What are sleep cycles and why they matter for our health?
We all need sleep and that’s something nobody can deny, however, what some of us frequently overlook is the hours of sleep that our body requires. We are living in a chaotic world, filled with numerous tasks and obligations, which is why we forget to focus on it. It’s of huge relevance to think about our sleep quality because the time we’ve spent sleeping can be very restorative. Generally speaking, the sleep cycle consists of four different sleep stages.
All of them are essential if we want to get high-quality rest. Each of these stages allows both our body and mind to stay refreshed. That's why it's crucial to understand every single sleep cycle. If you're not familiar with it, stay tuned and you'll be provided with the necessary information.
Everything you need to know about sleep cycles:
Are They All The Same?
Generally speaking, sleep cycles are prone to change, as you are going through the nightly sleep. The first cycle is usually the shortest and lasts between seventy to one hundred minutes. When it comes to the later ones, they last between ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes.
The composition of each of these cycles represents the amount of time you've spent in every sleep stage. Furthermore, these cycles differ from person to person, as well as the night, and it depends on various factors, such as alcohol consumption, recent sleep patterns, and your age.
The Stages Of Sleep:
When it comes to this topic, scientists tend to use the term sleep architecture. What does it represent? It refers to the physical construction of the sleep cycle. The cycle of a healthy person usually consists of four different stages.
Now, before we proceed it would be recommendable to discuss the sleep calculator. A lot of people have no idea what it represents and sleep savants at https://puffy.com/blogs/wellness/sleep-calculator-want-to-know-the-best-time-to-sleep-wake-up want to remind you that it’s crucial to get yourself familiar with it if you want to constantly feel alive and refreshed. Now, let’s move on to the sleep cycles and talk more about them.
NREM 1: The first stage showcases the transition between sleep and wakefulness and it embodies light sleep that is characterized by moderate reduction to your eye movements, heartbeat, brain wave activity, and breathing rate. During this cycle, your muscles will start to relax, even though you may experience some type of twitching, widely known as hypnic jerks. Moreover, this stage normally lasts for several minutes.
NREM 2: The second stage, just like the previous one, consists of light sleep. The only difference is the fact that your breathing rate, heartbeat, brain wave activity, and eye movements are going to drop to much lower levels in comparison to the first phase. More importantly, your body temperature is also going to drastically decrease and you will no longer experience any eye movements. This stage is the longest one out of these four.
NREM 3: This one marks the beginning of deep sleep, or as many tend to call it slow-wave. Breathing rates, heartbeat, and brain wave activity are going to significantly decrease to the lowest possible levels and your muscles are going to be completely relaxed. This stage doesn’t represent a moment when you are first falling asleep. Many experts thought that this phase also involved a second slow-wave stage, widely known as NREM 4, however, existing nomenclature blends the two slow-wave stages into one.
REM: This is for sure the last stage of the sleep cycle and it will happen approximately an hour and thirty minutes after you unintentionally fall asleep. During this phase, your brain waves are going to become extremely active and your eye is going to move irregularly beneath the eyelids. Breathing rates are going to be increased, and both your blood pressure and heart rate are going to be elevated. During this cycle, dreaming occurs and your muscles are paralyzed, of course, only for a short period of time. Why does this happen? It is the bodily mechanism that prevents us from physically reacting to our dreams.
What else you should know?
The Benefits Of Sleep Cycles:
Glucose metabolism in our brain boosts during deep sleep, which positively affects our short-term and long-term memory as well as the ability to better comprehend things. Deep sleep also occurs when the pituitary gland stores crucial hormones, such as human growth hormone, that help us grow and develop our body. Benefits of these cycles involve:
- Energy restoration
- Cell regeneration
- Boosting blood supply to our muscles
- Promoting repair and growth of bones and tissues
- Enhancing the immune system
Failure to acquire both REM sleep and deep sleep can better explain some of the consequences that people who do not get enough of it experience. It can impact our emotions, physical health, and thinking
People who are often awakened during these earlier phases, due to sleep apnea, for example, may find it hard to normally cycle into other sleep stages. Another type of people who may experience the same issue is the ones who are suffering from insomnia. Namely, these types of sleepers do not get enough total sleep to assemble the needed time in every single stage.
How Can You Improve Your Sleep Cycle?
First and foremost, you have to be honest with yourself and realize that you have a sleep-related problem. Even though you are probably obsessing over the Covid situation or other similar things that are occupying your mind on a daily basis, it still shouldn’t stop you from taking important steps to enhance your chances of having a normal progression during every sleep stage.
What you can do is to focus on enhancing your sleep hygiene, meaning finding the proper pillow, mattress, and sheets, and prioritize all sleep-related habits. Another thing you can do is to avoid consuming alcohol before you go to sleep and get rid of any type of disruption.
Even though a lot of you are familiar with sleep and its importance, with the help of these guidelines, you will be able to understand it even better and maybe even find a way to get the best possible sleep quality.
