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Stages of Sleep

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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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Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep-Wake Cycles

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NREM Sleep
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REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Published on: August 2, 2017

Behavioral-state development and sleep-state differentiation during early ontogenesis.

Emilie Bourel-Ponchel¹, Danièle Hasaerts², Marie-Josèphe Challamel³

¹INSERM UMR 1105, Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, University of Picardie Jules Verne, 80036 Amiens Cedex, France; INSERM UMR 1105, Pediatric Neurophysiology Unit, Amiens-Picardie University Hospital, 1 rond-point du Pr Christian Chabrol, 80054 Amiens Cedex, France.

Neurophysiologie Clinique = Clinical Neurophysiology

|November 5, 2020

Summary

Understanding sleep states and cycles in premature infants is crucial for neurodevelopment. Polysomnography helps assess sleep quality, aiding early detection of disorders and improving neurodevelopmental care.

Keywords:

Brain maturation EEG Electroencephalography Full-term newborn Polysomnography Premature infants Sleep cycle Sleep ontogenesis

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Last Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

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Published on: August 2, 2017

Chronic Sleep Deprivation in Mouse Pups by Means of Gentle Handling

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Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

Area of Science:

Neonatal neurophysiology
Developmental neuroscience
Sleep medicine

Background:

Sleep is vital for brain maturation, and premature birth can disrupt this process, potentially leading to neurodevelopmental impairments.
Understanding sleep maturation, sleep states, and their quality in high-risk neonates is essential for early intervention.
Sleep cyclicity and its relation to brain function in newborns are critical areas of research.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a detailed description of sleep states, cycles, and their organization in premature and term newborns based on gestational age.
To review the technical aspects and interpretation principles of polysomnography in neonates.
To discuss the neurophysiology of sleep development and its impact on brain maturation in premature infants.

Main Methods:

Review of polysomnography (PSG) techniques and interpretation in neonatal care.
Simultaneous analysis of behavioral observations, PSG parameters (electrooculogram, electrocardiogram, respiration), and electroencephalography (EEG).
Discussion of the neurophysiological basis of sleep ontogenesis and its interaction with brain maturation.

Main Results:

Sleep quality, assessed via PSG, reflects normal or pathological neurodevelopmental processes in neonates.
Myoclonic twitches during sleep play a role in sensorimotor development and functional connectivity.
Sleep state duration and quality are critically important for premature newborns' brain development.

Conclusions:

Polysomnography is fundamental for the early detection of sleep disorders in neonates.
Identifying sleep disturbances can guide neurodevelopmental care and help prevent impairments.
Optimizing sleep in premature infants is crucial for their long-term neurological outcomes.