Sleep Basics: REM & NREM, Sleep Stages, Good Sleep ...

Usually, REM sleep arrives about an hour and a half after you go to sleep. The first REM period lasts about 10 minutes. Each REM stage that ... ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation?Visitation,maskrequirementsandCOVID-19information Home / HealthLibrary / Articles SleepBasics Sleepisanimportantpartofourlives.Itimprovesphysicalandmentalhealth.Sleephappensinstages,includingREMsleepandnon-REMsleep.Manyfactorsaffectyoursleepquality,includingfoodandroomtemperature.Ifyouthinkyoumayhaveasleepproblem,talktoahealthcareprovider.Manytreatmentsareavailableforsleepdisorders. Appointments866.588.2264 Appointments&Locations RequestanAppointment Whatissleep? Youmaythinknothingishappeningwhenyousleep.Butpartsofyourbrainarequiteactiveduringsleep.Andenoughsleep(orlackofit)affectsyourphysicalandmentalhealth.Whenyousleep,yourbodyhasachancetorestandrestoreenergy.Agoodnight’ssleepcanhelpyoucopewithstress,solveproblemsorrecoverfromillness.Notgettingenoughsleepcanleadtomanyhealthconcerns,affectinghowyouthinkandfeel. Duringthenight,youcyclethroughtwotypesofsleep:non-rapideyemovement(non-REM)sleepandrapideyemovement(REM)sleep.Yourbrainandbodyactdifferentlyduringthesedifferentphases. Whathappensinthebrainduringsleep? Researcherscontinuetostudysleepanditseffectonus.Whilewe’velearnedalotaboutsleep,there’sstillmuchthat’sunknown. Weknowthatbrainchemicalsareveryinvolvedinoursleepcycle.Neurotransmittersarechemicalsthathelpthenervescommunicate.Theycontrolwhetherwe’reawakeorasleep,dependingonwhichneurons(nervecells)they’reactingon: Neuronsinthebrainstem(wherethebrainandspinalcordmeet)produceneurotransmitterscalledserotoninandnorepinephrine.Thesechemicalskeepourbrainactivewhenwe’reawake. Neuronslocatedatthebaseofthebrainareresponsibleforusfallingasleep.Itseemstheseneuronsturnoffthesignalsthatkeepusawake. Whydoweneedsleep? Sleephelpsusinmanyways.Weneeditfor: Growth:Inchildrenandyoungadults,deepsleep(sleepthat’shardertowakefrom)supportsgrowth.Thebodyreleasesgrowthhormoneduringthistypeofsleep.Thebodyalsoincreasesproductionofproteins,whichweneedforcellgrowthandtorepairdamage. Nervoussystemfunction:Alackofsleepaffectsourmemory,performanceandabilitytothinkclearly.Ifapersonisseverelysleepdeprived,theymayevenexperienceneurologicalproblemssuchasmoodswingsandhallucinations.Sleepalsohelpsournervecells.Theycanrepairthemselves,sotheyfunctionattheirbest.Andcertainnerveconnectionsgetachancetoturnon,strengtheningourbrainandthinkingability. Survival:Researchersdon’tfullyunderstandwhysleepissoessential.ButstudiesinanimalshaveshownthatgettingdeprivedofREMsleepcanshortenlifespans.Lackofsleepmayharmtheimmunesystem,whichprotectsusfrominfections. Well-being:Peoplewhodon’tgetenoughsleepareathigherriskfordevelopingvarioushealthconditionsincludingobesity,diabetesandheartproblems. Whatarethestagesofsleep? Whenyousleep,yourbraingoesthroughnaturalcyclesofactivity.Therearefourtotalstagesofsleep,dividedintotwophases: Non-REMsleephappensfirstandincludesthreestages.Thelasttwostageofnon-REMsleepiswhenyousleepdeeply.It’shardtowakeupfromthisstageofsleep. REMsleephappensaboutanhourtoanhourandahalfafterfallingasleep.REMsleepiswhenyoutendtohavevividdreams. Asyousleep,yourbodycyclesthroughnon-REMandREMsleep.Youusuallystartthesleepcyclewithstage1ofnon-REMsleep.Youpassthroughtheotherstagesofnon-REMsleep,followedbyashortperiodofREMsleep.Thenthecyclebeginsagainatstage1. Afullsleepcycletakesabout90to110minutes.YourfirstREMperiodisshort.Asthenightgoeson,you’llhavelongerREMsleepandlessdeepsleep. Whatisnon-REMsleep? Threestagesmakeupnon-REMsleep. Stage1: Thisstageoflightsleepinglastsforfiveto10minutes. Everythingstartstoslowdown,includingyoureyemovementandmuscleactivity. Youreyesstayclosed.Ifyougetwokenfromstage1sleep,youmayfeelasifyouhaven’tsleptatall.Youmayrememberpiecesofimages. Sometimes,youmayfeellikeyou’restartingtofallandthenexperienceasuddenmusclecontraction.Healthcareproviderscallthismotionhypnicmyoclonicorhypnicjerk.Hypnicjerksarecommonandnotanythingtobeconcernedaboutasthisoccurrenceisunlikelytocauseanycomplicationsorsideeffects. Stage2: