Respiration shapes sleep-oscillations and memory reactivation in humans

Abstract The beneficial effect of sleep on memory consolidation relies on the precise interplay of slow oscillations (SOs) and spindles. However, whether these rhythms are orchestrated by an underlying pacemaker has remained elusive. Here, we tested whether respiration, which has been shown to impact brain rhythms and cognition during wake, shapes memory reactivation by modulating sleep-related oscillations and their interplay in humans. We recorded scalp EEG and respiration throughout an experiment in which participants acquired associative memories before taking a nap. Our results reveal that respiration strongly modulates the emergence of sleep oscillations. Specifically, SOs, spindles as well as their interplay (i.e., coupled SO_spindle complexes) systematically increase towards inhalation peaks. Moreover, the strength of respiration-SO_spindle coupling is linked to the extent of memory reactivation during SO_spindles. Our results identify respiration as a potential pacemaker for memory consolidation in humans and highlight the critical role of brain-body interactions during sleep.