Thousands of people are faced with medical issues that have
effects on their breathing patterns during sleep. They are,
however, not the only people whose breath changes during
slumber; the breathing patterns of a normal person with no
medical issues also changes while they sleep because the body
has a lower rate of metabolism. Because of the lower rate of
metabolism, there is less demand for the body to receive
ventilation. There are multiple changes that take place in the
breath pattern during sleep including changes in the breath
itself, the airway, and the muscles that make the respiratory
system function. All of the changes that take place occur in
different stages of sleep. Changes in the breath are less
pronounced in the shallow stages of sleep, Non-REM sleep. In
congruence, the more noticeable changes in the respiratory
system take place during the deeper phases of sleep, Rapid Eye
Movement, or REM sleep. The breath undergoes many different
changes during sleep. The breath becomes shallower during sle