The phases of human sleep are divided into two types - slow and fast. Their duration is uneven. After falling asleep, the slow phase lasts longer. Before you wake up REM sleep gets longer.
In this case, the phases alternate, forming wave-like cycles. They last just over an hour and a half. Calculating the phases by the hour will not only make it easy to wake up in the morning and improve the quality of your night's rest, but will also help normalize the functioning of the entire body.
About sleep phases
Sleep is a state in which all organs, especially the brain, work in an unusual mode. At the same time, a person’s consciousness turns off and the restoration of all cells of the body begins. Thanks to a good, full night's rest, toxins are removed from the body, memory is strengthened and the psyche is unloaded.
In order to feel good during the day, your sleep rate should be about eight hours a day. However, this amount may vary depending on individual characteristics. human body.
For some, six hours is enough, for others, nine hours is not enough to fully relax and get enough sleep. This difference depends on the lifestyle and age of the person. Night rest is heterogeneous and is divided into two phases - REM and deep sleep.
Slow phase
NREM sleep is also called deep (orthodox) sleep. Immersion in it begins at the beginning of the night's rest. This phase is divided into several stages:
- Nap. Usually lasts from five to ten minutes. During this period, the brain is still working, so you can dream. Often there are dreams that are confused with reality, and a person may even find answers to problems that were unresolved during the day.
- Falling asleep or sleep spindles. Takes approximately twenty minutes. At this stage, consciousness gradually turns off, but the brain reacts quite sensitively to all stimuli. At such a moment, any noise can wake you up.
- Deep dream. This is the time when the body healthy person almost ceases to function, and the body relaxes. However, weak impulses still pass through the brain, and sleep spindles are still preserved.
Then comes delta sleep - this is the deepest period. The body relaxes completely and the brain does not react to stimuli. Respiration rate and blood circulation decrease. But the closer to morning, the more the duration of the delta sleep phase decreases.
Interesting ! When falling asleep and waking up, a condition such as sleep paralysis. This condition is characterized by full understanding of what is happening, but the inability to move or say anything. Some people try on purpose.
Fast phase (REM phase)
REM sleep after falling asleep lasts about five minutes. However, with each new cycle, the duration of deep sleep becomes shorter, and the duration of fast sleep increases in time. This phase is already about an hour in the morning. It is during this time period that a person is “easy” to get out of bed.
The fast phase is divided into an emotional period and a non-emotional one. In the first period of time, dreams become pronounced and dynamic.
Phase sequence
The sequence of sleep stages is the same for most adults. This statement is valid for healthy people. REM sleep passes quickly after falling asleep. This phase follows four stages deep sleep. Then follows one turn, which is designated as 4+1. At this time, the brain works intensively, the eyes dart around, and the body is “tuned” to wake up. The phases alternate; there can be up to six of them during the night.
However, age or problems associated with sleep disturbances may change the picture. For example, in young children, more than 50% is the REM phase. Only at the age of 5 years the sequence and duration of the stages become the same as in adults.
In old age, the REM sleep phase is reduced, and delta sleep may disappear altogether. This is how age-related insomnia manifests itself. Some people have head injuries or don't sleep at all. Often they are just dozing. Some people wake up many times during the night, and in the morning they think that they haven’t slept at all. The reasons for this manifestation may be different.
In people with narcolepsy or sleep apnea, nighttime rest is atypical. They get it right away fast stage, they fall asleep in any position and place. Apnea is a sudden stop in breathing during sleep, which is restored after a short period of time.
At the same time, due to a decrease in the amount of oxygen, hormones are released into the blood, which causes the sleeping person to wake up. These attacks can be repeated many times, rest becomes short. Because of this, a person also does not get enough sleep; he is haunted by a sleepy state.
