Relationship of fasting gastroduodenal motility to the sleep cycle.

The cyclical pattern of fasting gastroduodenal contractile activity, termed the "migrating myoelectric complex," was studied during sleep in 9 healthy human subjects over 41 nights. Power spectral analysis revealed that peaks in the region of 11-16 cycle/day were present for sleep stage changes, duodenal contractile activity, and body movements during sleep. Gastric contractile activity, however, peaked between 7 and 11 cycle/day. Average coherence values between sleep stage changes and duodenal contractile activity were significant (p less than 0.05) and indicated an interrelationship between these two patterns of activity. This was most clearly demonstrated at frequencies below 14 cycle/day. Average coherence values between body movements during sleep and duodenal contractile activity were also significant (p less than 0.05) at approximately 18 cycle/day. These results support the concept of an oscillator, external to the gut and possible central in location, that influences several functions including migrating myoelectric complex periodicity.