Question

97. REM sleep is also known as paradoxical sleep because:

(A) Measures of the brain activity closely resemble waking consciousness, but the person is in the deepest stage of sleep.
(B) Measures of the brain activity closely resemble waking consciousness, but the person is incapable of moving.
(C) The person's heart rate is slower than when awake, but the person can sleepwalk or sleep talk.
(D) The person can have night terrors during this stage but will not remember them in the morning.
(E) The person's vital signs are very slow, but the person can get up and walk around.

Answer 1

REM sleep, or paradoxical sleep, is characterized by brain activity similar to wakefulness paired with muscle paralysis, leading to a lack of voluntary movement despite the active brain state. The correct option is A).

Step-by-step explanation:

REM sleep is also known as paradoxical sleep because measures of the brain activity closely resemble waking consciousness, but the person is incapable of moving.

This sleep phase is characterized by rapid eye movement, brain waves very similar to those during wakefulness, and paralysis of muscle systems in the body except for those that make circulation and respiration possible.

Thus, despite high brain activity, voluntary muscles do not move during REM sleep, which can seem paradoxical. REM sleep is important for learning and memory and involves phenomena such as dreaming. Option A) is the correct one.