Rapid increase to double breathing rate appears during REM Sleep in synchrony with REM -A higher CNS control of breathing?

Breathing rate (BR) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is known to fluctuate largely, while increases in BR during REM sleep reported were small. In our mice experiments, we found that mice exhibit a rapid increase in instantaneous BR (RIBR) of >2 fold during natural sleep with accompanying atonia, laying their sides down. The RIBR was further found in a sleeping mouse attached with EEG electrodes when the EEG amplitude and delta wave power were lower. Therefore, it is likely that mice show RIBRs during REM sleep. Interestingly, similar RIBRs accompanied by atonia and REM burst during REM sleep were also found in humans by standard polysomnographic studies in 11 healthy volunteers (age: 22.3 ± 2.8) with BR measurement by nasal/oral airflow sensors and chest/abdomen belt sensors. All subjects underwent RIBR of doubled BR at least once a night. As SpO₂ before RIBRs was a level not effective to be a respiratory stimulant (96.7 ± 1.6 %, n = 63), the RIBR seems to be controlled by higher central nervous system rather than autonomic nervous system control on response to central and peripheral chemical sensors. In fact, tachypnea with suppressed amplitude during RIBR resulted in a slight fall in SpO₂ (96.4 ± 1.7 %, p = 0.0007). In the present study, RIBRs accompanied by atonia and REM were not necessarily consistent in change in rate and/or amplitude, therefore, these various pattern of RIBRs may be potential indices of dreams with various emotional contents. Analysis of instantaneous BR, thus, may be a helpful tool for understanding the neural control of breathing during REM sleep.