Know your sleep better

It is interesting! There is an article about REM and NREM (sleeping) in my exam today. I smiled and thought it may be a good sign:) Hopefully! I know that recently I had some troubles having quality sleep, this article is just for me!

Then I found another article explaining the sleeping stages from the internet, http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.net/stages/

Since the early 20th century, human sleep has been described as a succession of five recurring stages: four non-REM stages and the REM stage. A sixth stage, waking, is often included. Waking, in this context, is actually the phase during which a person falls asleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is marked by extensive physiological changes, such as accelerated respiration, increased brain activity, eye movement, and muscle relaxation. People dream during REM sleep, perhaps as a result of excited brain activity and the paralysis of major voluntary muscles.

Waking: The waking stage is referred to as relaxed wakefulness, because this is the stage in which the body prepares for sleep. All people fall asleep with tense muscles, their eyes moving erratically. Then, normally, as a person becomes sleepier, the body begins to slow down. Muscles begin to relax, and eye movement slows to a roll.

Stage 1:The eyes are closed during Stage 1 sleep, but if aroused from it, a person may feel as if he or she has not slept.

Stage 2: The heart rate slows, and body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter deep sleep.

Stages 3 and 4: These are deep sleep stages, with Stage 4 being more intense than Stage 3.

Non-REM sleep: The period of non-REM sleep (NREM) is comprised of Stages 1-4. A normal sleep cycle has this pattern: waking, stage 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM. Usually, REM sleep occurs 90 minutes after sleep onset.

Stage 5-REM sleep: REM is a mixture of brain states of excitement and muscular immobility, it is sometimes called paradoxical sleep. It is generally thought that REM-associated muscle paralysis is meant to keep the body from acting out the dreams that occur during this intensely cerebral stage.