Thisperiodoflightsleepfeaturesperiodsofmuscletone(musclespartiallycontracting)mixedwithperiodsofmusclerelaxation. Youreyemovementstops,heartrateslowsandbodytemperaturedecreases. Brainwavesbecomeslower.Occasionally,you’llhaveaburstofrapidwavescalledsleepspindles. Yourbodypreparestoenterdeepsleep. Stages3 Thisstageisdeepsleep. Duringthisstage,yourbrainproducesdeltawaves,veryslowbrainwaves. It’shardforsomeonetowakeyouupduringthisstage. Youhavenoeyemovementormuscleactivity. Ifyou’rewokenup,youmayfeelgroggyanddisorientedforafewminutes. Whathappensduringnon-REMsleep? Duringnon-REMstages,yourbody: Buildsboneandmuscle. Repairsandregeneratestissues. Strengthenstheimmunesystem. Asyouage,yougetlessnon-REMsleep.Olderadultsgetlessdeepsleepthanyoungerpeople. WhatisREMsleep? WhenyouenterREMsleep,brainactivityincreasesagain,meaningsleepisnotasdeep.Theactivitylevelsarelikewhenyou’reawake.That’swhyREMsleepisthestagewhereyou’llhaveintensedreams. Atthesametime,majormusclesthatyounormallycontrol(suchasarmsandlegs)can’tmove.Ineffect,theybecometemporarilyparalyzed. Usually,REMsleeparrivesaboutanhourandahalfafteryougotosleep.ThefirstREMperiodlastsabout10minutes.EachREMstagethatfollowsgetslongerandlonger. TheamountofREMsleepyouexperiencechangesasyouage.ThepercentageofREMsleep: Ishighestduringinfancyandearlychildhood. Declinesduringadolescenceandyoungadulthood. Declinesevenmoreasyougetolder. WhatelsehappenstothebodyinREMsleep? Besidesincreasedbrainactivityandmusclerelaxation,yourbodygoesthroughaseriesofchangesduringREMsleep.Thesechangesinclude: Fasterbreathing. Increasedheartrateandbloodpressure. Penileerections. Rapideyemovement. Whataffectssleepquality? Chemicalsignalsinthebraininfluenceoursleepandwakecycles.Anythingthatshiftsthebalanceoftheseneurotransmitterscanmakeusfeeldrowsierormoreawake.Forexample: Alcoholmayhelppeoplefallintoalightsleep.ButitreducesthedeeperstagesofsleepandREMsleepandleadstomoredisruptedsleep. Caffeineandpseudoephedrine(drugingredient)canstimulatethebrain.Theymaycauseinsomnia,aninabilitytosleep.Watchoutforcaffeinateddrinkssuchascoffeeanddrugssuchasdietpillsanddecongestants. MedicationssuchasantidepressantscancauselessREMsleep. PeoplewhosmokeheavilyoftensleeplightlyandhavelessREMsleep.Theymaywakeupafterafewhoursbecausetheyexperiencenicotinewithdrawal. VeryhotorcoldtemperaturescandisruptREMsleep.We’relessabletoregulatebodytemperatureduringREMsleep. HowmuchsleepdoIneed? Manyfactorsaffecthowmuchsleepyouneed.Ageisabigfactor: Infantsneedabout16hoursaday. Toddlersandpreschoolersneedabout12hours. Teenagersneedaboutninehours. Adultsneedseventoeight(thoughsomearefinewithfiveandothersneedcloserto10). Pregnantpeopleoftenneedmoresleepduringthefirsttrimester. Whatisasleepdebt? Ifyouhaven’tsleptwellorlongenoughforafewdays,youmightcreateasleepdebt.Onceyourdebtbuildsup,youmayfeelphysicallyandmentallyexhausted.Trytomakesureyougetenoughsleepeverynighttoavoidcreatingthisdebt.Youcan’tnecessarilymakeupyourdebtbysleepingalotontheweekends.It’sbesttogetenoughsleepallweeklong. Canweadapttoneedinglesssleep? Generally,peopledon’tadapttogettinglesssleepthantheyneed.Youmayfeellikeyou’reusedtoreducedsleep,butitstillaffectsyourfunction.Forexample,itcanharmyourjudgmentandreactiontime. Whatissleepdeprivation? Whenyou’resleepdeprived,you’renotgettingthetotalamountofsleepyouneed.Signsofsleepdeprivationinclude: Fallingasleepwithinafewminutesoflyingdown. Feelingdrowsyduringtheday. Noddingoffformicrosleeps—shortperiodsofsleepduringthedaywhenyou’reotherwiseawake. Sleepdeprivationcanbedangerous.Drivingwhiletiredcausesabout100,000caraccidentseachyear,accordingtotheNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministration.Italsocauses1,500deaths.Ifyoufeeltiredontheroad,pullover.It’snotsafetodriveifyou’redrowsy. Whataresleepdisorders? AccordingtotheAmericanSleepAssociation,atleast40millionAmericansexperiencesleepdisorderseachyear.Another20millionhaveoccasionalsleepissues.Thesedisorderscausesleepdeprivation,leadingtoproblemswithwork,school,drivingandsocialactivities. Therearemorethan70sleepdisorders.Afew,knownasdisruptivesleepdisorders,leadtomovingaroundormakingsounds.Othersleepdisordersinvolvefood.Andsomesleepdisordersoverlapwithpsychiatricconditions.Ifyouhaveproblemswithsleeporfeelverytired,talktoyourhealthcareprovideraboutapossiblesleepdisorder. Someofthemostcommonsleepdisordersinclude: Insomniadisorder:Manypeopleexperienceinsomniaatsomepointintheirlives,withtroublefallingorstayingasleep.Sleepingpillscanhelpintheshort-termbutbehavioralstrategiestoimprovesleepincludingcognitivebehavioraltherapyforInsomnia(CBT-i)isamuchbetterlongtermsolution. Narcolepsy:Youmaysuddenlyfallasleepduringtheday,evenifyouhadagoodsleepthenightbefore.These“sleepattacks”canlastafewsecondsorupto30minutes.Talktoyourprovideraboutyoursymptomsandadditionaltestingwillneedtobecompletedtodiagnosisthissleepdisorder. Restlesslegssyndrome(RLS):Youmayfeelunpleasantsensationsinyourlegs(suchaspricklingortingling).Youmayalsohaveanurgetomoveyourlegstogetrelief.IfyouhaveRLS,talktoyourhealthcareprovideraboutmedicationtohelpimprovesymptoms. Sleepapnea:Youmayexperienceperiodsofinterruptedbreathingwhileyousleep,aconditioncalledsleepapnea.Often,gettingpolysomnography(sleepstudy)inasleepcenteristhebestwaytogetproperlydiagnosedandtreated.Sometimes,weightlossornotsleepingonyourbackcanhelp.Butyoumayneedaspecialdevicetohelpyoubreathewhileyousleep. Snoring:Peoplewhoregularlysnorecanhavedisturbedsleep.Theycanalsodisturbthesleepoftheirbedpartner.Snoringoftenleadstofeelingtiredduringtheday.Severaltreatmentoptionsareavailableforsnoring. Whataregoodsleephabits? Goodsleephabits,alsocalledgoodsleephygiene,arepracticestohelpyougetenoughqualitysleep. Do: Haveasleepschedule:Gotosleepandwakeuparoundthesametimeeveryday,evenonweekendsandvacations. Clearyourmindbeforebed:Makeato-dolistearlyintheevening,soyouwon’tstayawakeinbedandworryaboutthenextday. Createagoodsleepenvironment:Makesureyourbedandpillowsarecomfortable.Turndownthelightsandavoidloudsounds.Keeptheroomatacomfortabletemperature. Exerciseeveryday:Stayactivebuttrytoavoidexercisingduringthefewhoursrightbeforebed. Relax:Beforebed,takeawarmbath,readordoanotherrelaxingactivity. Seeyourhealthcareprovider:Ifyou’vebeenhavingtroublesleepingorfeelextradrowsyduringtheday,talktoyourprovider.Therearemanytreatmentsavailableforsleepdisorders. Don’t: Consumecaffeine,nicotineandalcohollateintheday:Thesesubstancescaninterferewithyourabilitytofallandstayasleep. Lieinbedawake:It’sbettertodoasoothingactivity,likereading,untilyoufeeltired. Napduringtheday:Ashortnap(lessthan30minutes)isOKifyou’reverysleepy.Buttrytoavoidnapsafter3p.m. Thinknegativethoughts:Trytoavoidanegativemindsetwhengoingtobed,suchas,“IfIdon’tgetenoughsleepnow,Iwon’tgetthroughmydaytomorrow!” Useelectronicsrightbeforebed:Electronics,suchasyourphoneortablet,caninterferewithyourbody’sproductionofmelatonin.Thishormonegetsreleasedbeforebedtohelpyoufeeltired. AnotefromClevelandClinic Farfrombeingastateofdoingnothing,sleepisanessentialpartofourlives.Ithelpsourbodyrest,rechargeandrepair.Therearefoursleepstages—threeinthenon-REMphaseplusREMsleep.Manyfactorscanaffectsleepquality,includingthefoodanddrinkyouconsumebeforebedandroomtemperature.Manypeopleexperiencetroublesleepingnowandthen.Butifyouthinkyoumayhaveasleepdisorder,talktoyourhealthcareprovider.Commonsleepdisordersincludeinsomnia(troublefallingasleep)andsleepapnea(breathingtroubleduringsleep).Yourprovidercanhelpyougetthediagnosisandtreatmentyouneed. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. Policy RelatedInstitutes&Services NeurologicalInstitute TheNeurologicalInstituteisaleaderintreatingandresearchingthemostcomplexneurologicaldisordersandadvancinginnovationsinneurology. ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. Policy Morehealthnews+info ShowMore Appointments866.588.2264 Appointments&Locations RequestanAppointment Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest Snapchat