How many stages of rem sleep are there

The Stages of Sleep: What Happens During Each

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Medically reviewed by Raj Dasgupta, MD — By Eleesha Lockett, MS — Updated on September 30, 2021

It’s no secret that sleep is one of the most important activities for good health. When we sleep, our bodies take time to:

repair muscles
grow bones
manage hormones
sort memories

Sleep can be broadly segmented into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. Most adults will enter sleep from the drowsy state into NREM sleep.

NREM sleep is divided into three sub-stages: stage N1, stage N2, and stage N3. Older classification had four stages of NREM sleep. In the current rules, NREM stage 3 and NREM stage 4 are combined as stage N3.

Sleep stages occur in cycles lasting 90 to 120 minutes each. Four to five cycles occur during a typical night of sleep. Shifting of stages occurs over the course of the night, typically with an increased percentage of NREM sleep in the first half of the night and an increased percentage of REM sleep in the second half of the night.

In this article, we’ll explore these stages of sleep, discuss sleep disorders, plus tips for getting better sleep.

Non-REM sleep happens first and includes three stages. The last stage of non-REM sleep is when you sleep deeply. It’s hard to wake up from this stage of sleep.
REM sleep happens about an hour to an hour and a half after falling asleep. REM sleep is when you tend to have vivid dreams.

NREM Stage N1

This stage of non-REM sleep is the typical transition from wakefulness to sleep and generally lasts only a few minutes. Stage N1 is the lightest stage of sleep; patients awakened from it usually don’t perceive that they were actually asleep

During this stage:

Eye movements are typically slow and rolling.
heartbeat and breathing slow down
muscles begin to relax
you produce low amplitude mixed frequencies waves in the theta range (4 to 7 Hz)

NREM Stage N2

This next stage of non-REM sleep comprises the largest percentage of total sleep time and is considered a lighter stage of sleep from which you can be awakened easily. This is the stage before you enter deep sleep.

During this stage:

heartbeat and breathing slow down further
no eye movements
body temperature drops
Sleep spindles and K-complexes are two distinct brain wave features that appear for the first time

NREM

Stage N3

This final stage of non-REM sleep is the deepest sleep stage. Stage N3 sleep is known as slow-wave, or delta, sleep. Your body performs a variety of important health-promoting tasks in this final non-REM stage.

During this stage:

arousal from sleep is difficult
heartbeat and breathing are at their slowest rate
no eye movements
body is fully relaxed
delta brain waves are present
tissue repair and growth, and cell regeneration occurs
immune system strengthens

REM Stage R

There are two phases of REM sleep: phasic and tonic. Phasic REM sleep contains bursts of rapid eye movements, while tonic REM sleep does not.

Stage R occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep, and is the primary “dreaming” stage of sleep. Stage R sleep lasts roughly 10 minutes the first time, increasing with each REM cycle. The final cycle of stage R may last roughly between 30 to 60 minutes.

During this stage:

eye movements become rapid during phasic REM
breathing and heart rate increases and become more variable
muscles become paralyzed, but twitches may occur
brain activity is markedly increased

When you fall asleep at night, you cycle through all of these stages of sleep multiple times — roughly every 90 minutes or so.

For something so necessary to our health and well-being, there’s still so much we don’t know about sleep. But here are seven fun facts that we do know:

Human beings spend 1/3 of their lives sleeping, while cats spend roughly 2/3 of theirs asleep. Other animals, like koalas and bats, can sleep up to 22 hours a day.
Newborn babies need roughly 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day, while teenagers require about 8 to 10 hours each night. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Sleep deprivation can have a hugely negative impact on health. Even as little as 24 hours without sleep can cause significant mood swings, difficulty functioning, and altered perception.
Energy levels naturally dip at two distinct times of the day: 12-2 p.m. and 8-9 p.m. This explains the post-lunch fatigue that some people feel during the middle of the day.
Higher altitudes can have a negative impact on sleep quality. According to research, this may be because of a reduced amount of slow-wave (deep) sleep.
Although there’s still much to learn about sleep, the biggest thing we know is that sleep is just as crucial to good health as nutrition and exercise.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the number of people annually who experience a sleep disorder is about 70 million. Sleep disorders can have a negative impact on sleep quality, which in turn can lead to other health problems. Below, you’ll find some of the most common sleep disorders and how they’re treated.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a chronic sleep condition characterized by difficulty sleeping. Some people have trouble falling asleep, others are unable to stay asleep, and some have trouble with both. Insomnia often causes excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the primary treatment for insomnia. CBT may also be combined with sleep medications, which are able to help people fall and stay asleep. For some people, improving sleep hygiene may also help.

Sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the body stops breathing during sleep. These periods of no breathing, called apnea, happen because the airways of the throat become too narrow to allow air flow. Like insomnia, this condition can negatively affect sleep quality.

The first line of treatment for OSA is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. The CPAP creates enough airflow to allow a person with sleep apnea to breathe properly during sleep.

If the CPAP doesn’t help, bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP or BPAP) may be considered to help patients tolerate the pressures. In some cases, an oral appliance or surgery may be necessary for OSA.

Shop all Healthline-approved products for snoring and sleep apnea in our sleep shop.

Restless leg syndrome

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that causes an uncomfortable feeling in the legs, which occurs in the evening as bedtime approaches and when the individual is resting or trying to fall asleep. People with RLS often have trouble getting enough sleep because of their symptoms.

Certain medications are FDA approved to help manage RLS symptoms. Practicing good sleep hygiene can also help relax the body before bed and make it easier to fall asleep.

Shift work disorder

Shift work disorder is a condition that commonly affects those who work outside of a regular 9-to-5 schedule. This disorder can cause an imbalance in the natural circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle. People with this disorder are at a higher risk for increased daytime sleepiness and health issues.

Treatment for shift work disorder includes strategic napping, avoiding stimulants like light at the correct time, and, if possible, reducing the number of hours worked. For people who sleep during the day, it can also help to use light-blocking tools like eye shades or curtains.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic central nervous system disorder that causes extreme daytime sleepiness with “sleep attacks” along with poor sleep at night. Type I narcolepsy also causes cataplexy, which is a sudden, physical collapse caused by loss of muscle control.

People with both type I and type II narcolepsy often experience extreme disruptions in their daily life.

Medications like stimulants and SSRIs are used to treat the symptoms of narcolepsy. At-home treatments, like good sleep hygiene, diet and exercising regularly, can help to promote healthful sleep.

Dealing with narcolepsy can be challenging. Making adjustments in your daily schedule may help which include strategic napping. Support groups and counseling can help you and your loved ones cope with narcolepsy.

Practicing good sleep hygiene is the best way to get quality sleep at night. Here are some ways you can improve your sleep hygiene:

Spend time outside in the sun during the day. Exposing your body to natural light during the day can help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.
Exercise or move your body throughout the day. Getting in at least one exercise or movement session each day is a great way to improve your sleep quality.
Limit your nap time to no more than 20-30 minutes. There are benefits to napping. But if you nap for longer than 30 minutes, it can leave you wide awake when it’s finally time for bed.
Avoid stimulants and certain foods before bed. Caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol before bed can interrupt your sleep, as can foods that cause indigestion or stomach upset.
Limit your screen time an hour before sleeping. TVs, phones, and other electronic devices emit blue light, which can interrupt the hormones that help you fall asleep.
Create a comfortable bedroom environment. Investing in a high-quality mattress, pillow, blanket, and other relaxing bedroom items, can help you sleep better. Want suggestions? Browse our market, filled with editor-trusted and expert-verified pillow and mattress recommendations.

Incorporating these tips slowly over time can greatly improve your sleep quality. But if you’re still having trouble falling or staying asleep, it may be time to visit a doctor to discuss more options.

Your body cycles through the stages of sleep each night: three stages of non-REM sleep and one stage of REM sleep. During these sleep cycles, our breathing, heart rate, muscles, and brain waves are all affected differently.

Getting enough sleep is important for health-promoting activities like digestion, growth, and memory. Certain sleep disorders, like insomnia, can cause poor sleep quality and difficulty functioning throughout the day.

The best thing you can do to improve your sleep quality is to address any underlying conditions and work on your sleep hygiene.

