Article
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The Sentinel Sleep Theory: The Biological Function of REM Sleep Unveiled
Version 1
: Received: 24 August 2024 / Approved: 26 August 2024 / Online: 27 August 2024 (13:12:56 CEST)
How to cite: Spinassi, R. The Sentinel Sleep Theory: The Biological Function of REM Sleep Unveiled. Preprints 2024, 2024081867. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1867.v1 Spinassi, R. The Sentinel Sleep Theory: The Biological Function of REM Sleep Unveiled. Preprints 2024, 2024081867. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1867.v1
Abstract
The biological function of rapid eye movement (or REM) sleep—one of the great mysteries of neuroscience—remains unknown. Here, I demonstrate that the biological function of REM sleep is to heighten brain alertness, significantly reducing the high vulnerability of deep sleep. Every organism with a nervous system must undergo deep sleep: a necessity that comes with substantial vulnerability. Deep sleep, by lowering alertness, compromises the organism's safety, putting its survival at risk. Therefore, REM sleep is a necessary adaptation for any organism that must sleep. My primary goal here is to present a comprehensive conceptual framework—supported by extensive empirical evidence—to connect numerous disparate empirical findings under a unified theory of the biological function of REM sleep. Additionally, I also provide a historical narrative to explain its origin and subsequent evolution. The theory I developed to explain the function of REM sleep is not only widely corroborated but has also resisted numerous attempts at refutation. This allows me to claim that I solved this great enigma of neuroscience.
Keywords
REM sleep; N-REM sleep; Theory; Scientific theory; Biological function; Evolution; Evolutionary biology; Evolutionary origin; Historical narrative
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Neuroscience and Neurology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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