REM sleep stands for Rapid Eye Movement sleep and is that stage of sleep when we dream the most. When you
fall sleep at night, it may feel as though there are only two states you experience: wakefulness and sleep.
Sleep science, however, has uncovered various stages of sleep states that we cycle through unconsciously during the night, REM sleep being only one of them. Some stages are of lighter quality sleep, and some are of deeper quality. With each stage, your body experiences different physical conditions and benefits.
The stages of sleep can be categorized in different ways. Sleep can be categorized as either REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep or non-REM sleep. During REM
sleep hours, your eyes actually move back and forth rapidly. Additionally, your heart rate and blood pressure rise and your breathing may be shallow, uneven and fast.
REM sleep is the stage
of natural sleep where most dreaming occurs. And though you may or may not remember your dreams, or perhaps only those dreams you had right before you awakened, you typically go through multiple cycles of REM sleep each night. The first REM cycle typically occurs starting about 1 hour to 1 ½ hours after you fall asleep.
People who experience
sleep
disorder frequently have trouble
achieving this stage of sleep. Then you may go through another 2 to 4 cycles of REM sleep with dreaming. During this time of dreaming, you are able to process memories and emotions and release built up stress. As you progress further through the night, you experience gradually lighter levels of sleep and longer period of REM sleep and dreaming until you awaken.
(Recent studies have shown there is a
significant link between type 2 diabetes and
obstructive sleep
apnea occurring during REM sleep.)
In between these cycles of REM sleep, you go through cycles of non-REM sleep. Each complete cycle of REM and non-REM sleep runs from 1 ½ to 2 hours and repeats again. The cycles of non-REM sleep can be further subdivided into 4 levels: drowsiness, light sleep, and two levels of deep sleep.
(Prescription
sleep
aids tend to disrupt these cycles
considerably.)
Drowsiness occurs right as you are falling
asleep, and then again as you are nearing wakefulness. During this level, which usually only lasts 5 or 10 minutes, eye movement and muscles start to relax, and breathing slows. You may even experience a sense of falling and perhaps involuntary muscle movements. At this level, it is still relatively easy to reawaken if disturbed. Then you enter a period of light sleep, where your heart rate begins to slow, your body temperature decreases and eye movement stops.
People who have
trouble
sleeping often experience the most
difficulty at this stage.
As you enter the levels of deep sleep, it becomes more difficult to awaken, as your brain activity decreases and your body restores itself from the activities of the day. Research has shown that during these levels, blood goes into the muscles to restore them, and your immune system is renewed as well. When we don’t
sleep well and feel the effects of
sleep deprivation, typically this is from not receiving an adequate amount of the deep levels of sleep, where the most restorative functions take place within the body. However, both deep sleep and REM sleep are crucial for experiencing a good night’s sleep. |
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