The Stages of Sleep: What Happens During Each - Healthline

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 ... 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cttimesoftheday:12-2p.m.and8-9p.m.Thisexplainsthepost-lunchfatiguethatsomepeoplefeelduringthemiddleoftheday.Higheraltitudescanhaveanegativeimpactonsleepquality.Accordingtoresearch,thismaybebecauseofareducedamountofslow-wave(deep)sleep.Althoughthere’sstillmuchtolearnaboutsleep,thebiggestthingweknowisthatsleepisjustascrucialtogoodhealthasnutritionandexercise.SleepdisturbancesAccordingtotheAmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine,thenumberofpeopleannuallywhoexperienceasleepdisorderisabout70million.Sleepdisorderscanhaveanegativeimpactonsleepquality,whichinturncanleadtootherhealthproblems.Below,you’llfindsomeofthemostcommonsleepdisordersandhowthey’retreated.InsomniaInsomniaisachronicsleepconditioncharacterizedbydifficultysleeping.Somepeoplehavetroublefallingasleep,othersareunabletostayasleep,andsomehavetroublewithboth.Insomniaoftencausesexcessivedaytimesleepinessandfatigue.Cognitivebehavioraltherapy(CBT)istheprimarytreatmentforinsomnia.CBTmayalsobecombinedwithsleepmedications,whichareabletohelppeoplefallandstayasleep.Forsomepeople,improvingsleephygienemayalsohelp.SleepapneaObstructivesleepapnea(OSA)isaconditioninwhichthebodystopsbreathingduringsleep.Theseperiodsofnobreathing,calledapnea,happenbecausetheairwaysofthethroatbecometoonarrowtoallowairflow.Likeinsomnia,thisconditioncannegativelyaffectsleepquality.ThefirstlineoftreatmentforOSAisacontinuouspositiveairwaypressure(CPAP)machine.TheCPAPcreatesenoughairflowtoallowapersonwithsleepapneatobreatheproperlyduringsleep.IftheCPAPdoesn’thelp,bilevelpositiveairwaypressure(BiPAPorBPAP)maybeconsideredtohelppatientstoleratethepressures.Insomecases,anoralapplianceorsurgerymaybenecessaryforOSA.ShopallHealthline-approvedproductsforsnoringandsleepapneainoursleepshop.RestlesslegsyndromeRestlesslegsyndrome(RLS)isaneurologicaldisorderthatcausesanuncomfortablefeelinginthelegs,whichoccursintheeveningasbedtimeapproachesandwhentheindividualisrestingortryingtofallasleep.PeoplewithRLSoftenhavetroublegettingenoughsleepbecauseoftheirsymptoms.CertainmedicationsareFDAapprovedtohelpmanageRLSsymptoms.Practicinggoodsleephygienecanalsohelprelaxthebodybeforebedandmakeiteasiertofallasleep.ShiftworkdisorderShiftworkdisorderisaconditionthatcommonlyaffectsthosewhoworkoutsideofaregular9-to-5schedule.Thisdisordercancauseanimbalanceinthenaturalcircadianrhythm,orsleep-wakecycle.Peoplewiththisdisorderareatahigherriskforincreaseddaytimesleepinessandhealthissues.Treatmentforshiftworkdisorderincludesstrategicnapping,avoidingstimulantslikelightatthecorrecttime,and,ifpossible,reducingthenumberofhoursworked.Forpeoplewhosleepduringtheday,itcanalsohelptouselight-blockingtoolslikeeyeshadesorcurtains.NarcolepsyNarcolepsyisachroniccentralnervoussystemdisorderthatcausesextremedaytimesleepinesswith“sleepattacks”alongwithpoorsleepatnight.TypeInarcolepsyalsocausescataplexy,whichisasudden,physicalcollapsecausedbylossofmusclecontrol.PeoplewithbothtypeIandtypeIInarcolepsyoftenexperienceextremedisruptionsintheirdailylife.MedicationslikestimulantsandSSRIsareusedtotreatthesymptomsofnarcolepsy.At-hometreatments,likegoodsleephygiene,dietandexercisingregularly,canhelptopromotehealthfulsleep.Dealingwithnarcolepsycanbechallenging.Makingadjustmentsinyourdailyschedulemayhelpwhichincludestrategicnapping.Supportgroupsandcounselingcanhelpyouandyourlovedonescopewithnarcolepsy.TipstogetqualitysleepPracticinggoodsleephygieneisthebestwaytogetqualitysleepatnight.Herearesomewaysyoucanimproveyoursleephygiene:Spendtimeoutsideinthesunduringtheday.Exposingyourbodytonaturallightduringthedaycanhelpmaintainahealthycircadianrhythm.Exerciseormoveyourbodythroughouttheday.Gettinginatleastoneexerciseormovementsessioneachdayisagreatwaytoimproveyoursleepquality.Limityournaptimetonomorethan20-30minutes.Therearebenefitstonapping.Butifyounapforlongerthan30minutes,itcanleaveyouwideawakewhenit’sfinallytimeforbed.Avoidstimulantsandcertainfoodsbeforebed.Caffeine,nicotine,oralcoholbeforebedcaninterruptyoursleep,ascanfoodsthatcauseindigestionorstomachupset.Limityourscreentimeanhourbeforesleeping.TVs,phones,andotherelectronicdevicesemitbluelight,whichcaninterruptthehormonesthathelpyoufallasleep.Createacomfortablebedroomenvironment.Investinginahigh-qualitymattress,pillow,blanket,andotherrelaxingbedroomitems,canhelpyousleepbetter.Wantsuggestions?Browseourmarket,filledwitheditor-trustedandexpert-verifiedpillowandmattressrecommendations.Incorporatingthesetipsslowlyovertimecangreatlyimproveyoursleepquality.Butifyou’restillhavingtroublefallingorstayingasleep,itmaybetimetovisitadoctortodiscussmoreoptions.ThebottomlineYourbodycyclesthroughthestagesofsleepeachnight:threestagesofnon-REMsleepandonestageofREMsleep.Duringthesesleepcycles,ourbreathing,heartrate,muscles,andbrainwavesareallaffecteddifferently.Gettingenoughsleepisimportantforhealth-promotingactivitieslikedigestion,growth,andmemory.Certainsleepdisorders,likeinsomnia,cancausepoorsleepqualityanddifficultyfunctioningthroughouttheday.Thebestthingyoucandotoimproveyoursleepqualityistoaddressanyunderlyingconditionsandworkonyoursleephygiene.LastmedicallyreviewedonSeptember13,20218sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.BlochKE,etal.(2015).Sleepathighaltitude:guessesandfacts. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26229000/BrinkmanJ,etal.(2021).Physiologyofsleep.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/29132Healthysleephabits.(2020).sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/NascaTR,GoldbergR.(n.d.).Theimportanceofsleepandunderstandingsleepstages.sleephealth.org/sleep-health/importance-of-sleep-understanding-sleep-stages/Myoclonusfactsheet.(2016).ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Myoclonus-Fact-Sheet#3160_2PatelAK,etal.(2021).Physiology,sleepstages.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30252388/Sleepdisorders.(n.d.).sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/Whatisshiftworkdisorder?(2020).sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/shift-work/FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyRajDasgupta,MD—WrittenbyEleeshaLockett,MS—UpdatedonSeptember30,2021ReadthisnextWhatIsthePurposeofSleep?MedicallyreviewedbyRajDasgupta,MDResearchhasshownthatsleephelpsyourbodyandbrainrepair,restore,andreenergize.Lackofsleepcanleadtomanynegativeeffects.READMORESleepDisordersMedicallyreviewedbyRajDasgupta,MDSleepdisordersareconditionsthataffecttheabilitytosleepwellonaregularbasis.Learnaboutsleepdisordersymptoms,types,andtreatment.READMORETipsToSleepBetterMedicallyreviewedbyUniversityofIllinoisTrythesesimplestrategiesandhabitstohelpyougettherestyouneed.READMOREAreYouaLightSleeper?MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,MSNPeoplereactdifferentlytosleep-disturbinginterruptions.Ifyou'realightsleeper,learnwhyandstepsforgettingagoodnight’ssleep.READMORE7ReasonsWhyYouGetHotWhileSleeping(andWhattoDoAboutIt)MedicallyreviewedbyRajDasgupta,MDHerearesevenreasonswhyyoumaygethotwhenyousleep,alongwithsolutionsyoucantry.READMOREThe11BestMattressesforLowerBackPainin2022MedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTThese11picksaresomeofthebestmattressesforlowerbackpain.Offeringmedium-firmsupport,they’llhelpkeepyoualignedandrested.READMOREBoll&Branchvs.Brooklinen:ComparingLuxuryPercaleSheetsDecidingbetweenBoll&BranchandBrooklinensheets?Whilebothbrandsofferluxurypercalesheets,thereareafewkeydifferences.READMORE