Sleep And Health

Sleep and Health

“Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake”

Sleep stages

1: non-REM sleep is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep. This is very light sleep and eye movements are slow. Muscles can occasionally twitch. Usually lasting only several minutes

2: non-REM sleep when you transition to deeper sleep. Heart rate and breathing will slow core temperature drops and eye movement stops. Brain activity is also slowed. This is where you will spend the majority of your time compared to all other sleep stages in the cycle

3: non-REM sleep is deep sleep and occurs in longer periods for the first half of the night. Heart rate and breathing are at their lowest levels and so is brain activity.

REM sleep occurs average first 90 minutes of falling asleep. Your eyes will have rapid side to side movement and there will be brain activity that is closer to being in an awaken state. Breathing can become faster and irregular and heart rate and blood pressure rise to nearly waken levels. Most dreaming occurs during REM sleep. As people age, they will spend less time in REM.

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep#:~:text=Sleep%20is%20important%20to%20a,up%20while%20you%20are%20awake.