REM Behavior Disorder, a sleep condition where people physically act out their dreams during REM sleep, potentially causing injury. The brain fails to paralyze muscles during dreaming.
Medical acronym formed in late 20th century from 'REM Behavior Disorder.' REM comes from 'Rapid Eye Movement,' the sleep stage characterized by vivid dreams and normally accompanied by muscle paralysis.
RBD offers a fascinating window into the brain's sleep architecture—it reveals that our dreams are normally accompanied by a chemical paralysis that prevents us from acting them out. People with RBD essentially get to perform their dreams, though this can be dangerous.
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