{"id":1916,"date":"2022-01-12T13:24:44","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T12:24:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/api"},"modified":"2022-01-12T13:26:48","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T12:26:48","slug":"stages-of-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/stages-of-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Five Stages of Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Putting off sleep is not a healthy habit, and most of us know it. What\u2019s surprising, though, is that a long slumber doesn\u2019t guarantee a day full of energy either.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While getting sufficient sleep is essential, it\u2019s the duration and quality of each of the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages of sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you enter that make for restful shut-eye. These cyclical changes of brain and body activity are the foundation of our well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re far from being completely inactive during sleep, but what exactly are we going through? Why is each sleep phase important?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find out all you need to know to upgrade your sleep below.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Are the Stages of Sleep<\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The physiological processes that take place during sleep perform three main functions\u2014detoxification, restoration, and preservation. The electrical activity in our brains changes throughout our slumber, and the phases are defined by their most prevalent brain waves. These are easily identified through sleep activity recordings using:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polysomnography (PSG)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/eeg\/about\/pac-20393875\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Electroencephalography<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (EEG)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/emg\/about\/pac-20393913\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Electromyography<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (EMG)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/emedicine.medscape.com\/article\/1894014-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Electrocardiography<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (ECG)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The variations in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep waves<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> seen in these tests are universal for humans. The phases belong to one of two types of sleep:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In essence, REM sleep is the complete opposite of NREM sleep. It is characterized by high brain activity and a relaxed (i.e., paralyzed) body, whereas NREM sleep is signified by an active body and less active brain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The duration of either type of sleep changes during the night, and deep sleep gets shorter, while REM phases get longer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The <\/b><b>Sleep Cycle<\/b><b> and Its <\/b><b>Stages<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During sleep, we enter one sleep stage after another (with some exceptions) and make the complete round in 90 minutes on average (between 70 and 110). As long as we\u2019re asleep, we\u2019re cycling through the stages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This full rotation of sleeping phases (not counting wakefulness) is called a sleep or REM-NREM cycle. On average, a person experiences four to seven sleep cycles per night and needs between <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ninds.nih.gov\/Disorders\/Patient-Caregiver-Education\/Understanding-Sleep#5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seven and nine hours of sleep<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> each day to complete enough of them for restfulness.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Many Stages of Sleep Are There<\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before 2007, sleep experts identified five different slumber stages\u2014four in NREM sleep, plus the REM stage. The awake stage doesn\u2019t count here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, based on recent electrophysiological data from different studies, the stages have been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/sleep\/article\/32\/2\/139\/3741707\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reclassified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before, the NREM <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep stages 1\u20134 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(formerly S1\u2013S4) are now referred to as N1, N2, and N3. The REM stage is now dubbed stage R. NREM sleep is divided into three phases:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stage 1 (N1) is light sleep. Typically, there are rolling eye movements, less blinking, and a gradual decrease in muscle tension. At this stage, waking is easy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stage 2 (N2) is a transition stage. Eye movements are no longer possible, and the muscles relax even more.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stage 3 (N3) includes the stages of deep sleep. In this period, the threshold to wake up is the highest. In the former five <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages of sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">psychology<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, stage 3 was divided into two phases of deep sleep (stage 3 and stage 4).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During REM (Stage R) sleep, despite your muscles being relaxed (more precisely, paralyzed), you\u2019re not resting at all! Your physiological parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing) are unstable and change rapidly. What\u2019s more, the brain is almost as active as when you\u2019re awake.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Stages of Sleep:<\/b><b> The Order<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sleep cycles cover different intervals during which our nervous system activity changes rhythmically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NREM sleep occupies 75% of the entire sleep cycle duration and is more pronounced during the first part of the night. In the last third of the night, REM sleep is dominant. REM sleep accounts for 20% to 25% of one\u2019s entire sleep time. The passage from one to another sleep stage is rarely perfect, and the phases are not always clearly distinct.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During a usual uninterrupted sleep, our sleep phase schedule looks like this:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wakefulness \u2192 N1 \u2192 N2 \u2192 N3 \u2192 N2 \u2192 REM<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Happens During Each of the <\/b><b>5 Stages of Sleep<\/b><b> in a Sleep Cycle?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Sleep Onset<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provided you\u2019re not sleep-deprived, your sleepiness and alertness will be determined by your individual circadian rhythm. This internal rhythm is also known as a biological clock or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/what-is-your-chronotype\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chronotype<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It partly depends on external stimuli (the day and night cycle, time zone, ambient temperature, etc.) and regulates our overall <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep cycle time<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The anatomical background of the circadian clock is found in the hypothalamus (a part of the brain). When it\u2019s time for sleeping, the hypothalamus suppresses energy-consuming processes, lowers the body temperature, and triggers sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Wakefulness<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wake stage (also known as stage 0, or wakefulness) is technically a part of the sleeping cycle, although\u2014obviously\u2014we\u2019re not asleep during this time. Still, many people disregard the wake phase and say there are just <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 stages of sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EEG testing during the wake stage shows different brain activity when our eyes are open and when they are closed:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The open-eyed wake stage is dominated by beta brain waves, with a smaller presence of alpha waves.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In closed-eye wakefulness, the alpha waves become prevalent.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, wakefulness is present only once throughout the night, and isn\u2019t a part of the repeated <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages of sleep cycles.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>N1 Stage<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When more than 50% of the alpha brain waves your brain produces are transforming into low-amplitude mixed-frequency (LAMF) activity, you\u2019re starting to fall asleep or enter the N1 sleep stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This so-called dozing-off stage (also known as the transitional phase) is the first one of the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep cycle stages.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In it, we\u2019re becoming less aware of our surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, your comfort level plays a part in how fast you go through this stage. A good pillow, adequate mattress, or a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/best-weighted-blanket\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">high-quality weighted blanket<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can tuck you in, and shorten the time you need to get to the N2 phase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If comfortable, the N1 phase is the shortest of them all, lasting between just one and five minutes. Still, even if your alertness is decreasing, the tone of your muscles is nearly the same as when awake, and you can be easily stirred from this stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>N2 Stage<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone has mildly <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different sleep cycles<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so this sleep phase can last anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The N2 stage is when:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You become completely unaware of your surroundings\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Muscles relax<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart rate drops\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breathing becomes regular<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Body temperature goes down\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eye movement ceases<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slow brain waves begin to appear.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adults spend half of their slumber in the N2 phase, making it the lengthiest of the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different stages of sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As shown above, usually, a sleeper revisits the N2 phase after N3 before going into REM sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other particularities of this stage are the so-called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/neuroscience\/sleep-spindle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep spindles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These are sudden bursts of rapid brain waves in brain activity. Research has shown that sleep spindles during this sleep stage play an essential role in consolidating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4816304\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">motor sequence memories<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (the procedural knowledge of a sequence of movements).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>N3 Stage\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During this stage, the slow delta brain waves become dominant, and your muscles become even more relaxed. In other words, deep sleep starts here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens in Stage 3 of sleep?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart rate and blood pressure drop further<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The body begins to recuperate and regenerate physically<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hormones boost body growth during this stage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your brain consolidates declarative memories (facts, stats, general knowledge, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 20 to 40 minutes of Stage 3 sleep are considered the most important for restoring bodily functions and recovering from physical strain.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>REM Stage\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common sleep-related question is, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat Is REM Sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?\u201d The REM stage is also called paradoxical sleep because its EEG graph is similar to stage 0 (wakefulness).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key characteristics of the REM stage are extreme shifts in physiological indicators, like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accelerated and irregular heart rate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased and unstable blood pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irregular breathing\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Body temperature shifts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rapid-eye-movement (the stage\u2019s namesake)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REM sleep is also characterized by:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practically paralyzed muscles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High brain activity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We usually enter the first REM phase within 70 to 90 minutes of sleep.