The value of a night's rest by the hour
A person can get enough sleep in one hour or throughout the night. The value of rest depends on the time you go to bed. The following table indicates sleep efficiency:
| Time | Value |
| From 19:00 to 20:00 | 7 o'clock |
| From 20:00 to 21:00 | 6 hours |
| From 21:00 to 22:00 | 5 o'clock |
| From 22:00 to 23:00 | 4 hours |
| From 23:00 to 00:00 | 3 hours |
| From 00:00 to 01:00 | 2 hours |
| From 01:00 to 02:00 | 1 hour |
| From 02:00 to 03:00 | 30 minutes |
| From 03:00 to 04:00 | 15 minutes |
| From 04:00 to 05:00 | 7 minutes |
| From 05:00 to 06:00 | 1 minute |
Previously, people went to bed and got up only according to the sun. At the same time, we got a full night's sleep. In the modern world, few people get ready for bed before midnight, which is why fatigue, neuroses and hypertension appear. Lack of sleep is a frequent companion in our lives.
Required duration of rest by age
To rest, a person needs different time, and it depends on age. This data is summarized in the table:
Elderly people often experience certain ailments. Because of them and physical inactivity, they often sleep only five hours. At the same time, in the womb of the mother, the unborn child remains in a state of rest for 17 hours.
How to determine the optimal time to wake up and why calculate sleep phases
Exist special devices that record brain activity. However, in their absence, you can calculate the phase times yourself. NREM sleep takes much longer than REM sleep. If you know how long all the stages are, you can calculate at what stage the brain will work in the morning when a person wakes up.
It is very important to get up during the REM stage of sleep, when we are light sleepers. Then the day will pass joyfully and cheerfully. This explanation is the answer to the question in which phase of sleep a person should wake up.
You can determine this stage yourself only by experiment. You need to approximately calculate the time of REM sleep. Wake up at this time and understand whether it was easy to open your eyes and get up. If yes, then in the future try to wake up at this time. This way you can determine how long a particular person should rest at night.
Important! When conducting the experiment, you should not forget about the time of going to bed. It is of no small importance.
There is a special calculator that determines the online phases of a person’s sleep by time. It is capable of calculating all stages using algorithms. This calculator is quite easy to use. You just need to indicate the hour when the person goes to bed. The program will perform a calculation and show the result at what time people will wake up well rested, that is, how many hours are needed for rest.
Rules for a healthy night's rest
There are several effective rules that will ensure a strong, healthy rest at night and will allow you to achieve high performance and wellness. They are also the answer to a frequently asked question about how to improve sleep quality:
- It is advisable to stick to a routine, always fall asleep and get up at the same time.
- Sleep should always take place between 00:00 and 05:00. It is during this period that the most melatonin, the sleep hormone, is produced.
- You cannot have dinner later than three hours before your night's rest. If you want to eat during the specified interval, it is better to drink a little milk.
- Evening walk on fresh air It will not only help you fall asleep faster, but also make your rest complete.
- Before going to bed, you can take a bath with herbs (chamomile, lemon balm or motherwort). It will help you calm down and fall asleep faster.
- It is necessary to ventilate the room before going to bed.
- The recommended sleeping position is on your back or right side; it is not advisable to sleep on your stomach.
By following these recommendations, your sleep quality improves. You also need to do exercises every morning. Run - the best remedy for a cheerful day. However, there is no need to engage in charging “through I can’t.” This leads to overvoltage. It is better then to go in for sports in the afternoon or evening.
NATALIA EROFEEVSKAYADuration and quality of sleep– criteria that influence many factors: mood, well-being, feeling of cheerfulness. In preparation for a new day, we try to go to bed early, but in the morning we wake up exhausted and lethargic. On another day, on the contrary, after a short sleep, we wake up on our own, feeling cheerful and strong. Why does this happen and how to learn to get enough sleep? To answer these questions, we will analyze the phases of human REM and NREM sleep in time and their characteristics.
Discoveries of scientists
Today, sleep is an understandable physiological state. But it was not always so. For a long time scientists could not track what changes occur in a person during rest. The topic was closed and difficult to study. In the 19th century, they assessed a person’s posture, measured arterial pressure and temperature, and other indicators were taken. For detailed study, sleepers were awakened and changes were recorded.
