Figure 5. A 30-second epoch of sleep best scored as transitional sleep (T).

The discontinuous EEG pattern of trace alternant, absence of eye movements and the regular heart rate suggest stage N, but irregular respiration and body movements are more consistent with REM sleep (stage R). The AASM Scoring rules for scoring sleep in infants recommend scoring stage T if 3 NREM + 2 REM characteristics or 2 REM and 3 NREM characteristics are discordant. See Figure 2 for explanation of the various channels displayed in the montage.