Finding from UAlberta neuroscientists point to potential for oxygen therapy for disrupted sleep.

“We found that when we administer oxygen, our subjects’ brains switch out of active sleep, and remain in a deactivated, slow-wave state the entire time,” explained Brandon Hauer, PhD student in the neuroscience graduate program administered by the cross-faculty Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute. “Interestingly, when we removed the oxygen, the brain started cycling back through active, or rapid-eye-movement, sleep again.”