The different phases of sleep and how this component of health works to restore and revitalize us remain largely a mystery. But studies find that deep sleep has a number of surprising benefits for your health and daily performance, making a strong case for peaceful sleep solutions.
Deep sleep is also known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and it is a very important component of the sleep pattern. REM is the fifth stage of sleep, which usually occurs 60 to 90 minutes after going to sleep.
In this phase, their eyes twitch rapidly under their closed eyelids, while their breathing becomes irregular and shorter. Your heart beats faster and your blood pressure rises, while your brain becomes as alive as when you’re awake. The muscles also become paralyzed in a state known as atony, making it impossible for him to act out his dreams.
One of the main benefits of deep sleep or REM sleep is its great influence on memory. REM is so crucial because it’s a time for brain areas linked to memory to come on alert. It has even been hypothesized that, during deep sleep, dreams emerge as a product of data absorbed throughout the day, analyzed, and then archived.
REM sleep appears in research to improve our type of memory that learns to do things. Daytime naps or non-REM sleep, by comparison, seem to improve so-called declarative, or easy-to-remember, memory. This shows that to be in a deep seep is to enter a kind of virtual reality, where dreams or parts of dreams can hold a certain meaning that doesn’t easily surface in a waking state.
Another benefit of deep sleep is energy restoration. When you don’t get enough, you can almost be sure you’ll feel like you haven’t slept at all. This restful form of sleep is controlled by your circadian clock, or a natural mechanism that tells you when it’s time to go to sleep or wake up.
This is why it is vital to sleep in accordance with your own circadian clock, which is highly regulated by the natural hormone melatonin. Without this biological clock, periods of sleep will not provide their maximum benefits, and you will be left without fully restful sleep.
Make no mistake about it, though: all phases of sleep play a role in restoring your body, just like batteries need to be fully recharged. This is why the recommended amount of sleep usually varies, but is generally six to nine hours a night, giving your body the time and rest it needs to go through all the phases of sleep.
Lack of deep sleep causes problems, especially with memory, motor skills, and concentration. Chronic sleep deprivation can also negatively affect your nervous and immune systems, to name a few. Therefore, you should pay close attention to the quantity and quality of your sleep, including finding ways to cure insomnia and using natural sleep aids for best results.
As a fundamental part of optimal health, sleep is important, as is deep or REM sleep.