Last medically reviewed on September 13, 2021

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Bloch KE, et al. (2015). Sleep at high altitude: guesses and facts.
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Brinkman J, et al. (2021). Physiology of sleep.
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Healthy sleep habits. (2020).
sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/
Nasca TR, Goldberg R. (n.d.). The importance of sleep and understanding sleep stages.
sleephealth.org/sleep-health/importance-of-sleep-understanding-sleep-stages/
Myoclonus fact sheet. (2016).
ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Myoclonus-Fact-Sheet#3160_2
Patel AK, et al. (2021). Physiology, sleep stages.
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Sleep disorders. (n.d.).
sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/
What is shift work disorder? (2020).
sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/shift-work/

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Medically reviewed by Raj Dasgupta, MD — By Eleesha Lockett, MS — Updated on September 30, 2021

What Are The 4 Stages Of Sleep & What Does Each Stage Do?

Each night you take a rollercoaster ride through the different phases of sleep. Though you’re unaware of what goes on while you’re snoozing, your brain and body are in an active state.

Each stage of sleep plays a different role in how you feel the next day. Read on to learn which stage helps your brain, which restores your body, and if you’re striking a good balance between the stages each night.

What Are the 4 Stages of Sleep?

There are traditionally 4 stages of sleep: awake, light, deep, and REM sleep. Each one plays an essential role in maintaining your mental and physical health.

As you’re reading about sleep, you may also see the terms “NREM” or “NREM Stages 1-4.” These are simply other terms for the phases of sleep.

REM sleep stands for “rapid eye movement” and can also be called “stage R”
NREM (or non-rapid eye movement) sleep includes light and deep sleep stages, and may also be referred to NREM stages 1-4, with light sleep being NREM stages 1-2 and deep sleep encompassing NREM stages 3-4

What Happens in Each Stage of Sleep?

Each stage of sleep plays a different role in preparing your body for the next day.

Why Awake Time Matters

It’s normal to wake up some times during the night, whether or not you’re conscious of being awakened. In the Oura App, you’ll see your amount of Awake Time shown in your Sleep tab. The nighttime Movement graph also gives you an idea of how many times you wake up during the night (find it by tapping the arrow just below Sleep Stages to expand this view). A tall, white line indicates excessive movement, suggesting you were likely awake.

If you feel refreshed in the morning and energetic during the day, you most likely don’t need to worry about your wake-ups or movement during the night. However, if you’re feeling fatigued, it could be an indication of something that’s affecting your sleep quality, or an untreated sleep disorder like sleep apnea.

If you’re seeing lots of awake time, another indicator to check is your Blood Oxygen Levels and your Breathing Regularity score — learn more about these metrics here.

READ MORE: Restless Sleep? How to Reduce Tossing and Turning at Night

Why Light Sleep Matters

Despite its name, light sleep is no lightweight when it comes to your health. It’s a key stage of sleep that delivers benefits to your brain and body, including codifying memories and boosting creativity. And that’s nothing to sleep on, given that about half of your time asleep — about 50% — is spent in this stage.

Light sleep actually occurs in two stages: NREM stages 1 and 2 sleep. Think of NREM stage 1 as “falling asleep.” During this time, your muscles relax, your heart begins to slow down, and your body temperature dips. Your brain waves slow down, moving from a regular, rhythmic pattern to one with less frequent, less regular waves. Stage 1 sleep usually only lasts a few minutes.

NREM stage 2 sleep makes up the bulk of your NREM sleep. During this stage of sleep, your muscles relax, and may jerk. Your respiration and heart rate slow down, your body temperature drops, and your brain waves also slow down and increase in amplitude.

READ MORE: Light Sleep: What Is It and What Are the Benefits?

Why Deep Sleep Matters

Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, is the body’s most rejuvenating sleep stage. During deep sleep, which occurs in the third NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep cycle, your body gets busy repairing and restoring many systems, from your brain to your muscles.

During deep sleep, your body slows way down. Your heart rate and breathing are at their lowest rate, and your muscles are fully relaxed. Your brain’s electrical activity slows down into long, slow waves known as delta waves, hence the name “slow-wave sleep.” It’s difficult to be woken up during this stage — and if you do, you can expect to feel groggy and “out of it.”

Typically, deep sleep occurs within an hour of falling asleep and you usually get more deep sleep during the earlier part of the night.

READ MORE: Deep Sleep: What Is It and How to Get More

Why REM Sleep Matters

During REM sleep, as the name suggests, your eyes move rapidly behind your closed eyelids, your heart rate speeds up, and breathing becomes irregular. Brain activity also speeds up, mimicking brainwave activity while you’re awake. You may also experience irregular, jerky muscle twitches as you dream, and it tends to be more difficult to wake up during REM sleep. To protect yourself from acting out dreams, your body can also a loss of muscle tone during REM.

