How to Get More Deep Sleep - American Sleep Association

Deep sleep is the sleep stage that is associated with the slowest brain waves during sleep. Because the EEG activity is synchronized, this period of sleep is ... Home-AboutSleep:Tips,QuotesandMore-StagesofSleep:TheSleepCycle-DeepSleep:HowtoGetMoreofIt DeepSleep:HowtoGetMoreofIt We’veallheardofdeepsleep(alsoknownasslow-wavesleep)andhowourbodiesneedittofunctionproperly,butwhatexactlyisit?Thereisanabundantamountofresearchondeepsleep,butwehavealloftheessentialinformationyouneedtoknowonwhatitis,itsfunction,andhowyoucangetmoreofit. WhatisDeepSleep? Deepsleepisthesleepstagethatisassociatedwiththeslowestbrainwavesduringsleep.BecausetheEEGactivityissynchronized,thisperiodofsleepisknownasslow-wavesleep:itproducesslowwaveswitharelativelyhighamplitudeandafrequencyoflessthan1Hz.Theinitialsectionofthewaveisindicatedbyadownstate;aninhibitionperiodwherebytheneuronsintheneocortexaresilent.It’sduringthisperiodthattheneocorticalneuronsareabletorest.Thenextsectionofthewaveisindicatedbyanupstate;anexcitationperiodwherebytheneuronsfirebrieflyatarapidrate.Thisstateisadepolarizingphase,whereastheformerstateisahyperpolarizingphase.IncontrastwithRapidEyeMovementsleep(REMsleepcycle),themaincharacteristicsofslow-wavesleepareabsentorsloweyemovement,moderatemuscletone,andlackofgenitalactivity. ResearchBehindSleepStagesandDeepSleep AccordingtotheRechtschaffen&Kales(R&K)Standardof1968,deepsleepcanbedescribedasstagethreeofnon-rapideyemovementsleepandisoftenreferredtoas“slow-wavesleep”.There’snocleardifferencebetweenstagesthreeandfour;however,stagethreehas20to50percentdeltaactivitywhilestagefourhasover50percent.Sincetheyear2008,theAmericanAcademyofSleepMedicinenolongerreferstostagefour,andstagesthreeandfourhavecombinedtocreatestagethree.Therefore,aperiodof30seconds’sleep,consistingof20%ormoreslow-wavesleep,isnowconsideredtobestagethree.Slow-wavesleep(deepsleep)isoneoftheStagesofSleep. FeaturesofDeepSleep Electroencephalograph(EEG)demonstratesdeltawaves(highamplitude,lowfrequency) Consolidationofmemories Higharousalthreshold Presumedrestorationofbodyandbrain WhyIsDeepSleepImportant? Deepsleepisimportantforconsolidationofnewmemories,andisoftenreferredtoas“sleep-dependentmemoryprocessing.”Thus,individualswithprimaryinsomniawillhaveimpairedmemoryconsolidationandwon’tperformasefficientlyasnormalpatientswhencompletingmemorytasksfollowingaperiodofsleep.Inaddition,declarativememoryisimprovedwithslow-wavesleep,andthisincludesbothsemanticandepisodicmemory. Acentralmodelhasbeencreatedontheassumptionthatlong-termmemorystorageispromotedbyinteractionbetweenthehippocampalandneocorticalnetworks.Severalstudieshaveshownthat,oncesubjectshavebeentrainedtolearnadeclarativememorytask,therewasasignificantlyhigherdensityofhumansleepspindleswhencomparedtothenon-learningcontroltask.Thisoccursduetounconsciouswaveoscillationsthatmakeuptheintracellularrecordingsfromcorticalandthalamicneurons. FunctionofDeepSleep Humansleepdeprivationstudiesseemtosuggestthattheprincipalfunctionofdeepsleepmaybetogivethebraintimetorestoreitselffromitsdailyactiveness.Anincreaseofglucosemetabolisminthebrainoccursasaresultoftasksthatrequirementalactivity.Yetanotherfunctionaffectedbyslow-wavesleepisgrowthhormonesecretion,whichisalwaysgreatestatthisstage.Plus,italsocreatesbothanincreaseinparasympatheticneuralactivityandadecreaseinsympatheticneuralactivity. Indeepsleep,thehighestarousalthresholdsareobserved,suchasthedifficultyofawakeningbythesoundofaparticularvolume.Whenapersonawakensfromslow-wavesleep,theygenerallyfeelquitegroggy.Cognitivetestsafterawakeningdoindicatethatmentalperformancecanbeimpairedforperiodsofupto30minuteswhencomparedtoawakeningsfromotherstages.Thisphenomenonisknownas“sleepinertia.” Thereisalwaysasharpreboundofslow-wavesleepaftersleepdeprivation,meaningthatthenextboutofsleepwillnotonlyincludemoreslow-wavesleepthannormal,butdeeperslow-wavesleep.Thepreviousdurationofthisstage,inadditiontothedurationofpriorwakefulness,willdeterminethedurationofslow-wavesleep.Whendeterminingtheamountofslow-wavesleepinanygivensleepperiod,themajorfactortonoteisthedurationofprecedingwakefulness,whichistypicallyrelatedtothebuild-upofsleep-inducingsubstancesinthebrain. SleepDisordersDuringDeepSleep Thereareseveralsleepdisordersandparasomniasthatoccurpredominantlyduringslow-wavesleep.Sleepwalking(Somnambulism),nightterrors(sleepterrors),bed-wetting(Enuresis),sexsomnia,andsleepeatingareallassociatedwithslow-wavesleep.Individualswithnarcolepsyoftenhavefragmenteddeepsleep. FactorsthatIncreaseSlow-WaveDeepSleep