Your healthy sleep at night takes place in cycles made up of five stages. Here is what usually happens during normal sleep in each of these cycles,
Stage 1
You dozes off in a light sleep while drifting in and out of sleep, still aware of your surroundings.
You can be easily awakened. This stage lasts for ten minutes.
Stage 2
50 percent of your sleep is spent in Stage 2. Your awareness starts to fades away.
In Stage 2, your eyes movement stops and your body temperature drops. Breathing, heart rates and brain activities slowed down.
Stage 3
Stage 3 is the first stage of your deep sleep.
In Stage 3, it will be very difficult to wake you up. But, when you eventually awakened, you will feel groggy and disoriented for a few minutes.
Your heart and breathing rates continue to slow down. There will be some brain activities during this stage.
Stage 4
Stage 4 is the second stage of your deep sleep.
Both stages 3 and 4 of deep sleep are important to you, as you will feel refreshed and well rested when you wake up in the morning.
Your blood pressure decreases. Your heart and breathing rates continue to slow down.
In Stage 4, cell repair takes place throughout your body and your brain directs various organs to release hormones related to growth, appetite and sexual characteristics.
REM Sleep – Rapid Eye Movement
REM sleep stage is when your dream takes place. Your eyes move rapidly back and forth while your eyelids closed.
Your breathing and heart rates increases and blood pressure rises. This sleep phase begins around 70 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep.
During your sleep, you begin at stage 1 and go through each stage until you reach REM sleep. Each complete sleep cycle takes between 90 to 110 minutes.
Your brain acts differently in each stage of sleep.
In some stages, your muscles will be totally relaxed and your body is still except for some twitching.
Sleep Disorder
Sleep disorders disrupt two important systems (Homeostasis and Circadian Rhythm) that influence your sleep wake cycle.
Homeostasis
Homeostasis drives you to sleep when they feel tired.
It keeps your body temperature, blood pressure and body chemistry in a balanced, healthy state.
Circadian Rhythm or Biological Clock
Light and darkness control the circadian rhythm or the biological clock in your body.
Light coming in through your eyes triggers this clock and tells your body that it is daytime and time to wake up.
At night when no light comes in, your brain pineal gland, releases melatonin. This chemical makes you feel sleepy.
You will feel fully rested when homeostasis and circadian rhythm are in sync. That is when normal, refreshing sleep occurs.
When you have a sleep disorder, these systems may be out of sync.
For example, if you take a long nap during the day, your homeostatic need for sleep will not trigger as you are fully rested during the day and you are not feeling tired yet at your usual or natural bedtime.
Definitive guide to your Sleep Disorders:
7 Smart Ways to Help You Get a Good Night's Rest
Posted by: Mo Salle
Read Related Articles:
• Why Do Men Feel Sleepy After Sex?
• 10 Tips To Sleep Soundly Tonight
• How To Fall Asleep Quickly?
• Can Tart Cherry Juice Cure Insomnia?
• Insomnia Is A Sleeping Disorder
• 6 Reasons Why You Snore
• 9 Causes Why You Cannot Sleep
• 5 Benefits Of Waking Up Early In The Morning
• Lack Of Sleep Can Cause Weight Gain
• How Much Of Sleep Do You Really Need?
• 3 Ways How Smoking Affect Your Sleep
2 comments:
Its nice that there are nice people who post interesting posts such as this one because people who sees this post will really learn something. Thanks for sharing this informative post...
sleep apnea test
@StopSnoringnowShop.com
Thank you for your comment.
Knowing that there is someone like you reading my blog gives me more encouragement to continue blogging.
Have visited your website, very informative and definitely useful for my blog articles resource.
Post a Comment
Comment and feedback are most welcome.