While it’s no longer true that you only dream during REM sleep, studies suggest that about 80% of vivid dream recall results after arousal from this stage of sleep.

Research has shown that REM plays an incredibly important role in both emotional health and learning. “Essentially, REM is creating a revised mind-wide web of associations,” explains Matthew Walker, Ph.D., author of Why We Sleep. “We make connections during REM sleep.” Furthermore, getting enough REM sleep may help mitigate potentially negative emotional reactions.

READ MORE: REM Sleep: What Is It and How to Get More

The amount of each of the 4 stages of sleep can vary significantly between nights and individuals. During an ideal night’s sleep, your body has enough time to go through four to five 90-minute cycles that sample different phases of sleep as the night progresses.

In general, each cycle moves sequentially through each of the 4 stages of sleep: wake, light sleep, deep sleep, REM, and repeat. Cycles earlier in the night tend to have more deep sleep while later cycles have a higher proportion of REM. By the final cycle, your body may even choose to skip deep sleep altogether.

Overall, your body spends the majority of the night in light sleep. How much time you spend in REM or deep can vary widely by individual but below are the averages you can expect for each stage in a single night.

How Much Time Do You Spend in Each of the 4 Stages of Sleep?

All stages of sleep are important and your body naturally regulates your sleep cycles to make sure you get what you need. Tools like the Oura Ring can help you monitor your sleep patterns and generate a Sleep Score each night to help you improve your sleep.

Check out these patterns to see if your sleep is being disrupted:

Increase in deep sleep after a hard workout: Studies show that exercise can increase your body’s prioritization of deep sleep the night after an intensive workout.
Higher REM rebound after sleep deprivation: When you recover from a period of sleep deprivation, your body prioritizes deep sleep for the first few nights to repair your body and prepare for action. After several nights of sufficient deep sleep, REM sleep rebounds to focus on your brain.
Interrupted sleep cycles after caffeine: Caffeine can increase the time it takes for you to fall asleep, cutting your sleep period short. Shorter sleep periods disproportionately cut down on your total REM sleep, as REM cycles are more likely to occur in later sleep cycles.

Taking a look at your nightly patterns (e.g. heart rate, body temperature) and acting on your desire to improve your sleep can help you face those days well rested.

RELATED: Why You Shouldn’t Stress About Getting the “Perfect” Night of Sleep

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Oura Team February 15, 2023

fast and slow sleep, which is more useful, how to get enough sleep taking into account the phases

While dubious gurus are broadcasting that you can get enough sleep in just a couple of hours, we decided to take the side of common sense and tell you more about sleep phases. In our material, you will learn why good rest is so important and how to improve its quality.

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The role of sleep in the proper functioning of the body cannot be overestimated. But we are used to being guided by only part of the knowledge about it: how many hours it takes to restore strength, how quickly you can fall asleep and how you will feel in the morning. Many more have heard that there is a phase of fast and slow sleep, but not everyone knows what they are. Today we will talk about what phases are, what are their differences and features. And also dwell on their significance in human life.

What are the phases of sleep

The study of sleep is the branch of medicine called somnology. Somnologists are interested in the physiology of sleep and all its phases. They analyze brain activity and physiological reactions during a night's rest using special devices.

One of the leading methods is polysomnography - a comprehensive study of a patient's sleep, in which the equipment records the frequency and depth of breathing, muscle contractions, body position, transmission of nerve impulses, heart function and many other parameters. As a result, scientists receive a hypnogram - a graph that displays information about how long a particular sleep phase lasts, reflects information about their structure and quality.

Experts identify 2 main phases of sleep - slow and fast sleep. In a healthy state of a person, with the right schedule and in accordance with biorhythms, sleep is a cycle of two basic phases, and each of them, in turn, is divided into stages. During the night, the cycle is repeated several times. Phases have different tasks and durations, which we will discuss in more detail in separate paragraphs.

