While sleep is among the most basic entities of our lives, it is at the same time one of the most neglected in the hustle and bustle of modern life. Quality and length of sleep are important in directly affecting the state of physical, mental, and emotional health and influencing everything from cognitive performance to immune function. Understanding the science of sleep, the stages involved, and the benefits of good sleep will go a long way in placing sleep at the cornerstone of our lifestyle. So, let’s get started on how it is beneficial and how we can get it in quality!

The Science of Sleep

So, how does sleep work? Sleep works in a total of 5 stages: wake, N1, N2, N3, REM. Throughout the night, we typically go through 4-5 cycles of sleep. A cycle starts from the N1 stage and goes to N2, N3 and then back to N2 and finishes it off with REM. A cycle tends to finish in 90 to 110 minutes, as the night grows deeper, the REM stage lasts longer with each cycle.

Pro tip: If you nap, it’s best to nap either in a 20-30 minute period for a “power” nap and if you need to catch up on that sleep 90 minutes of nap is the best so you won’t wake up feeling groggy disturbing your sleep cycle!

Stages of Sleep

Let’s look into the different stages of sleep briefly:

1. Wake: This is when you feel drowsy or still awake, just before sleeping.
2. N1: This stage occurs as soon as you fall asleep, so it is still easy to wake up, but this period is short, lasting a few minutes. As you continue undisturbed, you soon reach the N2 stage.
3. N2: Although it is not as deep as N3, it still is a deeper sleep state than N1, and your brain waves slow down while having short bursts of electrical activity in periods. This is believed to say that your brain recollects and manages the memories of the day. This stage lasts quite a while and after reaches the N3 stage
4. N3: This is the deepest sleep part, where it is difficult to wake someone up. In this stage, slow but strong waves are sent out throughout the body to repair your body or to heal any injury experienced throughout the day. This part is the most important to feel “fully energized” after sleep.
5. REM: This stage is where you often experience dreams. In this stage, it is almost similar to being awake.

Benefits of Proper Sleep

What if you slept well? Let’s see what benefits you receive after proper sleep:

Brain Health and Cognition

• Improved intellectual performance, alertness, mood, and balance of energy.
• Improves reasoning and problem-solving skills and pays greater attention to details.
• Quicker reflexes, increased focus, and clear thinking.
• Lowers the risk of depression and enhances interaction with other people since it regulates one’s mood.

Physical Health

• Regulates cardiovascular health as heartbeat, blood pressure, and respiration follow the cycles of sleep in restoration.
• Hormones that repair cells and control energy usage are produced accordingly during this vital process.
• Reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and infections.
• Enhances immune response and increases the efficacy of vaccination.

Productivity and Safety

• Increases work productivity and performance.
• Reduces the number of traffic accidents owing to alertness and reflex responses.

Restorative Functions

• The body gains rest.
• The body undergoes deep sleep and REM stages of sleep, which are very important for vital body functions.
• Calms down insomnia symptoms and minimizes related issues such as irritability and fatigue.
• The management and treatment of sleep pauses decrease the risks of stroke along with other cardiovascular complications.
• Hormonal Balance and Metabolism.
• Growth and stress hormone regulation.
• Effects appetite and metabolic functions.

How much sleep do you need?

Now, the question is asked: how much do we need to sleep? Let’s look into your age and the typical amount of sleep you require. The hours might differ from individual to individual, but it is best practice to follow these guidelines.

Getting Better Quality of Sleep

Now, we know how much we need to sleep, but how about improving the quality of our sleep? Let’s see some tips to improve your sleep:

• Make a consistent bedtime schedule
• Avoid caffeine and heavy food before bedtime
• Create a slightly cold and restful environment
• Have exercise or any physical activities 3 times a week
• Avoid lights that strain your eyes, i.e., Blue light

Conclusion

Sleep is an active and dynamic process, rather than a ‘passive’ rest state in life, through which the body restores the mind. Learning to take care of ourselves in this stage grants us more than what we can do, increasing many aspects of life. Remember, sleep hygiene is a very mighty tool in improving life, and prioritizing rest can be considered the bottom line to long-lasting well-being. So, making sleep a priority is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to achieve a healthier, happier life!

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