Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1987 May;26(5):485-91.
doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(87)90032-3.

Rapid eye movement sleep in man: modulation by benzodiazepines

A Belyavin, A N Nicholson

Rapid eye movement sleep in man: modulation by benzodiazepines

A Belyavin et al. Neuropharmacology. 1987 May.

Abstract

The modulation of rapid eye movement REM sleep in man by benzodiazepines has been analysed using 366 sleep recordings with at least 3 REM periods, obtained in 25 individuals, over 9 years. Sleep-dependent and sleep-independent mechanisms are believed to control REM activity, and the effect of benzodiazepines can be explained if the sleep-dependent influence is modified. It is suggested that a negative feedback mechanism, which usually encourages the appearance of REM periods, is depressed, while a threshold and oscillator which determine the cyclical appearance of the activity, and its relation with the onset of sleep, are unaffected.

PubMed Disclaimer