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Several systems in the brain are responsible for the process of falling asleep. At first, the slow-wave sleep phase or its first stage begins, the duration of which is no more than ten minutes. At this moment, the body passes from an active state to rest. The metabolism in the body slows down, the frequency of respiration and pulse decreases, as well as the temperature, the muscles gradually relax.
After that, you enter the second stage, which lasts about twenty minutes. This is a light or shallow sleep, when muscle activity is still decreasing, and with it the heart rate, temperature, eyes stop moving. The volume of this stage is about half of the total time of night rest.
Then comes the deep sleep phase - the third and fourth stages. Each of them takes about forty minutes. The human heart beats slowly, breathing also slows down, the muscles are already completely relaxed. It becomes more difficult to wake a person, he sleeps soundly enough.
Since rest is cyclical, there is a return to the second stage of non-REM sleep. It is hurried to be replaced by the first short episode of human REM sleep, which takes only five minutes in time. Together, the stages form a cycle, which, on average, is repeated four or five times per night in a healthy person. This factor depends on the age of the sleeper and the needs of his body. The more cycles behind, the smaller the share of slow sleep and the more noticeable the preponderance towards fast sleep.

How to understand whether REM or REM sleep is

Experts have an effective tool to easily distinguish between REM and non-REM sleep - this is an electroencephalogram. Without special devices, it is very difficult to understand whether there is a period of REM or non-REM sleep. Most likely, if a person moves his arms or legs, he is in REM sleep. During slow sleep, there is still complete relaxation.

What is REM sleep

REM sleep is the phase during which the information received during the day is processed. Studies have found that during REM sleep, brain activity is practically the same as during wakefulness. This period is very important for the formation of memories and the consolidation of skills.

How to understand if REM sleep

REM sleep can be determined by the movements of the eyeballs and intermittent breathing. A person in this phase can even move his hands. Body temperature and heart rate during this period are unstable and can fluctuate from low to high values.

How long REM sleep lasts

Normally REM sleep takes 20-25% of the total sleep time. It comes about an hour and a half after falling asleep and then repeats every hour and a half, each time becoming longer. Especially long REM sleep is observed in the morning hours.

What is the phase of slow sleep

In this section, we have reached the phase of slow sleep, or rather, the period of restoration of physiological and energy balance. A good rest begins, regeneration of tissues and cells is noted, blood supply to the muscles improves, immunity is strengthened. It is at this time that the “recharging” of the brain, the structuring of memory takes place.

How to tell if you are in a slow-wave sleep

A person who is in the slow-wave sleep phase has a decrease in blood pressure and body temperature. Muscles are relaxed, breathing becomes more rare and measured.

How long non-REM sleep lasts

If we have a table of times in which the somnologist identifies sleep phases, we will notice the following. Normally, slow-wave sleep takes up 75% of the entire rest period. It is divided into three stages, which scientists refer to as N1, N2, N3.

N1 (light sleep) is the transitional stage between falling asleep and waking. During this phase of slow wave sleep, phenomena such as hypnagogic jerk (feeling of falling and startling when falling asleep), visual, auditory and tactile hallucinations, sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, sleep-talking can occur.
N2 - body temperature drops, muscles relax, a person completely disconnects from reality. Normally, N2 slow-wave sleep takes up half the time of all sleep and occurs in segments of about 20 minutes.
N3 is a deep sleep during which blood pressure decreases and breathing becomes rare. These are good sleep phases for restoring body tissues, producing hormones and removing metabolites. The brain, meanwhile, is engaged in "archiving" memories of events, moving them from short-term memory to long-term memory.

What is the difference between REM and non-REM sleep? REM sleep is characterized by frequent eye movements, and during non-REM sleep they are practically absent. The most common question that somnologists hear is in what phase of sleep do we dream. As a rule, dreams that we see during REM sleep are more likely to be remembered. Although studies have found that dreams occur during both phases.

Why slow sleep is better than fast sleep

Both main phases are important for the normal functioning of body systems. There are just some nuances. It is believed that the phase of non-REM sleep has a significant mission of restoring the body, both in children and adults. By waking up a person at this time, we will deprive his brain of the opportunity to “reboot”. In addition to the general poor health of the sleepy, impaired concentration, increased nervousness, lethargy, apathy, and irritability await.

And if such deprivation of non-REM sleep occurs regularly, there are high chances of encountering serious mental disorders. In order to prevent a disorder of the circadian rhythm (the body's internal clock), you need to know in which phase of sleep it is best to wake up. REM sleep is ideal for this. By the way, numerous applications for gadgets can help with this.

