Sleep onset REM periods observed after sleep interruption in normal short and normal long sleeping subjects

Among about 1000 male college students, 6 short and 5 long sleepers were finally selected on the basis of their responses to a sleep habit questionnaire. The subjects slept in the laboratory for 6 consecutive nights. On nights 4, 5 and 6, deliberate sleep interruption was performed during the second sleep cycle. During interruption, subjects were asked to perform 3 different kinds of tasks on each of the 3 nights. Stage REM latencies after interruption were distributed bimodally with peaks at sleep onset after the interruption (sleep onset REM period: SOREMP) and 50-60 min later (non-SOREMP). SOREMPs were observed only in the sleep of short sleepers. Short sleepers showed a shorter sleep latency and a greater amount of stage REM in the 2nd and the 3rd sleep cycle of their baseline sleep record than did long sleepers. These characteristics of short sleepers' sleep and sleep interruptions probably affected the occurrence of SOREMPs. The mean duration of SOREMPs was significantly shorter than that of non-SOREMPs.