What effect does benzodiazepine have on sleep architecture during a polysomnography?

Benzodiazepines primarily function as central nervous system depressants and have a significant impact on sleep architecture during polysomnography. One of the notable effects they have is the reduction of sleep latency, which refers to the time it takes for an individual to transition from full wakefulness to sleep. Additionally, benzodiazepines tend to increase the percentage of light sleep, particularly stage N1. This reflects their ability to induce a quicker onset of sleep but can also suggest a less restful sleep experience because the balance of sleep stages is altered.

The other options do not accurately describe the effects of benzodiazepines on sleep. For instance, they tend to suppress REM sleep rather than increase it, and although they may stabilize sleep overall, they do not enhance deep sleep stages as effectively as other treatments might. Benzodiazepines can sometimes lead to waking after sleep onset, but this is more of a secondary effect and less characteristic than the demonstrated decrease in sleep latency and the increase in light sleep.