Factorsthathaveshowntoincreaseslow-wavesleepinthesleepperiodthatfollowsthemincludeintenseprolongedexerciseandbodyheating,suchasimmersioninasaunaorhottub. Studieshaveshownthatslow-wavesleepisfacilitatedwhenbraintemperatureexceedsacertainthreshold.It’sbelievedthatcircadianrhythmandhomeostaticprocessesregulatethisthreshold.Anunusuallylow,short-termcarbohydratedietinhealthysleeperspromotesanincreaseinthepercentageofslow-wavesleep.Thisincludesaproductioninthepercentageofdreamingsleep(REMsleep),whencomparedtothecontrolwithamixeddiet.It’sbelievedthatthesesleepchangescouldverywellbelinkedtothemetabolismofthefatcontentofthelowcarbohydratediet.Inaddition,theingestionofantidepressantsandcertainSSRI’scanincreasethedurationofslow-wavesleepperiods;however,theeffectsofTHConslow-wavesleepremaincontroversial.Totalsleeptimeintheseinstancesisoftenunaffectedduetoaperson’salarmclock,circadianrhythms,orearlymorningobligations. HowtoGetMoreDeepSleep Themostimportantthingthatyoucandotoincreaseyouramountofdeepsleepistoallowyourselfadequatetotalsleeptime.Often,individualswilldeprivethemselvesofadequatetotalsleep.Inadditiontoreducingdeepsleep,REMsleepisalsoshortened. Thereissomedatatosuggestthatvigorousexercisecanincreaseorconsolidatedeepsleep.Somesleepspecialistsrecommendaerobicactivitieslikejogging,running,andswimming.Forthosewhoarepronetoinsomnia,itisbesttoexerciseearlierinthedayandnotbeforebedtime. InSummary Stagethreeofthesleepcyclestages,slow-wavesleep(deepsleep),isacrucialpartofyourcognitivefunctioning.Itplaysamajorroleinmemoryconsolidationandbrainrestoration.Becauseofitsimportanceforyouroverallhealth,youmustincreaseyouramountofdeepsleepbyallowingyourselftohaveenoughtotalsleeptimeeachnight.Additionally,exerciseandahealthydietareacoupleofdifferentmethodsyoucantrytohelpincreaseyourslow-wavesleep. [the_ad_groupid=”20064″] AuthorRecentPostsASAAuthors&ReviewersSleepPhysicianatAmericanSleepAssociationReviewersandWritersBoard-certifiedsleepM.D.physicians,scientists,editorsandwritersforASA.LatestpostsbyASAAuthors&Reviewers(seeall) HowDoestheSunImpactSleep?-November22,2021 HowPostureAffectsSleepQualityinAdultsandChildren-November18,2021 Sleepvs.Rest:What’stheDifference?-October22,2021 Relatedposts: SleepDeprivationEffectsontheBrain CanYouUseAlcoholtoHelpFallAsleep? SleepDeprivationStages&Effects WhatDoChangesinYourPet’sSleepScheduleIndicate? SleepDeprivation 102thoughtson“DeepSleep:HowtoGetMoreofIt” Commentnavigation OlderComments Thelowcarbeffectonsleepisinteresting.Alsothere’sevidencethatalzheimersislinkedtoinsulinresistance,diabetesofthebrain,couldthisalsobeduetolowlevelsofdeepsleepasthebrainnolongerhasthefuelavailabletofacilitateREM? Icameacrossthisarticleaftertryingtofigureoutwhymymomwasonlygetting20minutesofdeepsleep.Ihavebeenfollowingaketodietforthepast9monthsandtypicallyobtain80-100minutesofsleep.Mymothermayhaveinsomnia,butotherthanthatIdobelievethelowcarblifestyleachievesmoreminutesofdeepsleep.IhaveobtainedmydatafrombothaFitbitbandandWyzewatch.Bestofluckincreasingyourdeepsleep. I’ma61yearoldwoman.MyREMandLightsleeparereallygood.Mydeepsleepisanaverageof8%.I’vetriedeverythingtoincreasethisnumber.Cool,darkroom.I’minbedby10PM.Idon’tdrinkanycaffeine,noalcohol.Idon’tdoheavydutyexercise,butIgetmyheartgoingatleast3-4timesaweek.Itakeawarmshowerbeforebed.TVandsocialmediaoffforatleastanhourbeforeIgotobed.Ieathealthy…lotsoffruits/veggies.Idon’teatmeat.Idoeatchickenandfish.Idon’teatanythingheavyatleast3hoursbeforebedtime.Nostress.ItseemsI’mdoingeverythingright…right?Isitpossiblethatthisishereditaryandnothingwedocanchangethat? I’m61.Don’twatchtvnoramIonsocialmediaforatleastanhourbeforeIgotobed.Ieatextremelyhealthy(littlesugarandverylittlemeat).Exercise(notextremebutitdoesgetmyheartrateup).Warmshowerbeforebed.Inbedby10PM.Darkroom.74temperature.GoodREMandlightsleep.Nostress.Considermyselfprettyhealthy.Yet,myaveragedeepsleepis8%.I’vetriedeverything.Couldthisjustbehereditaryandnomatterwhatwetry,nothingwillwork? Oolerpad,crossfitatleasteveryotherday,nocoffee,noalcohol,6to8houreatingwindow,bluelightfilteringglassesatleast2hoursbeforebed,multivitamin,meditation. Commentnavigation OlderComments LeaveaReplyCancelreplyYouremailaddresswillnotbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*Comment*Name Email Notifymeofnewpostsbyemail. 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