Sleep induced by intestinal stimulation in cats.

The influence of afferent impulses of intestinal origin on the sleep stages was studied in fed and starved cats. Low-frequency electrical stimulation of the mucosal surface in a small intestinal fistula reduced the latency of sleep onset. The number of slow wave sleep episodes decreased, but their mean duration increased during stimulation. Conversely, the number of paradoxical sleep episodes increased, but their mean duration was not significantly modified by the intestinal stimulation. The role of viscerosensory events in the control of sleep is discussed in relationship to these results.