Deep Sleep: Stages, Benefits, Requirements, Tips, and More

While you rest, your body goes through different stages of the sleep cycle. Deep sleep, for example, is the stage of sleep you need to feel refreshed when you ... HealthConditionsFeaturedBreastCancerIBDMigraineMultipleSclerosis(MS)RheumatoidArthritisType2DiabetesSponsoredTopicsArticlesAcidRefluxADHDAllergiesAlzheimer's&DementiaBipolarDisorderCancerCrohn'sDiseaseChronicPainCold&FluCOPDDepressionFibromyalgiaHeartDiseaseHighCholesterolHIVHypertensionIPFOsteoarthritisPsoriasisSkinDisordersandCareSTDsDiscoverWellnessTopicsNutritionFitnessSexualHealthMen'sHealthWomen'sHealthMentalHealthSleepOriginalSeriesFreshFoodFastDiagnosisDiariesYou’reNotAlonePresentTenseVideoSeriesYouthinFocusCrackingtheSleepCodeNoMoreSilenceFutureofHealthPlanHealthChallengesMindfulEatingSugarSavvyMoveYourBodyGutHealthMoodFoodsAlignYourSpineFindCarePrimaryCareMentalHealthOB-GYNDermatologistsNeurologistsCardiologistsOrthopedistsLifestyleQuizzesWeightManagementAmIDepressed?AQuizforTeensAreYouaWorkaholic?HowWellDoYouSleep?Tools&ResourcesHealthNewsFindaDietFindHealthySnacksDrugsA-ZHealthA-ZConnectFindYourBezzyCommunityBreastCancerInflammatoryBowelDiseasePsoriaticArthritisMigraineMultipleSclerosisPsoriasisFollowusonsocialmediaShopProductsbyConditionInsomniaStressReliefBackPainNeckPainSleepApneaHotSleepersAllergiesPainReliefProductReviewsVitamins&SupplementsSleepMentalHealthNutritionAt-HomeTestingCBDMen’sHealthWomen’sHealthHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeSleepSleepScienceRoutinesMind&BodyDisordersChallengeNapsDreamsProductsWhatIsDeepSleepandWhyIsItImportant?MedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.—WrittenbyAshleyMarcin—UpdatedonJune12,2020SleepstagesBenefitsRisksRequirementsDiagnosisTipsDeepsleepstageYoumayhaveheardthatadultsneedbetween7and9hoursofsleepeachnight.But,thequalityofsleepyougetalsomatters.Whileyourest,yourbodygoesthroughdifferentstagesofthesleepcycle.Deepsleep,forexample,isthestageofsleepyouneedtofeelrefreshedwhenyouwakeupinthemorning.Unlikerapideyemovement(REM)sleep,deepsleepiswhenyourbodyandbrainwavesslowdown.It’shardtowakefromdeepsleep,andifyoudo,youmayfeelparticularlygroggy.Readontolearnmoreaboutthispartofyoursleepcycle.Whatarethestagesofsleep?Sleepisdividedintotwocategories:REMandnon-REMsleep.Youbeginthenightinnon-REMsleepfollowedbyabriefperiodofREMsleep.Thecyclecontinuesthroughoutthenightaboutevery90minutes.Deepsleepoccursinthefinalstageofnon-REMsleep.Non-REMsleepStage1ofnon-REMsleeplastsseveralminutesasyoumovefrombeingawaketobeingasleep.Duringstage1:yourbodyfunctions—likeheartbeat,respiration,andeyemovements—begintoslowyourmusclesrelaxwithonlyoccasionaltwitchesyourbrainwavesstarttoslowdownfromtheirwakefulstateStage2accountsforabout50percentofthetotalsleepcycle.Thisisthestageofsleepyoumayfallintomorethananyotherthroughoutthenight.Duringstage2:yourbody’ssystemscontinuetoslowandrelaxyourcoretemperaturedropsyoureyemovementsstopyourbrainwavesareslow,butyouhavesomeshortburstsofactivityStages3and4arewhenyouexperiencedeepsleep.Duringthesestages:yourheartbeatandbreathingbecometheirslowestasyourmusclesrelaxyourbrainwavesbecometheslowestthey’llbewhileyou’reasleepit’sdifficulttoawakenevenwithloudnoisesDeepsleepisalsoreferredtoas“slowwavesleep”(SWS)ordeltasleep.Thefirststageofdeepsleeplastsanywherefrom45to90minutes.Itlastsforlongerperiodsinthefirsthalfofthenightandbecomesshorterwitheachsleepcycle.REMsleepStage5,oryourfirststageofREMsleep,occursabout90minutesaftermovingthroughnon-REMstages.Duringthisstage:youreyesmoverapidlyfromsidetosideyouexperiencedreamingasyourbrainactivityincreasestoamorewakefulstateyourheartrateincreasestonearitswakefulstateyourbreathingbecomesfasterandevenirregularattimesyourlimbsmayevenbecomeparalyzedWhatarethebenefitsofdeepsleep?Glucosemetabolisminthebrainincreasesduringdeepsleep,supportingshort-termandlong-termmemoryandoveralllearning.Deepsleepisalsowhenthepituitaryglandsecretesimportanthormones,likehumangrowthhormone,leadingtogrowthanddevelopmentofthebody.Otherbenefitsofdeepsleepinclude:energyrestorationcellregenerationincreasingbloodsupplytomusclespromotinggrowthandrepairoftissuesandbonesstrengtheningtheimmunesystemWhathappenswhenyoudon’tgetenoughdeepsleep?Deepsleepisresponsibleforhelpingprocesstheinformationyouencountereachday.Withoutenough,thebraincan’tconvertthisinformationtoyourmemory.Notgettingqualitysleepisalsolinkedtoconditions,like:Alzheimer’sdiseaseheartdiseasediabetesstrokeThedeepsleepstageitselfisassociatedwithcertaindisorders,like:sleepwalkingnightterrorsbedwettingsleepeatingHowmuchdeepsleepdoyouneed?Youspendroughly75percentofyournightinnon-REMsleepandtheother25percentinREMsleep.Ofthis,around13to23percentofyourtotalsleepisdeepsleep.Thatsaid,deepsleepdecreaseswithage.Ifyou’reunderage30,youmaygettwohoursofdeepsleepeachnight.Ifyou’reoverage65,ontheotherhand,youmayonlygetahalfhourofdeepsleepeachnight,ornoneatall.There’snospecificrequirementfordeepsleep,butyoungerpeoplemayneedmorebecauseitpromotesgrowthanddevelopment.Olderpeoplestillneeddeepsleep,butnotgettingasmuchdoesn’tnecessarilyindicateasleepdisorder.Howdoyouknowhowmuchyou’regetting?Ifyouwakeupfeelingexhausted,itmaybeasignthatyou’renotgettingenoughdeepsleep.Athome,wearabledevicesmeasuresleepbytrackingyourbody’smovementsduringthenight.Thistechnologyisstillrelativelynew.Whileitmayhelpidentifysleeppatterns,itmaynotbeareliableindicatorofhowmuchdeepsleepyou’regetting.Yourdoctormayrecommendasleepstudycalledapolysomnography(PSG).Duringthistest,you’llsleepatalabwhilehookeduptomonitorsthatmeasure:breathingrateoxygenlevelsbodymovementsheartratebrainwavesYourdoctorcanusethisinformationtoseeifyou’rereachingdeepsleepandotherstagesthroughoutthenight.TipsforbettersleepHeatmaypromotemoreslowwavesleep.Forexample,takingahotbathorspendingtimeinasaunabeforebedmayhelpimproveyoursleepquality.Eatingalow-carbohydratedietortakingcertainantidepressantsmayalsopromotedeepsleep,thoughmoreresearchisneededinthisarea.Gettingenoughsleepingeneralmayalsoincreaseyourdeepsleep.Here’ssometips:Putyourselfonabedtimeschedulewhereyougotosleepandwakeupatthesametimeeachday.Getplentyofexercise.About20to30minuteseachdayisagoodstart,justavoidworkingoutinthehoursbeforebedtime.Sticktowaterandotherdecaffeinateddrinksbeforebed.Caffeine,alcohol,andnicotinemaymakeithardertogetagoodnight’srest.Createabedtimeroutinetounwindfromtheday,likereadingabookortakingabath.Banishbrightlightsandloudnoisesfromyourbedroom.ToomuchTVorcomputertimemaymakeithardtorelax.Don’tlayinbedtossingandturning.Considergettingupanddoingalightactivity,likereading,untilyou’retiredagain.Considerreplacingyourpillowsifyou’vehadthemforoverayearandhavetroublegettingcomfortable.Wantsuggestions?Browseourmarket,filledwitheditor-trustedandexpert-verifiedpillowrecommendations.Browseoursleepshopanddiscoverallthebestproductsforachievingdeepersleep.Iftheabovetipsdon’thelp,makeanappointmenttoseeyourdoctor.LastmedicallyreviewedonJuly26,201811sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.AmericanSleepAssociation.(n.d.).Whatisdeepsleep?Howtogetmoreofit.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/stages-of-sleep/deep-sleep/AmericanSleepAssociation.(n.d.).Stagesofsleep.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/stages-of-sleep/AnwarY.(2017).Deepsleepmayactasafountainofyouthinoldage.news.berkeley.edu/2017/04/05/deep-sleep-aging/ClevelandClinicStaff.(2012).Sleepbasics.my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12148-sleep-basicsDivisionofSleepMedicineatHarvardMedicalSchool.(2007).Changesinsleepwithage.healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/variations/changes-in-sleep-with-ageInstituteofMedicineCommitteeonSleepMedicineandResearch.(2006).Sleepdisordersandsleepdeprivation:Anunmetpublichealthproblem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19956/JohnsHopkinsMedicine.(n.d.).Dosleeptrackersreallywork?hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy-sleep/sleep-science/do-sleep-trackers-really-workManderBA,etal.(2017).Sleepandhumanaging.DOI:doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.004NascaTR,etal.(n.d.).Theimportanceofsleepandunderstandingsleepstages.sleephealth.org/sleep-health/importance-of-sleep-understanding-sleep-stages/NationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke.(2018).Brainbasics:Understandingsleep.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-SleepOlsonEJ.(2016).Howmanyhoursofsleepareenoughforgoodhealth?mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/faq-20057898FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.—WrittenbyAshleyMarcin—UpdatedonJune12,2020ReadthisnextThe11BestMattressesforLowerBackPainin2022MedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTThese11picksaresomeofthebestmattressesforlowerbackpain.Offeringmedium-firmsupport,they’llhelpkeepyoualignedandrested.READMOREBoll&Branchvs.Brooklinen:ComparingLuxuryPercaleSheetsDecidingbetweenBoll&BranchandBrooklinensheets?Whilebothbrandsofferluxurypercalesheets,thereareafewkeydifferences.READMOREThe6BestDownComfortersof2022Lookingforthebestdownanddownalternativecomforters?Checkoutourtoppicksforthefluffiest,responsiblysourceddowncomfortersoftheyear.READMORECatchYourBestShut-Eyewiththe9BestTrundleBedsof2022Atrundlebedisasmall,lowbedthatsitsonwheels,soitcanbestoredunderatraditionalbed.Inthemarketforatrundlebed?Checkoutour…READMOREThe13BestKing-SizeMattressesof2022Lookingforamattresssuitedtoroyalty?These13picksaresomeofthebestking-sizemattressesmoneycanbuy.READMOREThe10BestFull-SizeMattressesof2022MedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTLookingtoupgradeyourfull-sizemattressthisyear?Checkoutourtoppicksforthebestoptionstoconsiderin2022.READMOREThe10BestAirMattressesforCampingin2022MedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTLookingfortheperfectairmattressforyournextcampingtrip?Checkoutourlistofthebestoptionstohelpyougetagoodnight'ssleepinthe…READMORE