What are the stages of Sleep

Each sleep phase has a different role to play in how you feel when you wake. Lets explain which stage helps to restore your body, which will support your brain, and whether you are striking a good balance between these stages when you sleep.

Conventionally, your sleep cycle is characterized by four distinct phases: awake, light, deep, and REM sleep. Each type plays a vital role in sustaining your mental and physical health.

In essence:

• REM sleep means “rapid eye movement” and is sometimes called “stage R”

• Light and deep sleep are usually grouped together as NREM – “non-rapid eye movement” sleep or simply “stages 1-4”

1.Awake

During the day, a chemical called adenosine accumulates in the bloodstream and eventually makes you feel tired. This is the strongest dip in rhythms of wakefulness. The afternoon slump, which is between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. is when the desire to nap is the strongest. As the day goes on the brain begins to release a hormone called melatonin which prepares you for sleep.

1.Light Sleep

During light sleep, your heart rate and breathing rate is significantly lower than they are when you are awake. There are bursts of activity in your brain, which boost your brain's communication system and your ability to remember. Light sleep plays a role in regulating circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock that signals when to be alert and when to rest. Light sleep also affects the production of melatonin, an essential sleep-promoting hormone.

3.Deep Sleep

sleep is also known as slow-wave sleep. This is the stage of sleep where your brain waves are at their slowest. During deep sleep, your declarative memory, which are the memories of facts & events from your day-to-day life, improves.Growth hormones that help with organ, muscle, and tissue repair are also released from your pituitary gland. If you are recovering from an injury, this is when your body does the most work in healing itself.

4.REM Sleep

REM stands for rapid eye movement. During REM sleep, your eyes move around rapidly in a range of directions. When you enter REM sleep, brain activity increases again, meaning sleep is not as deep. The activity levels are equivalent to when you're awake. That's why REM sleep is the stage where you tend to have vivid dreams. At the same time, major muscles that you normally control can't move.