REM sleep - how it differs from slow sleep, sleeping pills for REM sleep

The so-called sleep cycle includes slow-wave sleep followed immediately by fast sleep. This physiological state is easily recognizable by a significant decrease in activity, cessation of contact with the external environment and relative immobility of the body. For a long time, hypotheses about the meaning of sleep were of a certain mystical nature, and only the appearance of the necessary equipment helped bring clarity. Thus, using an EEG (electroencephalographic study) of the brain of a sleeping person, scientists were able to identify several phases, each of which has its own characteristics and functional significance for the body.

Deep sleep: what is it?

Deep sleep (“slow wave sleep”, “delta sleep”, “orthodox sleep”) is a stage of slow sleep, during which certain recovery processes occur in the body. Each person has his own individual version of deep sleep, which is formed on the basis of the following data: general health, level of mental and physical fatigue, weight, age, gender, presence/absence of bad habits, etc.

During deep sleep, brain activity slows down significantly and the level of muscle activity decreases. A sleeping person does not react to odors and other external stimuli. Recently, scientists were able to prove that during deep sleep our brain does not turn off completely, as previously stated, but is engaged in processing information that it received throughout the day.

How can you determine that a sleeping person is in deep sleep? This can be done using an electroencephalogram and delta waves, which will be released on it during deep sleep. Delta waves, which arise due to the special activity of our brain, are somewhat reminiscent of the slow and calm waves of the ocean that immerse a sleeping person in a magical world of dreams.

Slow and helpful

This stage takes up most of the time; it is this stage, according to many, that could be shortened, but is it worth it? The slow phase can bring many benefits to the body:

• The first stage not only puts you into sleep, it supports you on the line between conscious thinking, dreams, and internal sensations . During this stage, very often people unconsciously create ideas for their lives, discoveries, and important solutions to complex life problems. At this moment, brain waves suggest to a person the most beneficial outcomes of life situations for his inner self, and bring ideas for the implementation of these plans.
• regeneration and growth of body tissue occurs , largely due to relaxation.
• The third phase is also important for the production of certain hormones , such as testosterone.
• During the last part of this phase, the brain performs a “cleansing” , that is, it removes the decay products accumulated during the day. They are excreted in the same way as lymph is removed from the body from microscopic channels between the neurons of the brain.
• One of the most important functions of the brain in the last stage of the slow phase is organizing the information received during the day. The brain redistributes important facts and memories, transferring them from short-term to long-term memory.

How does deep sleep affect how you feel after waking up?

The more the sleeper is in a state of deep sleep during the night's rest, the better and healthier he feels after waking up. A person who does not experience any problems with the duration of this phase of sleep, the level of physical endurance and mental activity increases noticeably. Such an individual feels full of strength and energy throughout the day, he quickly and efficiently solves the tasks assigned to him, and does not experience any difficulties with orientation in time and space.

A lack of deep sleep negatively affects immunity, nervous system function, concentration, coordination and appearance. An individual who did not fully rest at night looks tired and broken in the morning, has a rumpled appearance, gets tired quickly, and cannot concentrate his attention on the tasks assigned to him. For such a person, the risk of catching an infectious or cold disease increases several times!

Many people who have problems with deep sleep develop apnea syndrome (during sleep, breathing stops for several tens of seconds). If a person regularly experiences a lack of deep sleep, then he experiences serious disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system. The body stops producing growth hormone. This can cause the development of obesity in people who have problems with excess weight.

Deep sleep is also characterized by manifestations of sleepwalking, nightmares and other mental disorders. In such cases, waking up a person during deep sleep is strictly prohibited, otherwise it will negatively affect his well-being and will only worsen his mental disorder.

Cycles

One cycle contains 4 slow and 2 fast stages. At night the first predominates, but in the morning the share of the second increases.

The slow one takes up about 75% of the total time. It includes naps, sleep spindles, delta and deep delta sleep.

In the first two stages, the pulse becomes slower, the blood flows slower. During the last two, the pulse quickens and the pressure rises.

This part consists of two stages. These are emotional and unemotional. Looking at the stages of sleep, you can see that they replace each other several times. At the same time, the emotional stage is always longer.

If you use a curve to mark the phases of fast and slow sleep, you can notice several descents into deep sleep, which are replaced by ascents into superficial sleep. These periods do not replace each other directly; there is an intermediate state between them. It resembles a nap.

Duration of deep sleep

The duration of deep sleep varies for each person, because it directly depends on the individual characteristics of the body. For one individual, 4–5 hours of sleep is enough to fully rest and wake up refreshed, while for another, 8–9 hours is not enough so as not to feel exhausted and squeezed like a lemon in the morning.

Deep sleep lasts longer for a person who has just fallen asleep than for a person who needs to wake up soon. In the first cycle, slow-wave sleep takes about 80–100 minutes; in subsequent cycles, its duration decreases.

Scientists say that deep sleep in an average adult should occupy from 30% to 70% of the entire night's rest. Each person has their own biological rhythms, so it is impossible to name the exact time for a specific person.

Thanks to experimental work, scientists were able to determine average time indicators.

