ultradian rhythms

• S: Haider: EEGs of 10 patients recovering from drug overdose showed increased REM sleep suggesting REM is for mental recovery
• S: there are practical applications to understanding ultradian rhythms technology and devices based on understanding sleep stages have been developed these track sleep and help people improve sleep avoiding waking in stage 4 stops people from feeling disoriented this type of technology leads to a happier healthier and more economically productive population
• L: the overall pattern of sleep stages is consistent, however there are individual differences w/ newborn babies spending 80% of sleep in REM compared to 20-25% in adults, suggesting that the stages of sleep is not a simple process but adapts to the developmental needs of the individual