If you are having a tough time getting to slumber knowing how you rest or recognizing the mechanism behind what produces a good night’s slumber could be instrumental in comprehending why you have a sleep disorder. Slumber is not as simple as you believe because of the various levels of sleep. Your body engages in assorted processes once your head hits the pillow and you close your eyes that ensures how restful that rest is to you.
The first stage of sleep is called stage one which is characterized by drowsiness as your feel yourself let go, your muscles fall into a limp state, and your eyes will drift closed on their own. This is the fastest developing phase, usually between five and ten. Stage two of sleep is a very faint sleep and in this state your temperature and respiratory system retreat. Your heart rate should also become slower during this part of sleep.
You can say stage three and four are classified as deep sleep and are where you may have difficulty waking up. You will possibly feel very dazed and incoherent but this stage allows the brain to rest and as a result blood flow actually decreases, at which point it begins to rejuvenate the body. It is important to note that there is a increased level of immune work that occurs during these two stages of sleep.
REM sleep is stage five and is generally thought of as the dreaming phase of the REM sleep cycle. Drifting in and out of stage five happens often so you may find yourself having several dreams during your period of REM. This part of the sleep process is defined by a number of physical responses where you may experience rapid breathing that is both irregular and shallow. You may also experience your heart quickening as a rise in blood pressure.
This exact moment in the sleep cycle is vital to helping you process certain emotions for stress reduction and giving the person a truly good night’s sleep. People who sleep lightly are trapped in stage two and cannot seem to get to stages three and four where they need to be in order to obtain the most rest possible. People who have difficulty waking up likely are stuck in the deeper parts of sleep and rise suddenly when they wake up rather than travel through each stage on the way to waking up.
The stages of sleep also change based on how much time you spent in each cycle the evenings before, so if you spend more time in deep sleep one night you might become trapped in a light sleep the next evening. Ultimately however it balances out and you will spend about the same average over time in all of the sleep stages. That’s why it is more true that you cannot make up on sleep but you can always make up on lost rest.
