A medical term referring to the usually temporary loss of muscle coordination. In the context of sleep science, atonia refers to the natural inhibition of neural impulses to one's skeletal muscles the body undergoes during sleep.
In sleep pathology, atonia that fails to recede upon awakening results in sleep paralysis; conversely, a failure of the brain to properly induce atonia during sleep results in night terrors.
by Inlovewithabsol September 10, 2023