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Related Concept Videos

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

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REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by the absence of muscle paralysis that normally occurs during the REM phase of sleep. This absence allows individuals to physically act out their dreams, which are often vivid and disturbing. Common behaviors exhibited during episodes include kicking, punching, and yelling. These actions can be dangerous, potentially leading to injuries for the person with RBD or their bed partner.
RBD is significantly associated with...
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Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

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Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
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Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking01:17

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Somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking, involves individuals engaging in activities ranging from simple walking to more complex behaviors such as driving. Sleepwalking typically occurs during the slow-wave sleep stages 3 and 4 early in the night when the person is not dreaming, contradicting the myth that sleepwalkers are acting out their dreams.
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Stages of Sleep01:22

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Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
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Nightmares and Night Terrors01:18

Nightmares and Night Terrors

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Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares...
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Narcolepsy01:07

Narcolepsy

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Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 17, 2026

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice
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REM Sleep Behavioral Events and Dreaming.

Maria-Lucia Muntean1,2, Claudia Trenkwalder1,3, Arthur S Walters4

  • 1Paracelsus Elena Klinik Kassel, Germany.

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine : JCSM : Official Publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
|February 11, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Motor behaviors during REM sleep (RBEs) correlate with dream enactments, even without meeting full REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) criteria. These events may indicate an early stage of RBD.

Keywords:
Parkinson diseaseREM behavioral events (RBE)REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)REM sleep without atonia (RWA)dream recall

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Dream Research

Background:

  • REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by the enactment of dreams during sleep.
  • REM sleep behavioral events (RBEs) are motor behaviors or vocalizations during REM sleep that do not yet meet full diagnostic criteria for RBD.
  • The relationship between RBEs and dream content is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether REM sleep behavioral events (RBEs) correspond to dream enactments.
  • To explore the potential of RBEs as an early indicator of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

Main Methods:

  • 13 subjects (10 with Parkinson disease, 3 controls) with prior RBEs underwent two nights of video-supported polysomnography (vPSG).
  • During the second night, subjects were awakened from REM sleep to report dream content upon experiencing RBEs.
  • REM sleep without atonia (RWA) was quantified using chin EMG, with a cutoff of 18.2% for RBD diagnosis.

Main Results:

  • Nine of 13 subjects with RBEs met clinical and EMG criteria for RBD at follow-up.
  • All subjects recalled vivid dreams, with 7 describing dream content in detail.
  • Four subjects had RWA below the RBD cutoff; three recalled non-threatening dreams, two in detail.

Conclusions:

  • REM sleep behavioral events (RBEs) with REM sleep without atonia (RWA) below diagnostic thresholds for RBD are associated with dreaming.
  • RBEs may represent a precursor to the development of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).