slow-wave sleep

[ sloh-weyv sleep ]

noun

, Physiology.

1. a recurrent period of deep sleep, typically totaling five or six hours a night, distinguished by the presence of slow brain waves and by very little dreaming. : SWS Compare REM sleep ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of slow-wave sleep¹

First recorded in 1965–70; slow ( def ) + wave ( def )

Example Sentences

Pink noise has a frequency profile “very similar to the distribution of brain wave frequencies we see in slow-wave sleep because these are large, slow waves,” said Dr. Roneil Malkani, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

From Seattle Times

Saturated fats, such as that in burgers and fries and processed foods, could lead to less slow-wave sleep, which is considered the most restorative sleep.

From Salon

“The effect here, at least for memory, is quite related to the ability of the sound stimulus to enhance slow-wave sleep,” Zee told TIME.

From Seattle Times

"Slow-wave sleep, or deep sleep, supports the ageing brain in many ways, and we know that sleep augments the clearance of metabolic waste from the brain, including facilitating the clearance of proteins that aggregate in Alzheimer's disease," Associate Professor Pase said.

From Science Daily

"However, to date we have been unsure of the role of slow-wave sleep in the development of dementia. Our findings suggest that slow wave sleep loss may be a modifiable dementia risk factor."

From Science Daily