The different stages of sleep
Did you know that while we sleep, we go through different phases of sleep, and each one of them carries out fundamental activities for our organism?
These stages of sleep occur in cycles that last approximately 90 to 110 minutes, and which repeat four to five times a night.
Sleep is divided into two moments: NREM, Non-Rapid Eye Movement, and REM, or Rapid Eye Movement.
These two moments have different functions, and it is during REM sleep that we are believed to be the time when we dream (or, at least, that we have more vivid dreams).
The NREM phase corresponds to 75% of the period of our sleep and is divided into four phases:
• Phase 1: is when the first signs of sleep arise. It occupies 4% to 5% of the night and in it occurs the release of melatonin, hormone that induces to drowsiness.
• Phase 2: lasts on average 5 to 15 minutes and covers 45% to 55% of the night in phase 2, the heart rate is reduced, the muscles relax and the body temperature drops. Although it is a light sleep, it becomes more difficult to wake up a person at this stage.
• Phase 3: From this phase, which occupies 4% to 6% of the time, the body functions slowly. In addition, the sleep gets deeper, the heart beats slowly and the breathing becomes light and slow.
• Phase 4: Similar to phase 3 and lasts for about 40 minutes, sleep reaches an even deeper level.
The next stage is REM (also known as the fifth stage of sleep), which corresponds to 20% to 25% of rest time.
It is the restorative moment of sleep and where the most vivid dreams happen. Breathing becomes shallow, rapid and uneven, muscles become immobile and eyes begin to move rapidly due to intense brain activity.
With the completion of the cycles and the moment of waking to approach, the deep sleep diminishes.
The stages of sleep and quality of life
Some phases are directly linked to memory, concentration, learning and even growth and stress level.
During deep sleep, the body is repaired and restores energy levels to face another day. In addition, this step is responsible for keeping the body healthy, restoring non-muscular tissues, aiding the muscles and bones and strengthening the immune system.
Whenever someone wakes up at night, they interrupt their sleep stages and eventually go back to the initial stage, which in turn interferes with some of the processes that would occur in the later stages.
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