REM Sleep - Can SleepHead Give a Determination--or Guestimate?

[SideSleeper]

I occasionally see REM sleep mentioned in posts, but how you you check on it without an EKG?

[Crimson Nape]

As far as I know it's a basic guess, even when using the graphs in SleepyHead.

[pholynyk]

I doubt that SleepyHead can help, but an IR video camera might catch the Rapid Eye Movements (the eyeballs moving behind the eyelids) - as long as you happen to be facing it.

Anybody for building a home sleep lab?

[justMongo]

Two small skin sensors could catch the eye muscle movement during REM.
Sort of an electromyogram. A couple of LM741 OP Amps could be used as a filter and amplifier.

[DariaVader]

Someone on the forum said that respiration during REM looks like awake respiration and that you can use respiration patterns to guess. I ran that by my sleepdoc who agreed...

I used that logic to ascertain that when I began therapy, I was getting 2 REM periods per night when lucky, and often only 1. After 6 mo of therapy was getting 2 to 3 and now it is 3 to 4. It did take a full year for me to really feel rested, and I figure that is a big part of the reason.

[Mosquitobait]

You can never be sure unless it's show up in a lab study. In my case, the only time I have apnea/hypopnea is during near REM or REM. Showed that on both studies. Other people don't have such significant demarcation.