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Multiple Choice

Heart rate in NREM sleep is

During NREM sleep the autonomic nervous system shifts toward parasympathetic dominance, producing a slower but very steady heart rate with minimal beat-to-beat variation. This regular rhythm reflects the reduced metabolic demands and stable autonomic tone of NREM, especially in deeper stages. In contrast, REM sleep brings more irregular and variable heart rate due to phasic autonomic activity, and wakefulness tends to have a faster, more variable rate. So the heart rate in NREM sleep is best described as regular. (Note: the rate itself is often decreased compared with wakefulness, but the defining pattern here is the regular rhythm.)

During NREM sleep the autonomic nervous system shifts toward parasympathetic dominance, producing a slower but very steady heart rate with minimal beat-to-beat variation. This regular rhythm reflects the reduced metabolic demands and stable autonomic tone of NREM, especially in deeper stages. In contrast, REM sleep brings more irregular and variable heart rate due to phasic autonomic activity, and wakefulness tends to have a faster, more variable rate. So the heart rate in NREM sleep is best described as regular. (Note: the rate itself is often decreased compared with wakefulness, but the defining pattern here is the regular rhythm.)