JP2700469B2 - Sleep learning device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a REM sleep detection device for clearly recognizing a dream in a REM sleep stage. In psychology laboratories and hospitals, it is an open fact that dream judgment as a method of psychoanalysis plays an important role in research and treatment. It is a well-known fact that sleep includes REM sleep and non-REM sleep, and dreams appear in a very clear form at the stage of REM sleep.

However, it has been very difficult to extract the dream of this REM sleep stage by the conventional method. To describe the conventional method in detail, various types of electrodes were applied to the subject (electroencephalogram (abbreviated as EEG) measured from the surface of the skull, electro-oculogram (EOG) derived from the electrode attached to the periphery of the eye, Electrodes such as electromyograms (EMG) derived from the electrodes) were attached, and the subjects, including doctors and other specialists, operated or monitored the subject to sleep, measured the level of sleep, and completed the REM sleep phase Occasionally, he woken up to hear what he was dreaming about. The method described above has a drawback that expensive equipment and the necessity of attending experts are required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can be used safely and individually by detecting rapid eye movement that is a feature of REM sleep by a sensor or the like, and is easy to wear. It is an object of the present invention to provide a REM sleep detector free from discomfort. The present invention can also be a sleep learning device or a dream guiding device.

Since the discovery of REM sleep in 1952, REM sleep levels have been shown to respond sensitively to external sensory stimuli. For example, spraying fog on the subject's face with a sprayer during the REM sleep stage could see a dream that was raining, whispering a word at the ear and inducing a dream related to that word, etc. Experimental reports have been made.

Last year (1987), the US Council also reported to the US Army that sleep learning and image training were methods that could benefit soldiers and improve their skills. The U.S. Army had consulted experts on techniques to enhance human abilities, and the report confirmed that sleep learning reminds you that you learned while improving memory skills or waking up. It is said that.

Although there was a sleep learning device in the past, instead of directly detecting REM sleep, it was possible to play audio from the connected tape recorder for one hour at the end of sleep or one hour before waking up, probably an element with only a timer function. Was strong.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an eye mask (goggles) mounted on the head H, 1a a plate-shaped portion on the back surface (face side), and a sensor 1b for detecting the movement of an eyeball is mounted on 1a. An infrared sensor is suitable as this sensor. sensor
A power supply and a controller 2 for driving this are connected to 1b. This controller includes the following seven item circuits.

1) Amplifier circuit 2) Filter and rectifier circuit 3) Level discriminator circuit 4) Signal holding circuit 5) Timer circuit 6) Switch circuit 7) Audio output circuit Further, power supply and controller 2 are connected to magnetic tape player 3. I have.

With the configuration described above, the sleep stage will be described first. FIG. 3 shows a diagram of sleep over night in an experiment. Sleeping time 23:10, awakening time 6:30.
There are four complete non-REM / REM sleep cycles, separated by vertical dashed lines.

The number of sleep cycles varies between individuals depending on the length of sleep time, but the fact that non-REM sleep and REM sleep form a single sleep cycle is a very typical characteristic of sleep. I know. Dreams that emerged during REM sleep are clearly self-recognized if they wake up immediately after the REM sleep stage or immediately after REM sleep ends, and conversely, the longer the time it takes to wake up after REM sleep ends, the more memory the dream has. It is a well-known fact that there is a property of fading.
And as mentioned above, the eyeball moves very quickly during REM sleep.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the above description. First of all, about the method of self-recognition of the dream seen during REM sleep. The subject wears the eye mask 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and falls asleep. An eye movement signal detected by the sensor 1b is sent to the controller 2 and is discriminated by a level discriminator circuit which compares the signal with a preset reference level. The switch circuit is turned on when the signal shifts from the REM sleep level to the non-REM sleep level, makes the sound output circuit audible with a buzzer or the like, and awakens the subject. You can now self-recognize the REM sleep dream of the first sleep cycle. Also, by using a timer circuit together, for example, it is possible to correspond to REM sleep that appears after 5:00 am.

Similarly, when used as a sleep learning device, the controller 2
Using a secondary device such as a magnetic tape player connected to the device, switch on at the start of REM sleep and OFF at the end of REM sleep, so that you can hear the learning information generated from the secondary device only at the stage of REM sleep. I can do it. Also, when using it for an experiment to induce a dream, turn on the secondary device at the same time as starting REM sleep and hear the information blown into the magnetic tape etc. in advance, and at the stage when REM sleep is finished, the buzzer sound from the audio output circuit etc. Awakens the subject.

As described above, since the present invention is easy to handle and can be sufficiently used by individual users, for example, a psychiatrist lends it to an outpatient and enhances the therapeutic effect by psychoanalysis,
Sleep researchers have the advantage that self-study can be easily promoted.In addition, by using relaxing music, natural sounds, and other effective messages instead of learning information at the time of sleep learning There are also effects such as relieving stress. It should be noted that a device for detecting REM sleep by detecting eye movement with various sensors or a combination with other devices is all included in the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram when an embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 2 is a front view of a part of FIG. FIG. 3 is a progress chart of a subject's sleep to explain the sleep stages underlying the present invention. 1 ... Eye mask, 2 ... Power and controller, 3 ... Magnetic tape player, 1a ... Plate, 1b ... Infrared sensor, H
……head

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A means for detecting and determining the REM sleep stage of a subject by rapid eye movement, a controller for outputting an operation signal in a range from the start to the end of the determined REM sleep, and a controller for the controller. A sleep learning device that is controlled in operation by a signal and that transmits a message such as learning information and a relaxing sound effect to the subject by an audible sound.