Developments in Brief : Crib Death Linked to Lack of REM Sleep

Failing to fall into the dream-producing level of sleep known as REM, or rapid eye movement, may lead to permanent coma and possibly death, including “crib death,” a syndrome that affects babies and some Asian immigrants who die in their sleep for no apparent reason, says a neuroscientist.

Robert Vertes, a researcher at the Mercer University School of Medicine in Georgia, wrote in a report in Psychology Today that sleep suppresses brain activity but that dreams periodically revive it.

“REM serves the important function of periodically activating the brain during sleep without awakening the animal,” he said. “Failure of the periodic activation provided by REM episodes may lead to permanent loss of consciousness and possibly death during sleep.”

Vertes said infants at high risk of crib death, or sudden infant death syndrome, are known to have difficulty falling into REM sleep.

During REM episodes, the brain experiences a storm of electrophysiological activity similar to that seen during the time a person is awake.