But in no case should you think that REM sleep is useless and can be sacrificed without consequences. This period prepares all body systems for awakening and includes the connection between physiological processes in the brain and consciousness.

REM and NREM sleep: normal

A simple sleep phase calculator will help you calculate the norm for the average person. So, slow-wave sleep should account for 70%, and fast sleep, respectively, 30% of the total night's rest. The total duration of sleep sufficient for recovery is from 7 to 9 hours per day.

Slow-wave sleep should last about 90 minutes to maintain health. It is followed by a phase of REM sleep lasting 10-20 minutes. At night, the phases of REM and non-REM sleep are unevenly distributed. So, for the first time after falling asleep, REM sleep lasts about 5 minutes, and closer to waking up, its duration reaches an hour. With slow-wave sleep, the opposite is true - as the cycles change, it is reduced.

Let's add that there are supporters of polyphasic sleep. They break it up into short periods instead of a long night's sleep - the time of wakefulness increases, and you have to sleep less. So they get not 2 or 3, but as many as 4 phases of sleep. We are talking about the following modes:

Dymaxion - every 6 hours fall asleep four times for 30 minutes. Just 2 hours.
Uberman - every 4 hours six times for 20 minutes. Just 2 hours.
Everyman - 1.5-3 hours at night and three times 20 minutes during the day. Just 2.5-4 hours.
Tesla - 2 hours at night and 20 minutes during the day. Just 2 hours 20 minutes.

Of course, this approach has many opponents who claim that the regime is contrary to human biological rhythms. A torn schedule, they believe, will sooner or later lead to health problems.

How to increase the phase of non-REM sleep

Since we have found out in which phase of sleep a person recovers best, you need to know what will happen if it is deficient. Due to the lack of slow-wave sleep, the body's resistance decreases, immunity decreases and brain activity slows down. It becomes more difficult to concentrate even on familiar tasks, lethargy and anxiety appear.

There may be malfunctions in the endocrine system and hormone production. A reduced phase of non-REM sleep also increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, heart and vascular diseases. Obviously, to maintain health, it is necessary to maintain the normal duration of this phase of sleep. For this, it is important to follow the regime. Look at your schedule, take into account the phases of sleep and their cyclical nature, time to wake up. And after the analysis, determine the hour when it is easier for the body to fall asleep and wake up.

It is not allowed to rest for five hours during the week, hoping to compensate on Saturday or Sunday. The habit of sleeping on weekends can lead to insomnia, create conditions for chronic fatigue, increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, provoke obesity and headaches. It also increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Follow the recommendations that will help increase non-REM sleep.

1. Scheduled sleep

If you have too short slow-wave sleep, take care of your routine and try to always follow it. Getting up and going to bed at the same time is a uniquely healthy habit.

2. Movement is life

Move more during the day (but not before going to bed!) You need to do exercises daily for 20-30 minutes. Thanks to this, brain cells will receive more oxygen, and this will help to establish biological rhythms.

3. No caffeine

Avoid invigorating drinks such as coffee, tea and alcohol in the evening. Drink a soothing herbal tea before bed.

4. Neither cold nor hot

Keep the room at a comfortable sleeping temperature. Ventilate the room regularly. It is comfortable to fall asleep in a cool room, and not in a stuffy one.

5. Put your phone away

Gadgets have a bad effect on the quality of sleep. An hour and a half before leaving for Morpheus, put away your smartphone, do not watch TV and do not use a computer. And it doesn't matter whether it's work plans, watching a movie or playing computer games.

6. Take a bath

A warm bath before going to bed helps you relax, and reading further sets you up for peace and relaxation.

7. Moderate emotions

The bed should be associated exclusively with rest (and intimate life), but not with quarrels, work, laughter and deep sadness. Do not sort things out before going to bed, do not create emotional stress and fully tune in to sleep.

8. Dim the lights

Light interferes with the production of melatonin, distracts and prevents sleep, so try to rest in complete darkness. At the same time, take care of the silence, there will be no sharp and loud sounds in the audibility zone.

9. Timely dinner

Fatty, spicy foods, fruits are not suitable for eating at night. You make the stomach work, and it also has time to rest. Have dinner at least three hours before bedtime, so the food has time to digest. If annoying rumbling bothers you, drink a glass of kefir or milk.

