Mixed
Analysis of beat-to-beat heart rate variability (HRV) using non-linear dynamics, specifically detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) on pure sleep stage segments, can distinguish sleep stages (particularly deep sleep vs. REM sleep) more effectively than classical frequency analysis.
If you are analyzing sleep data, do not rely solely on standard heart rate averages or spectral power to determine sleep depth. Use non-linear analysis of beat-to-beat intervals, specifically filtering out transition periods between stages, to accurately distinguish between deep sleep (uncorrelated dynamics) and REM sleep (correlated dynamics).
systematic investigation of HRV—on the basis of pure sleep-stage episodes from which the transition phases had been disregarded—revealed distinct and highly pronounced differences between the sleep stages... The greatest differences arise between deep sleep on the one hand—with virtually uncorrelated beat-to-beat regulation—and REM sleep on the other, with extensively correlated beat-to-beat regulation of heart rate.
Why this rating
Based on multiple cited studies (Bunde et al., 2000; Penzel et al., 2003) showing distinct patterns, though clinical utility is still being established.
Source
Modulations of Heart Rate, ECG, and Cardio-Respiratory Coupling Observed in Polysomnography
Thomas Penzel et al. · Frontiers in Physiology · 2016
DOI 10.3389/fphys.2016.00460
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