Sleep Twitches Connected to Brain Development

In a recent study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers from the University of Iowa found that twitches that occur during sleep activate the brains of mammals differently than movements made during awake. Researchers say the findings show twitches during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep comprise a different class of movement and provide further evidence that sleep twitches activate circuits throughout the developing brain. In this way, twitches teach newborns about their limbs and what they can do with them. “Every time we move while awake, there is a mechanism in our brain that allows us to understand that it is we who made the movement,” said the study’s lead author. “But twitches seems to be different in that the brain is unaware that they are self-generated. And this difference between sleep and wake movements may be critical for how twitches, which are most frequent in early infancy, contribute to brain development.” The latest discovery is further evidence that sleep twitches — whether in dogs, cats or humans — are connected to brain development, not dreams. To read more about this study, click here.