10. Comfort

A hard mattress, uncomfortable pillow and synthetic bed linen are unlikely to contribute to a comfortable rest in any phase of sleep. Pick up linen from breathable fabrics, place the bed so that nothing distracts and replace the blanket with a pillow. Your bed should be comfortable and inviting to sleep.

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Phases of sleep, or how to sleep fully - tips from experts MnogoSna.ru

Sleep is a state during which all organs work in a special mode. In relation to physiology, sleep is a manifestation of self-regulation, which is subject to life rhythms. This is a disconnection of human consciousness from the external environment, necessary to restore the functioning of the nervous system.

Good sleep helps to strengthen memory, maintain concentration, cell renewal, remove toxins and excess fat cells, reduce stress, unload the psyche, produce melatonin (a hormone that regulates circadian rhythms and strengthens the immune system).

Article content

Slow sleep
REM sleep
Healthy sleep rules
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Slow sleep

I stage. In this state of sleep, interesting thoughts and new ideas arise in the subconscious of a person. He is more dozing than sleeping. This state lasts approximately 5-10 minutes.

Stage II. On it, the consciousness of a person is completely turned off, a full-fledged dream arises. In this phase, which lasts approximately 20 minutes, auditory analyzers become sharper. At this time, you can easily wake up from a slight noise, stirring in bed and the like.

Stage III. It is a kind of continuation of the second phase and is deeper. In this case, a person is no longer awakened by minor rustles and sounds. The stage lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Stage IV. Characterized by very deep sleep. A person is much more difficult to wake up than in the third stage. There are vivid dreams, some people suffer from sleepwalking. Usually a person, passing into the state of wakefulness, does not remember the dreams seen in this phase. This state lasts approximately 45 minutes.

REM sleep

REM sleep belongs to the fifth stage of sleep. At this time, the sleeping state is at its most active. But, despite this, his muscles are paralyzed and the person is in one position. The subconscious mind works well enough that all dreams can be remembered.

If the sleeper is awakened during the fast phase, he will be able to tell all the dreams in the most colorful and vivid detail.

At the fourth stage, it is quite difficult to wake up on your own. If you try to wake a sleeping person, you will need more effort. Some experts note that a sharp transition from such a period to wakefulness can adversely affect the psyche. REM sleep takes about 60 minutes.

Good sleep is essential for all people, because it helps to maintain strong nerves, high immunity and even an optimistic view of the world around.

Rules for healthy sleep

It is a mistake to think that time passes uselessly during sleep and people waste many hours on it. Lack of rest not only adversely affects health, but also negatively affects mood.

There are several rules by which you can achieve sound sleep at night and, accordingly, excellent health and high performance during the day. Below are the main recommendations.

Always stick to the chosen wake up and bedtime schedule . It is advisable to go to bed no later than 11 pm, while sleep should last 8-9 hours.
All sleep must cover the period from 12 am to 5 am . It is at this time that the maximum amount of the longevity hormone, melatonin, is produced.
If you find it difficult to fall asleep, try to take a short walk in the evenings . 20-40 minutes will be enough. Also, before going to bed, you can take a warm bath with an infusion of soothing herbs - motherwort, oregano, chamomile, lemon balm (in the absence of contraindications) - and sea salt.
Try not to eat 2 hours before bed , in extreme cases you can drink a glass of warm milk (with honey). Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening.
Always ventilate the room before going to bed. You can sleep with the window ajar and the door closed, or you can open the window and the door in the next room. In this case, it is advisable to sleep in socks. As for the temperature, according to GOST, 18–22 ° C is considered a comfortable temperature for a dwelling.

Sleep on the right mattress . In order not to make a mistake in choosing, we recommend that you read our detailed article.

Place roller in place of the cushion.

After waking up, it is recommended to move a little and warm up : exercise, go for a run, if possible, swim in the pool.

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1. Scheduled sleep

2. Movement is life

3. No caffeine

4. Neither cold nor hot

5. Put your phone away

6. Take a bath

7. Moderate emotions

8. Dim the lights

9. Timely dinner

10. Comfort

Phases of sleep, or how to sleep fully - tips from experts MnogoSna.ru

Slow sleep

REM sleep

Rules for healthy sleep

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