Role of cardiorespiratory synchronization and sleep physiology: effects on membrane potential in the restorative functions of sleep

Abstract Although sleep physiology has been extensively studied, many of the cellular processes that occur during sleep and the functional significance of sleep remain unclear. The degree of cardiorespiratory synchronization during sleep increases during the progression of slow-wave sleep (SWS). Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity also assumes a pattern that correlates with the progression of sleep. The ANS is an integral part of physiologic processes that occur during sleep with the respective contribution of parasympathetic and sympathetic activity varying between different sleep stages. In our paper, we attempt to unify the activities of various physiologic systems, namely the cardiac, respiratory, ANS and brain, during sleep into a consolidated picture with particular attention to the membrane potential of neurons. In our unified model, we explore the potential of sleep to promote restorative processes in the brain.