Is it possible for deep meditation to simulate REM sleep?

Q: Is it possible for deep meditation to simulate REM sleep?  My sleep graph shows that I alternated between awake and REM 9 times in four hours but I felt awake the whole time.  I actually watched the Zeo machine say I was in  REM while I was awake looking at it. During this time, I focused on slowing my breathing and trying to mediate myself back to sleep.

A: Yes, meditation has been shown to have a similar “profile” of brain wave activity in laboratory tests to some kinds of sleep, including REM. Keep in mind that different meditation styles probably have different physical correlates in the brain–and that the lines between sleep, wake, and memory are often hazy.

Sometimes when we are lying in bed quietly after waking up from REM, we may still actually be in REM if we don’t move a muscle. This is called “covert REM” sleep, and may be responsible for dream imagery one sees after waking up.  It’s possible that Zeo is recording your brain activity as REM if you just woke up and looked at the clock without making a lot of movement, even if you feel “awake” at the time.  This is due to the similarity of REM sleep to to relaxed wakefulness, both of which have no major dominant brain waves and relatively low voltage activity.

That said, some meditation styles have been shown to exhibit similar brain activity to sleep states. The concentrative meditation styles of Transcendental Meditation and some Buddhist meditations—involving the watching of the breath and sustained focus-—are associated with increases in alpha and theta activation in the brain.

One thing to keep in mind: alpha activity is largely generated from the back of the head, and because Zeo measures from the frontal lobe, it means that these waves are harder to catch, causing Wake to be registered as another stage.

On the other hand, the presence of alpha waves in non-REM sleep is usually associated with poor sleep quality, not necessarily a higher state of consciousness!

Fun Fact: A 2010 study found evidence that long-term meditators don’t need as much sleep as non-meditators, possibly validating the lore that Yogis get less sleep.

Related Questions:

• What are some good Yoga positions to help relax before bed?
• Why do I feel better when I get less Deep and REM than more?
• Any tips for someone who’s overworked, sleep deprived, and feeling anxious?
• Is it true that REM sleep is “deeper” than Deep sleep?
• Could white noise and/or meditation help me get Deep sleep?

Academic References:

• Prashant Kaul, Jason Passafiume, Craig R Sargent, and Bruce F O’Hara. Meditation acutely improves psychomotor vigilance, and may decrease sleep need. Behavior and Brain Function 6: 47.
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2919439/

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