The simplest way to calculate your sleep cycle is to determine the total sleep time that is appropriate for you, explains the sleep expert. This means we should spend around 20 minutes of each each cycle in REM sleep. "The length of time it takes an individual to complete a cycle and how much time they spend in each stage is mostly dependent on their personal genetics," she adds.ĭuring these cycles, we spend the most time in the second stage of sleep, while experts believe that we should be getting around 90 minutes of REM sleep a night, in order to wake up feeling refreshed. We cycle through 4-6 cycles of sleep per night, and Rohrscheib explains that the average adult sleep cycle is 75-90 minutes long. Getting as much REM sleep as possible – around 10-20 minutes each cycle – is important for a healthy brain and helps with memory function and even creativity levels. Your brain activity will be quite intense during this phase of sleep, hence why dreams are so vivid. REM stands for rapid eye movement as when you’re in this stage of sleep your eyes will have bursts of fast movement, which experts say is connected to brain activity. If you’ve woken up from a good night's sleep and remembered a dream vividly it could be down to the amount of REM sleep you’ve had. Some studies have even shown that music which mimics delta waves (opens in new tab) can help us get better sleep. While you’re in this stage your body is also preparing for REM sleep with the brain releasing delta waves - this is why this stage can also be known as delta sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS). Rohrscheib explains that stages 3 and 4 are especially important for accomplishing many biological functions: “These functions include cell and tissue repair, hormone release, immune system strengthening, brain cell maintenance, brain waste clearance, memory consolidation, and energy conservation.” Stage 3: deep sleepĪs you progress into stage three you'll fall into a deeper sleep where the body starts to repair - boosting cognitive functions and your immune system. Lighter sleep in the first two stages is better for napping, this is why experts recommend you keep naps short so you don’t wake up during deep sleep - if you do you’ll fund it harder to wake up. Your brain will also start to produce sleep spindles (opens in new tab), a function which is said to be important for memory consolidation.Īccording to the Sleep Foundation (opens in new tab), this is the stage of sleep we spent most of our time in, around 50 per cent in fact, as when our sleep is interrupted and we’re not fully awake this is the stage of sleep we’re likely to go back into straight away. This non-REM sleep cycle leads follows stage 1 lighter sleep, where you can still wake up easily, but your body is becoming more relaxed as your heart rate lowers even more, your temperature drops and your eyes stop moving. Without this stage of sleep your brain and body wouldn’t be ready for the next stages as your muscles start to relax and your brain and heartbeat start to slow. It’s the lightest stage of sleep and normally lasts for around 5 minutes, although it can last for up to 10. If you’ve woken up by the tiniest sound, it’s probably because you’re still in a light sleep, the non-REM sleep cycle which occurs when we immediately fall asleep. (Image credit: Getty) Stage 1: Light sleep
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |