J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 55(3): 322-331, 1954

---

Original article

CHANGES IN THE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM DURING WHOLE NIGHT NATURAL SLEEP

Electroencephalograms during whole night natural sleep of the normal adult were recorded using an 8 channel "GRASS" instrument. Having referred to the reports of Loomis, Davis and Gibbs, the results are summarized as follows.
CHANGES DURING THE ONSET OF SLEEP (Awake-Light Sleep-Deep Sleep)
1. Stage of Suppressed Waves (Drowsy State, Stage A of Loomis et al, Stage B of Gibbs)
(i) Mixture of low voltage waves in alpha pattern (Fig. 2,→Fig. 3)
(ii) Generalized low voltage alpha waves (Fig. 4)
2. St. of Ripple Waves
Frequency of the generally suppressed waves is gradually increased to 18-22 c/s and superimposed on this pattern there appear 4-6 c/s low voltage slow waves which look like "ripple". (Fig. 5) In this stage, respiration is stable and slightly deepened.
3. St. of Humps
Random slow waves (3-5 c/s) of very high voltage are seen isolated or, occasinally, in a series of a few numbers. (Fig. 6) The time to get in this stage from st. of ripple waves varies individually, however, in general, is short in the younger.
4. St. of Mixture of Humps and Spindles
The above mentioned random slow waves of very high voltage are followed by very short bursts of 14-16 c/s waves. (St. C of Gibbs) And this burst becomes longer in duration. (St. D of Gibbs) (Fig. 7) The period to come up to this stage from st. 3 is generally only a few minutes.
5. St. of Spindles
Hump waves are gradually replaced by spindles, particularly in the parietal lead. (Fig. 8)
The period of this stage is very short.
6. St. of Hill Waves
Following st. 5, large slow waves in a form of base-line sway appear in all leads.
Spindles are still mixed in its beginning period. (St E of Gibbs) (Fig. 9)
In the deepest sleep, these spindles disappear gradually and 1/2-1 c/s slow waves of very high voltage govern al leads, without any synchronization in each lead. (St. F of Gibbs) (Fig. 10) We call this pattern as "Sleep Hills" This stage is most stable and keeps the longest period (30-60 minutes).
CHANGES AFTER THE FIRST DEEPEST SLEEP (Deepest Sleep-Morning Awake)
Sleep process after the first deepest sleep is generally random repetitions of the above mentioned stages and shows no definite order in appearance. Though the specific pattern appering in the early morning light sleep period such as Null Stage was described by Loomis et al., we could not find in any lead the same type of pattern in any of our subjects.
However, we noticed, not necessarily in the early morning process, but in any period after the first deepest sleep, particulary synchronized bursts of spindles in the base pattern which looks like st. of ripple waves. We call this pattern as the Stage of Generalized Spindles. In this stage, the sudject seems to be in very comfortable sleep.
The difference between the wake patterns before going to sleep and after the morning awake is discussed.
(authors' abstract)

---

---

To read the PDF file you will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer.