What Are the Different Stages of REM and How Are You Affected?
We all know it is very important to get enough sleep every night for our health but did you realize there were different stages of REM you go through each night? When you sleep you go through two different sleep cycles, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement).
People typically go through the 4 stages of NREM before reaching the REM stage, the entire process lasts about 90 minutes and we go through this about 4-6 times a night. The 4 stages of NREM are N1-Transition to sleep, lasts about 5 minutes at this point you are easy to wake; lots of people get the feeling of falling during this stage. N2-Light sleep, the first stages of true sleep, and last from 10-25 minutes, here your heart rate slows and body temperature decreases. If at this point you are awaken you may feel you never got sleep and feel groggy and can take another 10 minutes just to fall back to sleep. N3-Transition sleep, this is a stage where your body transitions from light sleep to a very deep sleep, it only takes minutes. N4-Deep sleep, at this point you are the most difficult to wake, this stage is sometimes called delta sleep because of the slow brain waves produced while blood flow is directed away from the brain and towards the muscles. This stage lasts about 30 minutes and this is also the time where bed-wetting and sleep walking usually happens because you are in an extremely deep sleep.
REM is considered the Dream Sleep, this stage begins about 70-90 minutes after you fall asleep and your body has gone through all stages of NREM. You remain in this REM stage for 10 minutes the first time and the length lasts longer each time you go through it. Heart rate and blood pressure increases and your brain become awakened allowing for vivid dreams while your arm and leg muscles become paralyzed. The dreams you have during REM feel real and are the most memorable if you awaken during REM then you are more likely to remember your dream.
So€¦ WOW that was quite a bit of info wasn't it!?! Now that you know the names of the stages and how they work while we sleep what do they mean to us?? Does it matter how many hours we sleep? What if we are woken during REM? Does this affect our health and dreams?? During these stages the body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bone and muscles and strengthens the immune system, it heals and re-energize. But does the amount of sleep matter? YES!! If you are not getting between 7-9 hours a night I hope you are trying to make up those hours weekly, without enough sleep your mind will not be as sharp or creative, your body loses the ability to control your emotions and happiness. Sleep is important to everyone the amount and quality, so tonight, relax and get some shut eye.
People typically go through the 4 stages of NREM before reaching the REM stage, the entire process lasts about 90 minutes and we go through this about 4-6 times a night. The 4 stages of NREM are N1-Transition to sleep, lasts about 5 minutes at this point you are easy to wake; lots of people get the feeling of falling during this stage. N2-Light sleep, the first stages of true sleep, and last from 10-25 minutes, here your heart rate slows and body temperature decreases. If at this point you are awaken you may feel you never got sleep and feel groggy and can take another 10 minutes just to fall back to sleep. N3-Transition sleep, this is a stage where your body transitions from light sleep to a very deep sleep, it only takes minutes. N4-Deep sleep, at this point you are the most difficult to wake, this stage is sometimes called delta sleep because of the slow brain waves produced while blood flow is directed away from the brain and towards the muscles. This stage lasts about 30 minutes and this is also the time where bed-wetting and sleep walking usually happens because you are in an extremely deep sleep.
REM is considered the Dream Sleep, this stage begins about 70-90 minutes after you fall asleep and your body has gone through all stages of NREM. You remain in this REM stage for 10 minutes the first time and the length lasts longer each time you go through it. Heart rate and blood pressure increases and your brain become awakened allowing for vivid dreams while your arm and leg muscles become paralyzed. The dreams you have during REM feel real and are the most memorable if you awaken during REM then you are more likely to remember your dream.
So€¦ WOW that was quite a bit of info wasn't it!?! Now that you know the names of the stages and how they work while we sleep what do they mean to us?? Does it matter how many hours we sleep? What if we are woken during REM? Does this affect our health and dreams?? During these stages the body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bone and muscles and strengthens the immune system, it heals and re-energize. But does the amount of sleep matter? YES!! If you are not getting between 7-9 hours a night I hope you are trying to make up those hours weekly, without enough sleep your mind will not be as sharp or creative, your body loses the ability to control your emotions and happiness. Sleep is important to everyone the amount and quality, so tonight, relax and get some shut eye.
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