slow-wave sleep

noun

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Definition of slow-wave sleep

: a state of deep usually dreamless sleep that occurs regularly during a normal period of sleep with intervening periods of REM sleep and that is characterized by delta waves and a low level of autonomic physiological activity

Recent Examples of slow-wave sleep from the Web

Those awakened from slow-wave sleep are groggy and disoriented.

— carl zimmer, New York Times, "Hot Heads: Why Mammals Need R.E.M. Sleep," 7 June 2018
Next, participants slept in the lab, and the experimenters waited until the deepest stage of sleep (slow-wave sleep) to once again expose them to the odour.

— sadie witkowski, Smithsonian, "Sleep-Learning Was a Myth, But You Could Strengthen Memories While You Snooze," 16 Feb. 2018
Of particular note: The deep, almost ethereal bass tones meant to promote slow-wave sleep, a phase that’s responsible for consolidating memory and learning as brain waves oscillate at the supremely mellow frequency of 10Hz.

— corey seymour, Vogue, "Max Richter’s Eight-Hour Ambient Piece Will Put You To Sleep—Actually, That’s The Whole Point," 30 Mar. 2018
This worked only if they had been exposed to the rose odour during learning, and had smelled it during slow-wave sleep.

— sadie witkowski, Smithsonian, "Sleep-Learning Was a Myth, But You Could Strengthen Memories While You Snooze," 16 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slow-wave sleep.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.