[Expert Solution]: Mr. Mart has come to the sleep clinic for an E

Mr. Mart has come to the sleep clinic for an EEG to aid in a diagnosis of a possible sleep disorder. You are the respiratory therapist who will be performing the study. Observing the study is a respiratory therapy student from the local community college who is interested in entering the sleep medicine field. The patient has had the electrodes attached and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask fitted. The patient is currently in bed, with lights out, and the EEG has begun. The student inquires: “It looks like the patient is not asleep but is relaxed. Is this a stage of sleep, and how do we knov he is in this stage?” Another question asked by the respiratory therapy student is: “Are distinct stages seen when a patient sleeps?” The student then asks: “Is there a stage that a person remains in the longest in normal sleep?” The inquisitive student then asks: “How will you know when the patient is in REM sleep?” “OK,” the student says, “So what distinguishes REM on the EEG?”