Sleep is essential for your overall health and well-being. Regardless of age, if you don’t get enough quality sleep, you may experience several negative effects, including:
- Cognitive Impairment: Difficulty remembering and thinking clearly.
- Mood Changes: Increased feelings of gloominess and depression.
- Weakened Immune Response: A reduced ability to fight off infections.
- Fatigue: Feeling excessively tired throughout the day.
- Lower Pain Tolerance: A diminished resistance to pain.
How Can You Improve Poor Sleep?
A good night’s sleep allows your body and mind to rest, helping you cope with stress, solve problems, and recover from illness. But what exactly happens during sleep?
What Happens During Sleep?
Your brain is highly active during sleep and cycles between two main states: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. Your body cycles between non-REM and REM sleep, usually beginning non-REM sleep followed by a very short period of REM sleep.
Understanding Non-REM Sleep
NREM sleep consists of four stages, each lasting between 5 to 15 minutes, before transitioning into REM sleep:
- Stage 1: Light sleep where you can be easily awakened, often lasting 5-10 minutes. You may experience sensations of falling, leading to sudden muscle contractions.
- Stage 2: Light sleep characterized by fluctuations in brain waves as your body prepares for deep sleep. Heart rate slows, and body temperature decreases.
- Stages 3 and 4: Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave or delta sleep. Awakening during these stages can lead to disorientation. This is when your body repairs tissues, builds muscle, and strengthens your immune system.
As you age, you tend to experience lighter sleep with less deep sleep, although your overall sleep needs remain relatively unchanged.
Understanding REM Sleep
REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep and repeats several times throughout the night. Each REM cycle starts around 10 minutes and can last up to an hour. During this stage, brain activity resembles wakefulness – heart rate and respiration speed up and the eyes move rapidly in different directions.
Intense dreaming occurs during REM sleep because of all this brain activity, but, strangely enough, your muscles become immobile. That’s why it is sometimes called paradoxical sleep.
Infants can spend up to 50% of their sleep in the REM stage of sleep, whereas adults spend only about 20% in REM.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Sleep requirements vary by age:
- Infants: 16-18 hours per day.
- Teenagers: Approximately 9 hours per day.
- Adults: Generally need 7-9 hours, but may require more after sleep deprivation.
It’s crucial to note that people do not adapt well to reduced sleep over time. This is a myth and it can have significant effects on cognitive health and wellbeing over time.
Can Coffee Help Wake You Up?
Caffeine can provide a temporary boost, helping to combat the effects of sleep deprivation. However, it’s not a long-term solution. The best remedy for sleep deprivation is a good night’s sleep!
Ready to Improve Your Sleep?
If you’re tired of feeling sleep-deprived, take steps to prioritize your sleep. For more tips and resources on enhancing your sleep quality, contact us today!