Hand turns off alarm clock early in the morning
Early attempts at sleep intervention have yielded results. Scientists have found that sleep goes through stages of varying duration rapid and deep sleep of a person, and their importance is great, since it affects all indicators of the body. The German physiologist Köllschütter found that deep dream occurs during the first hours of rest, and then it becomes superficial.
After the discovery of electric waves, scientists took a complete picture of what was happening to the sleeper. An electroencephalogram helped to understand what was happening to a person during rest. In this case, the subject did not have to be woken up. Thanks to new technologies, it has become known that sleep goes through 2 phases: slow and fast sleep.
Stages of slow-wave sleep
Orthodox sleep is divided into stages. The stages differ in the duration and depth of rest. Let's look at the stages of slow-wave sleep:
First. Occurs after a person closes his eyes. The first stage is called napping. A person is not yet falling asleep; the brain is in an active stage. Within 10–15 minutes. the vacationer processes information that happened during the day. During this period, solutions are found to the questions that tormented a person.
Second. At this stage, “sleep spindles” appear. They occur at intervals of 3–5 minutes. During their passage, consciousness is completely switched off. In between sleep spindles, a person is sensitive to what is happening around him. He hears voices or sounds. This feature allows the mother to hear the baby’s cry at night. If you call a sleeping person by name, he will immediately wake up. Physiological changes come down to a decrease in muscle activity and a slower heart rate.
During the second slow phase sleep man hears sounds
Third. Stage of delta sleep or transitional. “Sleep spindles” are preserved and become longer lasting. Delta oscillations are added to them. The third stage is called preparatory stage before deep sleep.
Fourth. At this stage, the pulse quickens and blood pressure rises. The person falls into deep sleep. Dreams during this period are unclear and blurry. If the vacationer wakes up during the fourth stage, he will not remember what he dreamed.
People who sleepwalk or talk in their sleep do not remember anything the next morning. This is due to the fact that all events take place in deep stage sleep. Even if you interrupt the sleepwalker, he will not understand why he is not in bed and how he ended up in another room. It is at this stage that people have nightmares.
Duration of deep sleep directly depends on the age of the person and the physical condition of his body. For example, the duration of a child's deep sleep phase is 20 minutes, but the quality of sleep is completely different than that of most adults: it is much stronger, children may not respond to external stimuli (sound, light, touch). Thus, even the smallest ones restore energy, “reboot” the body’s systems, and charge the immune system.
How long does the deep sleep phase last? The deep sleep phase, the duration of which varies depending on the specific stage, generally lasts one and a half to two hours. Of these, 5-10 minutes are “allocated” for dozing, for the second stage (slowing breathing and heart rate) – 20 minutes, for the third and fourth phases – 30-45 minutes each.
The girl sleeps sweetly, hugging a pillow
Features of REM sleep
After deep sleep ends, REM sleep begins. The fifth stage was discovered by Kleitman in 1955. The recorded indicators made it clear that the indicators of the body during REM sleep in humans are similar to the state of wakefulness. The REM sleep phase is accompanied by:
constant movement of the eyeballs;
significant decrease in muscle tone;
emotionally charged and action-packed dreams;
complete immobility of a person.
How long does REM sleep last? In total, shallow sleep makes up 20-25% of the average night's rest time, i.e. one and a half to two hours. One such phase lasts only 10-20 minutes. The most vivid and memorable dreams come during the REM sleep stage. If a person is awakened during this period, he will fully tell what he dreamed.
Baby is sleeping
Why are sleep phases needed?
A person’s well-being is inextricably linked with rest and sleep. No wonder. In the first months of life, a little person has a strong connection with nature and obeys its laws. As adults, we make decisions about how much sleep we need. Often untrue, so the mental is disturbed, emotional condition person - that is why it is important to know the frequency of fast and deep stages in night sleep and be able to calculate the stages of sleep for the time of awakening.
