In REM sleep, the CO2 response is:

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Multiple Choice

In REM sleep, the CO2 response is:

During REM sleep, the ventilatory response to CO2 is depressed. The brain’s CO2-driven drive to breathe is reduced in REM compared with wakefulness, so increases in CO2 produce a smaller increase in ventilation than they would when awake. This blunted chemoreflex helps explain the more variable and sometimes irregular breathing seen in REM sleep, alongside the characteristic muscle atonia and autonomic fluctuations. In contrast, when awake, CO2 strongly stimulates breathing, and during non-REM sleep the response is still present but less robust than in wakefulness. Therefore, the best characterization for REM sleep is a depressed CO2 response.

During REM sleep, the ventilatory response to CO2 is depressed. The brain’s CO2-driven drive to breathe is reduced in REM compared with wakefulness, so increases in CO2 produce a smaller increase in ventilation than they would when awake. This blunted chemoreflex helps explain the more variable and sometimes irregular breathing seen in REM sleep, alongside the characteristic muscle atonia and autonomic fluctuations.

In contrast, when awake, CO2 strongly stimulates breathing, and during non-REM sleep the response is still present but less robust than in wakefulness. Therefore, the best characterization for REM sleep is a depressed CO2 response.

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