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Why Is REM Sleep Important<\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We spend roughly one-fourth of each night in the REM sleep stage, and this is no coincidence. REM sleep stimulates the areas of our brains that are crucial for learning, i.e., making and retaining memories. REM sleep also enables and fosters:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cell reparation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bone and muscle growth (hormones that do this are secreted during REM)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creative brain activity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vivid dreams<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Memory consolidation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emotional processing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cognitive functioning<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies show that the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lack of REM sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6527324\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lead to migraines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, confusion, severely limited cognitive capacity, and other consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REM sleep has a central role in healthy rest. Unfortunately, it is the most fragile sleep phase of all. Medication, alcohol, coffee, and sleep disorders all negatively affect REM sleep quality and quantity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the flip side, during REM sleep, the body can\u2019t sufficiently regulate certain critical biological functions. Because of this, people are more vulnerable to heart and respiratory disorders throughout this stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Affects the Duration of <\/b><b>Sleep Stages<\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Age<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has now been confirmed that the distribution of NREM and REM sleep <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5841578\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">changes as we age<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Newborns spend anywhere from 16 to 18 hours asleep, and over 50% of that time is dominated by REM sleep. However, their sleep patterns soon begin to change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At four months old, and later at eight months and 18-months old, babies experience poor sleep periodically during a two- to six-week period called sleep regression. During the first <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep regression<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of sleep shift so there\u2019s more NREM sleep. The subsequent poor sleep episodes are due to milestones like crawling and standing up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting from ages two to five and into adulthood, REM sleep takes about 25% of our overall sleep time. Nevertheless, the N1 and N2 phases slightly increase as we age. Therefore, we can predict the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep cycle length by age<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s true that the REM stage gets shorter over time, the difference is not that drastic, even in those over 60 years of age. Study results show that REM sleep decreases by as little as 0.6% every ten years from age 19 until 75. In older people over 75, a slight increase in the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REM sleep stages<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was observed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Stress<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psychological stress attacks all sleep phases, particularly our REM sleep. Although it usually reduces REM length, it can also make it longer. Either way, sleep quality is affected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meditation, CBT, vitamins, or a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/best-cbd-oil\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">potent CBD oil<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help reduce the effects of stress. Sleep medication is also an option, but it can negatively affect some <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages of<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep cycle<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pregnancy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s no surprise that the hormonal changes during pregnancy can influence sleep. During the first trimester, the pregnant person sleeps longer, with frequent daily naps, but rest is less efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both anatomical and biochemical changes in pregnancy seem to go against a good night\u2019s sleep. Luckily, special aids like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/best-pregnancy-pillow\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pregnancy pillows<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can offer some comfort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progesterone and estrogen (the predominant female sex hormones) both reduce the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages of REM sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during sleep cycles. It\u2019s not yet clear if this is the cause behind the more frequent nighttime awakenings in pregnancy&#8217;s second and third trimesters.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Lifestyle<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our lifestyle and what we consume affect sleep duration and deprive us of specific sleep stages. The most frequently affected is the REM stage. Here are some common culprits for poor sleep:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food and drinks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2013\/01\/130122162236.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drinking alcohol<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Caffeinated drinks\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoking<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medications such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Antidepressants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decongestants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diet pills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recreational drugs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Comfort<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This one is pretty self-explanatory. Tossing and turning due to high ambient temperature, disturbing noises, or uncomfortable bedding is the worst enemy of restorative sleep. The good news is, you can learn <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/soothing-sleep-environment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to create a sleep-promoting environment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes restricting noises, lights, and electronic devices. Nevertheless, it all starts by choosing the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/best-mattress\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">perfect mattress<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for your body type and preference.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sleep Disorders vs. the <\/b><b>Stages of Sleep<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any type of sleep disorder has an impact on the phases of sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Insomnia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a sleep disorder that can cause both quantitative and qualitative effects. When one can\u2019t sleep long enough for complete bodily recovery, this disturbs the normal circadian rhythm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who have this condition experience anxiety and wake up often, sometimes to the point where they can\u2019t achieve all the sleep phases. Both <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">too much REM sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or a lack of it can negatively impact our health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another common sleep disorder that greatly affects every sleep stage is <\/span><b>obstructive sleep apnea <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(OSA). Those with it experience fragmented sleep, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5016742\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">multiple N1 stages<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and shorter or no N3 and REM sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the sleep disorders directly caused by a faulty sleep stage mechanism is <\/span><b>narcolepsy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Sufferers fall into REM sleep instantly, instead of going through NREM stages first. Poor sleep hygiene also deprives us of the refreshing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep stages<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or modifies their transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>REM sleep behavior disorder<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (RBD) happens during REM sleep when people begin to act out on their dreams, usually nightmares. In other words, these are the screamers and shouters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Sleepwalking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a sleep disorder when a person walks and acts awake but is deeply asleep. Sleepwalking has been linked to alpha waves appearing in the N3 stage, even though these are typically tied to other <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages of sleep;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">waves<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that should be showing up are delta waves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other <\/span><b>parasomnias<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> include nightmares, sleep paralysis (when the body is paralyzed in the wrong sleep stage, outside of REM), sleep-related eating disorders, sleep terrors, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we get a good night\u2019s rest, both our mind and body function as intended. High-quality sleep has numerous health benefits, from boosting our concentration to improving our immune system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s vital for the body and mind to go through all the sleep phases, as each is essential to our well-being. Knowing your sleep schedule can help you prevent sleep deprivation; understanding your sleep means waking up refreshed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>FAQs<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What are the 5 stages of sleep?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of the brain\u2019s electrical activity, we go through five stages during a sleep cycle. These are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Wake stage (Stage 0)\u2014alpha and beta brain waves<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> NREM Stage 1 (N1)\u2014low-amplitude mixed-frequency brain waves<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> NREM Stage 2 (N2)\u2014theta waves<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> NREM Stage 3 (N3)\u2014delta waves<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> REM Stage (Stage R)\u2014mixed and alpha waves.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>How many hours of deep sleep should I get?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adults need at least one to two hours of deep sleep per night. This accounts for about 20% of your total sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people, however, may find that they need more hours to feel completely rested. Keep in mind that it\u2019s assumed there is no such thing as too much deep sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How much of your sleep should be REM?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there is no formal consensus on how much REM sleep you should get, we have to keep some facts in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts believe that dreaming helps you process emotions and consolidate your memories. Dreams are most common at this stage. Therefore, you have to obtain enough REM sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REM takes up about 20\u201325% of sleep for most adults. On the other hand, excessive amounts of REM sleep increase the likelihood of suffering from depression.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What stage of sleep makes you feel rested?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stage 3 of non-REM sleep is the period of deep sleep that you need to feel refreshed in the morning. It occurs more frequently during the first half of the night. During this stage, your heart rate and breathing slow down to their lowest levels, your muscles are relaxed, and it can be hard to wake you up.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Is REM sleep deep or light?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REM sleep or rapid-eye-movement sleep is the most intense sleeping stage, but it\u2019s not deep sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deep sleep is characterized by slow brain waves, heart rate, lower body temperature, and breathing frequency, and happens during the N3 stage of NREM sleep. N3 sleep is considered the most <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">restorative sleep stage<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in terms of physical recovery.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During REM sleep, on the other hand, all the above-mentioned physiological parameters are high and unstable. However, this doesn\u2019t mean that REM sleep is light sleep: Awakening from this phase means slowed cognition and irritability \u2014 a condition dubbed sleep inertia. Essentially, sleep inertia means being drowsy and unable to learn or concentrate.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Are there 4 or 5 stages of sleep?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are five stages in a sleep cycle. However, we only sleep in four of those. The fifth stage is wakefulness. Out of the four stages when we actually sleep, three are allocated to NREM (deep) sleep, and one is the REM sleep stage (light sleep).<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are five stages of sleep and each of them plays a vital role for the human body. Learn more about NREM and REM stages, their features, and functions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,21],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1916"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1916\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}