REM stands for rapid eye movement and is a sleep state which describes when a person is in light sleep. The other main type of sleep is deep sleep, something sleep specialists refer to as non-REM sleep.
How REM Sleep Affects Toddlers
REM sleep is when a person is closest to being awake and is the state of sleep where dreams occur. It is possible that infants also dream, but it is when toddlers are able to talk that they can confirm that they have dreams. In Sleep Disorders, Wilson & Nutt (2008) explain that the entry into REM sleep is typically rapid and sudden, where an EEG (electroencephalogram) appears very similar to when one is awake. It is thought that toddlers are likely to experience a far greater amount of REM sleep than that of adults.
In Helping Your Toddler to Sleep, Mulholland (2009) identifies that the toddler experiencing REM sleep is affected very differently to when in non-REM sleep, including as follows:
- eyelids closed but eyes appear to move side to side (hence term rapid eye movement)
- toddler uses up more energy and oxygen
- child may twitch and jerk in his sleep
- breathing and heartbeat become irregular
- dreams most likely to occur
What Happens to Toddlers in Non-REM Sleep?
In contrast to REM sleep, otherwise known as light sleep, it is in non-REM sleep that the toddler will be in a deep sleep, thus much harder to waken. By the age of one, it is this deep non-REM sleep which most children begin with as they close their eyes and drift off to sleep. Non-REM sleep may be further divided into four stages, ranging from the drowsiness stage to being deeply asleep. Mulholland (2008) describes what happens to the toddler whilst he is experiencing non-REM sleep, to include the following:
- heart rate lowers
- more regular heart rate
- breathing slows down
- breathes deeply and lies very still
- muscles in state of relaxation
- difficult to wake up
- very little dreaming
The child's sleep cycle is known to lengthen as the toddler grows, resulting in experiencing less REM sleep. This means that, as time goes on, it is far less likely that the child will wake up once asleep, which is certainly good news for parents.
As highlighted above, everyone has different stages of sleep they go through, which include REM and non-REM sleep, with toddlers having more REM sleep than older children. Sleep is important for good physical and mental health, making it crucial to get children into a bedtime routine as early on as possible.
Sources:
Mulholland, S. (2009) Helping Your Toddler to Sleep London: Vermilion
Wilson, S. & Nutt, D. (2008) Sleep Disorders Oxford University Press
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
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