REM sleep also plays a role in learning during REM, the brain consolidates and processes information to be stored in long-term memory.Īccording to the American Sleep Association, adults spend about 50% of our total sleep time in stage 2, about 20% in REM sleep, and the remaining 30 percent in the other stages. Scientists agree that sleep is essential to health, and while stages 1 to 4 and REM sleep are all important, deep sleep is the most essential of all for feeling rested and staying healthy. The brain becomes more active, heart rate and blood pressure increase, and breathing becomes fast and irregular. It’s during this stage when most dreaming occurs. REM sleep, again, stands for rapid eye movement because the eyes dart quickly in all directions. Sleepwalking can be dangerous, because the sleepwalker can accidentally hurt themselves through falling or touching a sharp object. Rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep or REMS) is a unique phase of sleep in mammals and birds, characterized by random rapid movement of the eyes, accompanied by low muscle tone throughout the body, and the propensity of the sleeper to dream vividly. Sleep talking and night terrors occur during stages 3 and 4. While She Sleeps REM (rapid eye movement sleep) This is a light sleep when dreams occur and the eyes move rapidly back and forth. You won’t experience any eye movement or muscle activity during these stages. During deep sleep, the body repairs muscles and tissues, stimulates growth and boosts immune function. Delta waves promote immune function and help us feel restored. By stage 4, the brain almost exclusively produces delta waves. In stage 3, very slow brain waves called delta waves are interspersed with smaller, faster waves. We need about one and a half to two hours of deep sleep a night. Stage 3 and 4 sleep, the most restorative stages, are known as deep sleep. It’s best to wake up from naps after stage 2 sleep, before going into the deeper stages - which occurs about 20-30 minutes after falling asleep. Body temperature decreases and heart rate slows down. These bursts are thought to play a role in long term memory consolidation and sensory processing, and to protect the brain from waking up from sleep. In stage 2, brain wave continues to slow with bursts of rapid brain activity called sleep spindles and K complexes. Stage 1 typically lasts less than 5 minutes. We may experience muscle spasms or the sensation of falling, and are still easily awoken. The muscles relax and the brain starts producing lower-frequency alpha and theta waves, which help us calm down. During this stage, both the mind and body start to slow down. They also experience many brief arousals during the night. Stage 1 sleep is the transitional stage between wakefulness and sleep. Babies experience distinct sleep stages, including an infant version of REM, called active sleep.
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