Exploring Sleep Science: Phases & Significance

Do you ever wake up feeling sleep-deprived, even after hibernation-length periods of shuteye? Are you tired of feeling exhausted all day, plagued with headaches and tiredness? Do you want to know how to improve your REM sleep, the stage of sleep that is linked to learning, memory, and creativity?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’re in the right place. At the Sleep Syndicate, we’re not only passionate about sleep, we’re passionate about rest. Let’s explore the fascinating world of sleep science, and walk through the crucial phases of sleep you need to improve your health and wellbeing.

What is sleep?

Sleep is a natural and essential state of rest that occurs every day for most animals, including humans. While some of us like to challenge that status quo, that might be the reason for an off-kilter day-to-day. Scientific and academic research on sleep shows a cascading effect that results from poor sleep. While it may seem like a passive state, sleep is actually a complex process that can change your brain activity, body temperature, heart rate, breathing and so much more. 

Unfortunately, getting the highest quality sleep is not as simple as closing your eyes and drifting off. There are factors that regulate the timing of your sleep, and phases that dictate the quality of your sleep. While this may seem like a lot to process, there’s no better way to increase your cognition than to sleep. Rest assured, we’re here to guide you.

What is sleep regulated by?

There are two main factors that regulate your sleep. We’ll begin with circadian rhythm. Think of your circadian rhythm as your body’s internal clock. It’s influenced by light and dark, as well as other factors like your day-to-day habits. Seeing as it’s a rhythm, consistency is extremely important. Think of it like a classical music piece. If the trombone starts dragging, it takes a few beats for the piece to recover. If you stay up too late or experience jet lag, your circadian rhythm might get discombobulated for a few days. There are plenty of habits that can influence your circadian rhythm, and if your days are inconsistent it can lead to poor quality sleep or difficulty falling asleep.

The next factor is the sleep-wake homeostasis. If the circadian rhythm is your body’s 24-hour internal clock, the sleep-wake homeostasis is a biological timer that tracks how long you’ve been awake, and goes off when you need to sleep. If you’ve ever had a late night cup of coffee, you’ve done battle with this timer. When it gets knocked out of whack, you may experience tiredness throughout the day, mood swings, and trouble falling and staying asleep. These factors are closely intertwined and rely on one another to function properly. It’s important to be consistent when it comes to bed time.

What are the phases of sleep?

If you’ve stumbled upon this blog, chances are you want to know how to improve your REM sleep. It’s important to note that sleep is divided into two main types: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. As with many things sleep related, these types of sleep come in cycles. Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes and continues throughout the night, each consisting of four stages:

• Stage 1: This is the lightest stage of sleep. If you’ve ever experienced the sensation of falling or tripping before being jolted awake, that’s typically during this stage. Other common occurrences include drifting in and out of consciousness, muscle twitches, and hallucinations. Typically this stage lasts about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stage 2: This is the stage where your surroundings begin to fade away. Your brain waves, heart rate and breathing slow down. It lasts for about 10 to 25 minutes.
• Stage 3: This is the deepest stage of NREM sleep. Your body continues to slow down, meaning your brain waves, heart rate and breathing reach their lowest levels. You become difficult to wake up. This is a crucial stage in your sleep, as it's the part of the cycle where growth hormone is released, repairing and regenerating cells and tissues. This stage lasts for about 20-40 minutes.
• Stage 4: This is the coveted REM sleep stage. Here, you’ll experience vivid dreams and your brain waves, heart rate and breathing become more active. This is the stage where your learning, memory and creative abilities are enhanced, as your brain processes and integrates information from the way.

Each phase of sleep is vitally important to both mind and body. A healthy sleep schedule and healthy sleep habits improve every aspect of waking life including: learning, memory, creativity, problem-solving, immune system responses, mood, regulating your emotions, and protecting your heart and metabolism. 

Regulating your schedule to respect your sleep is crucial. There are simple steps that you can take to reap the benefits of truly restful sleep. If you want to learn more about sleep science, and join a community of people who are committed to improving their sleep habits, check out The Sleep Syndicate program. It is a 6-week course that will guide you through a personalized and evidence-based plan to transform your sleep and energy levels.