Psychology / Unit 3 Psych 0322 short lesson, about 20 seconds
REM Atonia
Captions available
The idea
REM atonia is the near-paralysis of voluntary muscles during REM sleep that prevents dreams from being acted out.
In practice
A sleeper dreaming of running lies still, with movement blocked below the level of the brainstem.
Where people slip
Atonia sometimes persists briefly on waking. That experience is sleep paralysis, not a medical emergency.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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