What does it mean to sleep well?

 

 

During sleep, your brain series through five stages: stage 1, 2, 3, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During Stage 1 the brain and body activities start slowing down, whereas, Stage 2 is when the brain enters a more subdued state. In Stage 3, the body relaxes further, which includes the pulse rate, breathing and muscle tone. The activity of the brain in Stage 3 is shown as delta waves. Research shows that Stage 3 is critical to restorative sleep. During REM sleep the activity in the brain usually picks up. If you are successful at cycling through all of these five sleep stages multiple times each night, allowing sleep to perform its important function of restoring our bodies and minds and the result is better sleep. The greatest rewards from sleep are attained when you get enough hours of sleep each night, have relatively uninterrupted sleep and keep a consistent sleep schedule suiting your natural circadian rhythms.

 

Healthy sleep consists of sleep duration, continuity and timing. The length of time we spend in each stage varies with age. It is suggested that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, meanwhile, infants require about 16 hours a day. Surprisingly, teenagers only need about 9 hours a day. Sleep continuity means that the sleep is continuous and through the night with no interruption. Fragmented sleep interferes with the process of cycling through all four stages of sleep. Timing of sleep is also important. If sleep timing is not aligned with circadian rhythms then it is difficult to fall asleep and get enough hours of sleep.

 

Here are some tips to get better sleep:

• Create a bedtime routine. Take a warm bath or shower, listen to soothing music, or drink a cup of non-caffeinated tea.
• Get in the habit of going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning.
• Limit caffeine during the day, and don't have any for at least 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.
• Don't drink alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol may cause you to wake up more frequently during the night.
• Don't use tobacco or smoke, particularly in the evening. Nicotine can keep you up.
• Don't take naps during the day, very close to bedtime.
• Extremely hot or cold temperatures may disrupt REM sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

References:

1.     Wilckens, K. A., Woo, S. G., Kirk, A. R., Erickson, K. I., & Wheeler, M. E. (2014). Role of sleep continuity and total sleep time in executive function across the adult lifespan. Psychology and aging, 29(3), 658–665.

2.     Chaput, J. P., Dutil, C., & Sampasa-Kanyinga, H. (2018). Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this? Nature and science of sleep, 10, 421–430.

3.     7. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). (2019, August 13). Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. Retrieved December 21, 2020, fromhttps://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-slee

4.     MedlinePlus: National Library of Medicine (US). (2017, April 26). Healthy Sleep. Retrieved December 21, 2020, fromhttps://medlineplus.gov/healthysleep.html