Sleep - What is Sleep - Benefits Of Deep Sleep - How Sleep Works - Sleep Cycles - Lack Of Sleep
In this video I discuss what is sleep, benefits of sleep, how sleep works, how much sleep do you need, and the results of lack of sleep. I also cover sleep deprivation, benefits of deep sleep, sleep quality, rem sleep, and the sleep cycles.
Transcript with notes
So, what is sleep? Sleep is a state of mind that involves muscle relaxation, reduced interaction with surroundings and minimal sensory activity.
And, what happens when we sleep? Well, When we sleep, we go through sleep cycles, which last about 90 to 110 minutes. Each sleep cycle has 2 different states of sleep, and 4 stages of sleep. The 2 states of sleep are often classified as NREM, non REM sleep, and REM sleep. REM means rapid eye movement.
Non REM sleep has 3 stages, and rem has only one stage of sleep. Non rem stages are typically noted as n1 thru n3.
Stage n1, is a light sleep, where you drift in and out of sleep, and can be awakened easily. The eyes move slowly, and muscle activity slows. During this stage, brain waves usually have an alpha wave appearance as shown on this chart. Stage n1 accounts for 5 to 10% of sleep.
In Stage n2 sleepers become harder to awaken, muscular activity decreases even more, and conscious awareness disappears completely. Brain waves take on a theta wave pattern, with sleep spindles and k complex’s appearing on a brain wave chart.
Sleep spindles are believed to be periods where the brain is trying to keep the sleeper in a tranquil state. ***Researchers believe that these spindles are associated with refreshment of our ability to learn. K complexes are large waves, and often occur after an environmental stimuli, such as a sound in the bedroom. 45 to 55% of sleep is in stage n2.
In stage n3 slow brain waves, called delta waves begin to appear. As this stage goes on, the brain produces almost exclusively delta waves. This is considered deep sleep, where there is no eye movement or muscle activity.
People awakened from this stage do not adjust immediately. As this stage continues, it is made up of almost entirely delta waves, and it is believed that this stage is the most restful form of sleep. Stage n3 accounts for about 15 to 25% of sleep.
In the rem stage, muscles become paralyzed, heart rate and breathing become more rapid and irregular, and the eyes jerk rapidly. Brain waves increase to a pattern that is similar to that of someone who is awake. 20 to 25 percent of sleep is spent in the rem stage.
As stated earlier, a sleep cycle usually lasts 90 to 110 minutes, and then the sleeper cycles thru the stages again, but, the earlier sleep cycles have shorter rem sleeps, and longer periods of deep sleep, whereas later in the night, rem periods lengthen, and deep sleep decreases. And that is how sleep works.
So, how much sleep do you need? The chart on your screen lists the sleep recommendations based on age. These are the recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation. As you can see, the sleep range for adult’s ranges from 7 to 9 hours, however, there are adults that can function on 6 hours, and there are some that need 10 hours.
Women in the 1st 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours than usual, and the amount needed increases if you have been deprived in previous days.
Now let’s take a look at some of the effects of lack of sleep.
Lack of sleep has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and poor immune function. It can also lead to car accidents, learning deficiency, decreased memory, ages your skin more, impaired judgment and less productivity at work or school.
Oversleeping can also be problematic. Research suggests oversleeping can lead to weight gain, headaches, heart disease and back pain.
So, what are the benefits of sleep? Good, quality sleep has been shown to improve memory, decrease stress, increase creativity and increase athletic performance.
Benefits of deep sleep
During deep sleep, growth hormone is released, which stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair. There are many experts that believe getting enough high quality sleep is just as important to health and well being as nutrition and exercise.
How do we get quality sleep? It is often hard to get a good night of sleep, some things that have been shown to increase the quality of sleep include, regular exercise, creating a good sleep environment such as having a pleasant room temperature and maybe having a soothing sound with soft music or a fan running.
Avoiding caffeine, avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills, as they both can disrupt sleeping patterns.
Timestamps
0:00 What is sleep?
0:21 The stages of sleep
0:39 Stage n1 of sleep
0:56 Stage n2 of sleep
1:33 Stage n3 of sleep
2:01 What is REM sleep?
2:19 What are sleep cycles?
2:35 How much sleep do you need?
3:04 Lack of sleep
3:39 Benefits of sleep
4:05 How to get good quality sleep
