benzodiazepines ↔ REM sleep

Relations (1)

related 2.00 — strongly supporting 3 facts

Benzodiazepines are pharmacologically linked to REM sleep because they are known to decrease the duration of this sleep stage [1], [2] and increase the arousal threshold during it [3].

Facts (3)

Sources

Physiology, Sleep Stages - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH ncbi.nlm.nih.gov National Library of Medicine 3 facts

claimBenzodiazepines increase the arousal threshold in stage N3 and REM sleep, which are the two sleep stages known to have the highest arousal thresholds.

claimAlcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are associated with decreased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

claimBenzodiazepines decrease the overall time spent in stage N3 and REM sleep, making them useful for treating night terrors and sleepwalking, which occur during these sleep phases.