There are three primary components for self-care: exercise food, and rest. Consider these as the basis for your self-care priorities. In terms of these fundamentals, there are some ground rules that we all have in common: eat less processed foods and drink plenty of fluids, and exercise can be any activity that keeps you moving. But what about sleep? What about naps at your desk or on the bus or sitting on your couch while you drift off to sleep while watching Netflix. Are they helpful? Sleep deprivation can impact physical and psychological well-being, and the most effective way to counter it is to have a good uninterrupted sleep at the night. In answer to your question, not really. While short naps can give you a boost of energy, they’re not meant to replace a deep sleep.
What exactly is Deep Sleep?
Every night, your body is exposed to different stages in sleep. Stage 3 of your sleeping cycle, which is comprised of non-rapid eye movement sleep, is referred to as deep sleep. This type of sleep is important for adults to feel refreshed as they get their eyes open at the beginning of their day. In fact, 13 to 23 percent of the average adult’s sleep should be a restful sleep. Adults need between 7 and 8 hours in their sleep each night, therefore sleeping deep should be necessary for 62 to 110 minutes.
Stages of Sleep
When you’re asleep the body goes through one rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage as well as three non-rapid-eye movement (NREM) sleep stages. The stages last between 90 to 120 minutes to complete. After that, the cycle starts again.
You can experience the entire sleep cycle up to six times, depending on how long you are sleeping. In the first few hours of sleep, you’ll spend more time in NERM sleep. Your body will be spending more time in REM sleep as time goes by. Let’s look at each stage in order to learn more about the process of sleep.
Stage 1
This is the time where your body goes from being completely awake to falling asleep. This stage is much easier than others. This phase is temporary and your body swiftly shifts to the next. Additionally, the stimulation of your senses and brain activity start dropping to aid in sleep.
Stage 2
At this point, you’re still asleep and your breathing rate and heart rate will decrease. The muscle tension will lessen as well as your body temperature will decrease. The stage 2 is much more prevalent than the others. In fact, you’ll be spending half your sleeping time at stage 2.
Stage 3
This is when you start getting into deep sleep. In the 3rd phase the rate of breathing and heart rate are lower, helping your entire body relax. When brain waves slow down and tension diminishes the eyes will become relaxed and your muscles relax. At this stage it’s difficult to get up, and that’s the time where the majority of the symptoms of sleep disorders occur, such as sleepwalking.
REM Sleep or Stage 4
This is the final stage of sleep. Within 90 minutes after sleeping the REM stage takes place. Your body will first enter the REM phase for 10 minutes. This time will increase to fifteen minutes or more when your body is going through more and more sleep cycles. This is when you start having dreams and your eyes go around under your eyelids. Stage 4 is the time when your brain starts to function similarly to how it functions when you’re fully awake.
Deep Sleep Benefits
It is essential to get the 7-9 hours sleep you need every night to feel refreshed each and every day. Deep sleep has many benefits. Deep sleep boosts brain glucose metabolism. Furthermore, it aids in the development of short-term and long-term memory. This is a further benefitas it enhances your abilities to learn.
The slow-wave sleep cycle also marks the time when the pituitary glands release a large amount of vital hormones, like growth hormone. This is essential for growth and development.
These are only some of the many advantages of deep sleep.
- increase the supply of blood to muscles
- It aids in restoring energy
- Regeneration of cells
- Repair of bones and other tissues
- Encourages growth
- Increase your immunity
Are you curious about the health problems you could be facing when you don’t get enough deep sleep for a long time? Slow-wave sleep is great for the brain’s ability to process the vast amount of information it has collected throughout the day. The brain may have trouble keeping this information in long-term memory if it doesn’t get enough quality sleep. Additionally that not getting enough restful sleep may increase the risk of developing problems like:
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s disease
- diabetes
- heart disease
How can you get deeper sleep?
The easiest and simplest way to do this is to get enough time to sleep. Try to sleep at least 7 hours at night to get high-quality sleep. Some more methods that you could try are:
Exercise
Are you struggling to get sleep? This is one of the main reasons for people who don’t get enough rest in the evening, even if they get to bed on time. Studies have shown that you can increase and enhance the quality of sleep by engaging in psychical exercise. To get more energy You can join the gym, take meditation, yoga or simply walk around.Healthy Diet
If you’re looking to sleep better, then you need to eat healthier. Consuming more fats and sugars and less fiber disturbs your sleeping schedule. Therefore, you should start eating meals that are high in fiber and protein, and are low in fat. Have you ever thought of drinking a glass of wine prior to going to your bed? Bad idea. While alcohol may help you get to sleep, it may also affect the quality of your sleeping. For a better night’s sleep, try cutting down on alcohol intake during the time before you get to bed. It is well-known that coffee is stimulant and helps you to stay awake during the night. Many people aren’t aware of when it’s time to stop drinking caffeine throughout the duration of the day. If you’re not aware, coffee should be avoided for seven hours prior to going to bed. If you feel exhausted and cranky when awake early in the morning, it’s likely due to the fact that you didn’t get enough rest at night. There are a few ways to ensure you don’t feel exhausted and cranky when you wake up early in the morning. Sleeping in a steady rhythm helps your body to gain strength, increase memory and help prevent the development of heart disease.Alcohol Consumption
Coffee
Bottom Line