• People under 30 years old need 120 minutes of deep sleep for proper rest.
• people from 35 to 60 years old – 80 – 85 minutes,
• people over 60 years old – 75 – 80 minutes.

Interrupting rest in the fast phase

The occurrence of nightmares may be the result of a disruption in the REM sleep phase. Moreover, mental problems may develop in the future.

Anxiety, distracted attention, hallucinations, and a voracious appetite are a consequence of disturbances during REM sleep in humans. Reasons for interrupting the paradoxical phase may include neurological diseases, alcohol consumption, and taking antidepressants.

Such people exhibit the following signs: a person may fight, scream, or fall out of bed. Regular disturbances can lead to sleep paralysis. This condition is determined by the inability to perform any actions during periods of drowsiness and awakening. May be accompanied by a panic attack. In this case, you need the help of a qualified specialist.

Calculate the time for easy awakening

For good sleep, its duration and mode are important. Getting enough sleep is extremely beneficial for your health. A good rest gives you excellent health, energy reserves and emotional balance. “He who gets up early, God gives him,” says popular wisdom. Life makes its own adjustments to this proverb, saying that the “early bird” wants to sleep all the time. The human mind is rich in inventions. Look, people have found a way out of the situation. It turns out that you can calculate the time for easy awakening. Table to help you:

Advice! If it’s “easy” to wake up the first time when the alarm goes off, don’t despair. There is no limit to a person’s capabilities; training should be regular and last at least a month.

The importance of REM sleep for humans

The importance of the REM sleep phase for humans is undeniable. This stage is especially important for newborns. During the “tender” period, the baby’s basic body systems are formed. The central nervous system, thinking functions, growth hormone - all this is adjusted and activated in the child during dreams. For an adult, REM sleep is a source of relaxation and emotional recovery. As a result of the information processed overnight, the brain gets rid of unnecessary things while its “owner” is resting.

What happens to the body during deep sleep?

During deep sleep, energy accumulates in the human body and new cellular structures are formed. These processes, which are restorative in nature, take place in the body only when it is at rest. If a person has certain problems with this stage of sleep, then his body does not fully recover, which negatively affects the well-being of such an individual.

During delta sleep, consciousness completely switches off, breathing becomes arrhythmic, shallow and rare, heart rate quickens, and the galvanic skin response noticeably increases.

If you wake up a person during deep sleep, he will not remember anything and will say that he did not see any dreams, did not feel anything, and did not have and do not have any thoughts in his head.

How to increase the duration of deep sleep?

There are many ways to increase the duration of this stage of sleep. Let's look at the most effective of them.

Method No. 1. Reconsider your lifestyle

A sedentary and sedentary lifestyle negatively affects the quality of sleep. To make deep sleep last longer, start taking care of yourself: give up alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, fatty, spicy, sweet and high-calorie foods, exercise regularly, spend more time in the fresh air, ventilate the bedroom before bed.

Very often, sources of noise and other distractions prevent us from fully resting. If you live in a noisy place and you have no way to influence the noise level, then buy earplugs.

Method No. 2. Get rid of bright light sources

Bright light sources negatively affect the quality of sleep. TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets and other gadgets have become a part of our lives. But if you want to increase the duration of delta sleep so that you feel alert and rested in the morning, then get rid of these bright light sources at least 1.5-2 hours before going to bed.

Are you used to falling asleep with your phone or tablet in your hands? Can't sleep without TV? Give up these bad habits, otherwise your body will not be able to fully prepare for a night's rest.

Method number 3. Go to bed at the same time every night

Experts recommend that people who want to increase the duration of deep sleep should fall asleep at the same time. Train yourself to go to bed at the same time on weekdays and weekends.

Once you get used to the regime, you will be surprised to notice that your sleep problems have disappeared without a trace! People who have learned to go to the kingdom of Morpheus at the same time note that now in the morning they feel much better and more energetic than when they did not have such a habit.

Method number 4. Avoid late dinners and workouts

Life in the modern world dictates its own conditions and not always throughout the day we have the opportunity to eat normally or go to the gym. But it has long been proven that late dinners and going to the gym after work negatively affect the duration of deep sleep.

In order for your body to fully rest and recover at night, you should not actively exercise before bed or overeat at night. Therefore, avoid training and high-calorie foods 2 to 3 hours before going to bed.

Method No. 5. Introduce magnesium-containing foods into your diet

Magnesium not only normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and helps the body produce energy, but also has a positive effect on the duration and quality of deep sleep. Therefore, be sure to include plant foods in your diet that contain this beneficial microelement.

Nutritionists advise eating wheat bran, beans, walnuts, spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, dried dates, sesame seeds, because these foods contain large quantities of magnesium.

Method number 6. Do not be nervous

The funny saying that all diseases arise from nerves, and some from love, is not as far from the truth as we would like it to be. The more nervous and worried we are, the more negatively this affects not only our general health, but also the quality of deep sleep.

How can you reduce the amount of stress if you have to live not in a good fairy tale, but in a reality that is far from perfect? This can be done through meditation. Meditation practices help not only calm the mind and organize the senses, but also increase the duration of deep sleep.