Getting quality sleep is incredibly important for your daytime physical and mental energy levels, brain health, mental health, immune health, and overall wellness. It’s not enough to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night. You need quality sleep, which includes deep sleep. Deep sleep is a critical sleep stage characterized by slow eye movement and downstate with the slowest brain waves during the night. Deep sleep is essential for waking up refreshed and feeling energized during the day.
In an ideal world everybody should be getting the best night's sleep, but life's not like that. Throughout my life I've been a deep sleeper, and had my fair share of strange things like sleepwalking, talking and moving about during sleep.
I've experienced jet lag on a few occasions, but nothing too severe. Unfortunately many people suffer from lack of sleep due to their circumstances, and this can be because of work or life in general. Leaving little to no leeway of improving their circumstances.
Let's take a look at how sleep works.
The Four Stages of Sleep
Everyone goes through four stages of sleep.
These are:
NREM or Light Sleep
Brain waves, heartbeat, breathing and eye movements all slow down. Muscles begin to relax, and may occasionally twitch. At this stage a person will spend 5% of their sleep.
This is the lightest part of NREM sleep.
NREM or Deeper Sleep
Brain activity slows, and the body experiences brief bursts of electrical activity known as sleep spindles. At this stage a person will spend about 45% of their sleep time.
Typically lasting around 25 minutes, slowing heart rate, relaxing muscles further, drop in body temperature and eye movements stop.
NREM or Deepest Sleep
Heart rate, breathing and brain slow to their lowest level and muscles are fully relaxed. This is when bedwetting, sleepwalking and nightmares all occur.
More commonly known as slow wave sleep (SWS), accounting for 25% of sleep time.
This is where the body repairs itself by regrowing tissue, strengthening the immune system, and building up muscle and bone.
This stage is vital in helping a person to wake up feeling refreshed ready for a new day.
REM or Dreaming
This involves rapid eye movement from side to side, with closed eyelids, and increased heart rate and breathing.
Brain activity is similar to that of wakefulness, but with arm and leg muscles paralysed preventing a person acting out their dreams. REM and non-REM sleep is required for memory consolidation, some experts believe.
Dreaming usually occurs 90 minutes after someone falls asleep. Most people usually spend about 25% of their sleep time in REM sleep.
The CDC recommends:
- Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours
- Toddler (1–2 years): 11–14 hours
- Preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours
- School age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours
- Teen (13–18 years): 8–10 hours
- Adult (18–60 years): 7-plus hours
- Adult (61–64 years): 7–9 hours
- Adult (65+ years): 7–8 hours
- Infants (4–12 months): 12–16 hours
Why We Need Good Sleep
- Sleep is the time our bodies repair, it helps us with:
- Helps memory consolidation and learning
- Helps regulate our emotions
- Helps us in decision making and judgement
- Helps our bodies to conserve energy
- Helps our bodies to heal
- Helps support our immune system
Developing Good Sleep Habits
Let's take a look at some good habits that help us get a better night's sleep.
Keep Your Bedroom at an Optimum Temperature
Temperature plays a key part in the body resting at night. Most people sleep at around 18C or 65F, but this can vary slightly from person to person.
Make Your Bedroom as Dark as Possible
Sleeping in a dark room, without any light shining through the window will bring a better night's sleep.
Get as Much Natural Light During the Day as You Can
Vitamin D deficiency can affect your sleep pattern and quality. Exercise during the day by getting out and stretching your legs, or sit in the sun. Have as many hours as you can in the natural daylight.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise five times a week regularly doing cardio, body weight or weight lifting exercises. Don't exercise three hours before bedtime because it will stimulate your body and mind before you go to bed.
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