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REM SleepEvidence & Dosage

Dreams, emotional processing, procedural memory.

Studies last updated

Evidence at a glance

Total studies
1,000
With abstract
50
Meta / Systematic / RCT
149
Highly cited
50
Publication years
1975–2026

REM Sleep in the context of Sleep

This topic is part of our "Sleep" world. There you'll find methodology, evidence and the highest-impact levers — plus the order in which they sensibly build on each other.

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Top studies on REM Sleep

Ranked by influential-citation count and publication year.

  1. Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy individuals: developing normative sleep values across the human lifespan.

    Sleep2004n=3,577Meta-Analysis200 influential citations

    <h4>Objectives</h4>The purposes of this study were to identify age-related changes in objectively recorded sleep patterns across the human life span in healthy individuals and to clarify whether sleep latency and percentages of stage 1,…

  2. Sleep and psychiatric disorders. A meta-analysis.

    Arch Gen Psychiatry1992n=7,151Meta-Analysis200 influential citations

    We reviewed the literature on sleep in psychiatric disorders and evaluated the data by meta-analysis, a statistical method designed to combine data from different studies. A total of 177 studies with data from 7151 patients and controls…

  3. Sleep and mental disorders: A meta-analysis of polysomnographic research.

    Psychol Bull2016Meta-Analysis200 influential citations

    Investigating sleep in mental disorders has the potential to reveal both disorder-specific and transdiagnostic psychophysiological mechanisms. This meta-analysis aimed at determining the polysomnographic (PSG) characteristics of several…

  4. Benzodiazepines and Sleep Architecture: A Systematic Review.

    CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets2023systematic182 influential citations

    BACKGROUND: Insomnia, defined as a difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep, is a relevant medical issue. Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are commonly prescribed to treat insomnia. Two phases characterize human sleep structure: sleep with…

  5. Sleep and wakefulness disturbances in Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis on prevalence and clinical aspects of REM sleep behavior disorder, excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia.

    Sleep Med Rev2023Meta-Analysis128 influential citations

    Sleep disorders (SDs) are common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) with wide variability in their prevalence rates. The etiology of SDs in PD is multifactorial because the degenerative processes underlying the disease and…

    Finding: In patients with Parkinson's disease, the pooled prevalence of REM sleep behavior disorder was 46%.

  6. A systematic review of the literature on disorders of sleep and wakefulness in Parkinson's disease from 2005 to 2015.

    Sleep Med Rev2017Systematic Review122 influential citations

    Sleep disorders are among the most common non-motor manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD) and have a significant negative impact on quality of life. While sleep disorders in PD share most characteristics with those that occur in the…

  7. Associations between objectively measured sleep parameters and cognition in healthy older adults: A meta-analysis.

    Sleep Med Rev2023n=72Meta-Analysis117 influential citations

    Multiple studies have examined associations between sleep and cognition in older adults, but a majority of these depend on self-reports on sleep and utilize cognitive tests that assess overall cognitive function. The current meta-analysis…

  8. Promoting memory consolidation during sleep: A meta-analysis of targeted memory reactivation.

    Psychol Bull2020n=2,004Meta-Analysis104 influential citations

    Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) is a methodology employed to manipulate memory processing during sleep. TMR studies have great potential to advance understanding of sleep-based memory consolidation and corresponding neural mechanisms.…

  9. Sleep Disorders in Cancer-A Systematic Review.

    Int J Environ Res Public Health2021n=89systematic100 influential citations

    INTRODUCTION: Sleep disorders, especially insomnia, are very common in different kinds of cancers, but their prevalence and incidence are not well-known. Disturbed sleep in cancer is caused by different reasons and usually appears as a…

  10. The effects of acute exercise on sleep: a quantitative synthesis.

    Sleep1997n=401Meta-Analysis93 influential citations

    We used meta-analytic methods to examine the influence of acute exercise on sleep. Thirty-eight studies were reviewed yielding 211 effects on 401 subjects. Mean effect sizes were calculated for sleep onset latency (SOL), stage 2, slow-wave…

Frequently asked

Are there safety considerations for REM Sleep?
• BZDs may reduce REM sleep and deeper NREM stages. • Potential deficits in concentration and working memory are noted. • Weight gain is mentioned as a possible consequence. • Patients should be closely monitored for long-term side effects.

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Teeth grinding — stress, night guard, trigger factors.

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Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia — first-line therapy per the guidelines.

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The internal ~24h clock — light as the main signal, peripheral clocks in the organs.

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Continuous positive airway pressure — the standard for moderate apnea.

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