Everyone experiences 5 stages of sleep at night. When you understand these 5 stages of sleep, you may find it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up feeling refreshed every morning.
When one does not get enough sleep at night, they do not progress through these 5 stages of sleep, which will negatively affect the quality, duration and initiation of sleep. When this happens, many people develop difficulty sleeping. If these sleep challenges are not addressed, they can negatively affect personal health and relationships. It’s very difficult to find your way to experiencing optimal health when you’re not getting a good night’s sleep.
Human sleep consists of a succession of five recurring stages: four non-REM stages and the REM stage. (REM = Rapid Eye Movement) Many discussions of the stages of sleep include “awakening” as a sixth stage.
The five stages of sleep, including their repetition, occur cyclically during the night. The first cycle lasts for about 90-100 minutes and ends after the completion of the first REM stage and. Each REM stage usually lasts longer, so each cycle lasts longer. A person who has no trouble sleeping can complete up to five cycles in a normal night of sleep.
The quality of sleep changes with each transition from one of the 5 stages of sleep to another. Each stage is part of a predictable cycle whose intervals are observable and independent of each other and is marked by subtle changes in bodily function.
wake or relaxed wakefulness, is actually the phase in which a person falls asleep. This is the stage when the body prepares for sleep. When a person lies down in bed for the first time, their muscles are tense and their eyes move erratically. As a person becomes more relaxed and sleepy, the body begins to slow down, muscles relax, and eye movement slows.
–Tip to help you fall asleep: Using relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep can speed up this process and help the person fall asleep faster.
Level 1 sleep or drowsiness is considered first in the sequence when Wake is not included. There is a 50% reduction in activity between wakefulness and stage 1 sleep. The eyes are closed during Stage 1 sleep and it lasts for five to 10 minutes.
Stage 2 It is a period of light sleep during which intermittent peaks and valleys, or positive and negative waves, are observed in the brain. The heart rate slows down and the body temperature drops. (Note: you will not fall asleep until there is a decrease in body temperature.)
–Tip to help you fall asleep: Taking a warm bath or shower before bed makes it easier for your body to cool down and helps you fall asleep faster. When your temperature drops, your body is now ready to go into deep sleep.
There are two stages of deep sleep. Stage 3 is less intense than Stage 4. These stages are known as delta or slow wave sleep. During slow wave sleep, especially during Stage 4, the body exhibits high amplitude slow waves, indicating a deep sleep pattern and rhythmic continuity.
Non-REM sleep (NREM) is made up of Stages 1-4. Each stage lasts 5 to 15 minutes. REM sleep generally occurs between 90 and 120 minutes after one enters Stage 1. Surprisingly, Stages 2 and 3 repeat in reverse before REM sleep is achieved. So a normal sleep cycle has this pattern: wakefulness, stage 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM.
Stage 5 it is known as rapid eye movement (RAPID EYE MOVEMENT) Sleep. Each recurrent REM stage lasts longer than the previous one. The first period of REM usually lasts 10 minutes and the final period usually lasts an hour. It is distinguished from NREM sleep by changes in physiological states, including its characteristic rapid eye movements, rapid breathing, muscle relaxation, and increased brain activity. REM sleep is the time when people dream. Intense dreams occur during REM sleep as a result of increased brain activity. Often when we experience dreams, our face, fingers, and legs can contract. Think of watching a dog as it sleeps and seeing its body move as if it is chasing something.
The sleep cycle varies and is influenced by many factors. Sleep cycles that follow the first of a night’s sleep tend to have less slow wave sleep. Deep slow wave sleep is longest at the beginning of night sleep.
Insomnia often inhibits the stages of REM sleep and decreases the ability to dream. Depression and other psychological conditions can shorten the duration of rapid eye movement.
Sleep deprivation, frequent change in sleep schedule, stress, and environment affect the progression of the sleep cycle.
Treatment for many health problems can affect sleep and usually causes a change in sleep habits. Check with your doctor if you have trouble sleeping after adding a new treatment for any health problems you may be trying to resolve.
Using a sleep diary to keep track of your nightly sleep patterns can help determine if you are getting enough sleep at night or if you have trouble sleeping through the night. If you wake up frequently, chances are you are not enjoying all the benefits of the 5 stages of sleep and you will want to determine if there are natural ways to help you sleep soundly through the night.