apparatus: A Highly Efficient Method of Sleep Depriving Drosophila
06:06

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Published on: December 14, 2020

Sleep-laughing--hypnogely.

Nikola N Trajanovic1, Colin M Shapiro, Srdjan Milovanovic

  • 1Sleep Research Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. hypogely@gmail.com

The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. Le Journal Canadien Des Sciences Neurologiques
|June 22, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sleep laughing, or hypnogely, is usually a harmless dreaming experience linked to REM sleep. However, it can sometimes signal neurological disorders, necessitating further medical evaluation.

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Published on: January 25, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Sleep laughing (hypnogely) is a recognized phenomenon.
  • Differentiating between physiological and pathological causes is clinically important.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the common phenomenon of sleep laughing.
  • To establish criteria for distinguishing physiological from pathological sleep laughing.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study design.
  • Involved patients undergoing sleep assessments at a tertiary healthcare facility.

Main Results:

  • Ten patients exhibited sleep laughing; nine were associated with REM sleep.
  • One case linked to REM sleep Behavior Disorder.
  • Another case associated with NREM sleep arousal parasomnia.

Conclusions:

  • Hypnogely is predominantly a benign physiological event tied to REM sleep and dreaming.
  • In a minority of cases, sleep laughing indicates underlying neurological disorders with distinct behavioral patterns.