Andrew Huberman· PhD
REM sleep was referred to as paradoxical sleep, is that still a good way to think about it? Paradoxical because the brain is so active, and yet we are essentially paralyzed, correct?
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The headline is broadly defensible, but the qualifications matter. Effect sizes vary by population, the strongest claims rest on shorter trials, and credible voices push back on how it's typically framed.
REM sleep was referred to as paradoxical sleep, is that still a good way to think about it? Paradoxical because the brain is so active, and yet we are essentially paralyzed, correct?
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There was a study a couple of years ago, where when people are in rapid eye movement sleep, you're basically paralyzed. The brain is very, very active. That's the phenomenon of rapid eye movement sleep. It's very bizarre brain state. Brain is super active, body paralyzed. But people can blink and they can show some little like facial responses. If you ask them to do simple math problems during rapid eye movement sleep, you say, hey, what's 2 plus 2. They'll blink with your-- wink with your right eye if it's four, wink with your other eye if it's five. People can do math correctly in their sleep.
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