Sleep
Sleep can be defined as the natural, easily reversible periodic state of many living things that is marked by the absence of wakefulness and by the loss of consciousness of one's surroundings, it is also accompanied by a body posture usually lying down with the eyes closed.
Stages of Sleep
There are basically two types of sleep, which are then further subdivided into four stages of sleep.
1. Rapid eye movement (REM)
2. Non-Rapid eye movement: Which has three stages embedded in it.
Each of these type is linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. People cycle through all the stages of non-REM and REM sleep several times during a typical night, with increase in length and deeper REM periods occuring toward morning.
Stage 1: This is the first stage of sleep and also the first stage of the non-REM type. it is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep. It is a relatively short period of light sleep which only last for a couple of minutes. During this stage the heartbeat, breathing and eye movements slow, and the muscles relax with occasional twitches. The Brain waves begin to slow from their daytime wakefulness patterns.
Stage 2: It is the mid stage of the non-REM type. It is a period of light sleep before you enter deeper sleep. During this process, the heartbeat and breathing slows down an the muscles relax even further. The body temperature then drops and the movement of the eye cease. Brain wave activity slows but is marked by brief bursts of electrical activity. More of the repeated sleep cycles is spent in this stage compared to other sleep stages.
Stage 3: It is the final stage of the non-REM type. It is the period of deep sleep that is needed in order to feel refreshed in the morning. It occurs in longer periods during the first half of the night. The heartbeat and breathing slow to their lowest levels during sleep. The muscles are very relaxed and it may be difficult for anybody to be awakened in this stage. The brain waves become even slower.
Stage 4: It is the final stage and the only stage of the REM type.It first occurs around 90 minutes after falling asleep. During this stage, the eyes move rapidly from side to side behind closed eyelids. The brain wave activity is characterized by mixed frequency similar to that seen in wakefulness. Breathing is faster and irregular, and the heart rate and blood pressure increase to near waking levels. Most of the dreaming occurs during REM sleep, although some can occur in non-REM sleep.The muscles in the arms and leg muscles temporarily paralyzed, which prevents people from acting out your dreams. As you get older, you spend less time of your sleep in the REM state. For memory consolidation both non-REM and REM sleep.
Sleeping Positions
There are four major sleeping positions although some are very good some are not very advisable.
1. Fetal Position: It is the most popular sleep position. Although it has a lot of benefits for lower back pain, pregnancy and people that snore, it also has some downsides if not done in a loose and relaxed posture. It could limit deep breathing while sleeping.
2. Side Position: Sleeping on your side is a very good position especially when you sleep on your left side. Sleeping on your left side can help reduce snoring, digestion and reduce heartburn. Sleeping on your right side could result in heartburn and acid reflux. Even though it has so many benefits it may not be the best because it can result in stiff shoulders, jaw tightness on the side laid on and research shows that it can also lead to wrinkles.
In addition, putting a pillow between the lower legs could help better align your hips to avoid low back pain and using a good pillow would help avoid neck and back pain.
3. Lying on your stomach: This position is not an highly recommended posture although it has some benefits like reduce snoring and sleep apnea, it also has lots of disadvantages. It can cause neck and back pains. It also adds unnecessary strain to the muscles and joints, which results in people waking up feeling sore and tired. For people that enjoy this position, placing a pillow under the lower belly could help reduce back pain and sleeping with a thin head pillow or no pillow at all to help reduce the stress on the neck.
4. Back position: This position offers the most health benefits. in the position, it is easier to protect your spine, it also helps relieve hip and knee pain. This posture, uses gravity to keep the body in an even alignment with the spine, which helps reduce unnecessary pressure on the back or joints. When a pillow is placed behind the knees when sleeping in this position, it helps support the natural curve of the back. It also helps keep the skin looking fresh by preventing pillow and gravity induced wrinkles. Just like any other posture, it also has its downside for people with prior back pain and for those that snore or have sleep apnea, which is why proper support is important.
Overall, the best way to sleep depends on which position works best for you and maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. You can get a diary to monitor when you sleep, wake up, position you slept in and position you wake up in.
What Happens when we fall asleep
Dreaming
Everyone dreams. Every individual spends about 2 hours each night dreaming but most people may end up not remembering a major part of their dreams. The exact purpose of dreaming isn't known, but it may help to process emotions. Events from the day also often invade you thoughts during sleep,and people suffering from stress or anxiety or anxiety are more likely to have frightening dreams. It can be experienced in all stages of sleep but usually are most vivid in REM sleep. Some people dream in color, while others only recall dreams in black and white.