Fractal cycles of sleep: a new aperiodic activity-based definition of sleep cycles
bioRxiv – July 04, 2023
Source: medRxiv/bioRxiv/arXiv
Summary
Sleep is more than just a series of cycles; it reflects complex patterns in our brain activity. This study introduces a fresh perspective by defining sleep cycles based on fractal neural activity, revealing their significance in understanding sleep stages and arousal. The findings enhance our grasp of how sleep functions, offering new insights into its vital role in health.
Abstract
Nocturnal human sleep consists of 4 – 6 ninety-minute cycles defined as episodes of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep followed by an episode of REM sleep. While sleep cycles are considered fundamental components of sleep, their functional significance largely remains unclear. One of the reasons for a lack of research progress in this field is the absence of a data-driven definition of sleep cycles. Here, we proposed to base such a definition on fractal (aperiodic) neural activity, a well-established marker of arousal and sleep stages.