Scientists calculated sleep phases and after a series of studies came to the conclusion that 4–5 cycles pass per night. During this period, the person is restored. During slow-wave sleep, energy expended during the day is replenished. REM sleep is short in the first cycles, then lengthens. During the fifth phase, a person processes information and builds psychological defense, adapting to the environment. Knowing how to calculate the sleep cycle, it is possible to learn how to regulate the body’s energy capacity and its vital functions as a whole.
Studies done on rats have shown that Lack of REM sleep leads to death. The rodents were deliberately awakened, preventing the rats from entering the fifth stage. Over time, the animals lost the ability to fall asleep, after which they died. If the sleeping person is deprived fast phase, then the person will become emotionally unstable, prone to irritation, mood swings, and tearfulness.
Girl sleeping with hand on alarm clock
How to calculate sleep phases to know when is the best time to wake up?
Let's take as a basis that one cycle lasts for 90 minutes. Long REM sleep is required for proper rest. Therefore, at least 4 cycles should pass overnight. Waking up during slow-wave sleep makes a person groggy and lethargic. So, we need to calculate how to wake up during REM sleep: The fifth phase is characterized by active brain function, so awakening occurs gently and painlessly.
Let's summarize. To feel cheerful in the morning, the duration of sleep and awakening after the completion of the fifth phase are important. For an adult, the ideal sleep time is 7.5–8 hours. The best option is self-awakening, no alarm or phone signal.
If during the day you feel weak and want to take a nap, then allow this luxury. To avoid harm, record your rest time. If you have slept enough time at night, close your eyes for 15–20 minutes. This is how long the first stage of slow-wave sleep lasts. You will not have time to fall asleep, but you will feel that fatigue has been relieved. If the night's sleep was short, then go through one cycle during the day. Sleep for 1–1.5 hours.
Conclusion
The data given is approximate, but the essence is clear. For normal life The human body needs phase sleep. It is important to wake up after completing 4–5 cycles. It’s ideal when you wake up on your own. Daytime nap It won’t do any harm if you prevent the second phase from entering or if you go through one full cycle.
January 20, 2014, 11:36During sleep, a person periodically alternates two main phases: slow and fast sleep, and at the beginning of sleep the duration of the slow phase predominates, and before awakening, the duration of fast sleep increases. Sleep begins with the first stage of slow-wave sleep (Non-REM sleep), which lasts 5-10 minutes. Then comes the 2nd stage, which lasts about 20 minutes. Another 30-45 minutes occur during stages 3-4. After this, the sleeper returns to the 2nd stage of slow-wave sleep, after which the first episode of REM sleep occurs, which has a short duration of about 5 minutes. This entire sequence is called a cycle. The first cycle lasts 90-100 minutes. Then the cycles are repeated, with the proportion of slow-wave sleep decreasing and the proportion of fast sleep (REM sleep) gradually increasing, the last episode of which in some cases can reach 1 hour. On average, with full healthy sleep, there are five full cycles.
First: Restore the conditions that automatically trigger sleep in the cocaine addict.
- For this we need: to obtain adequate physiological conditions.
- Get an adequate sleeping environment.
- Achieve physical and cognitive deactivation.
That's why our detox team usually prescribes. Alcohol metabolism uses a lot of water, so you need to avoid excess alcohol to avoid waking up thirsty in the middle of sleep. Monitor the indoor environment by ensuring that the room temperature is cool and pleasant, that there is no strong light, and that humidity is adequate. Make sure the bed is large enough that the mattress and mattress are firm and comfortable enough so that clothing is not skimpy, excessive or irritating. Noise - important factor, distorting sleep, so we must ensure that the sleep time is quiet and without noise. Jacobson's Deep Muscle Relaxation: The Jacobson's relaxation method is used in our cocaine detoxification clinics to promote sleep as it teaches us to reduce muscle tension and therefore promotes physiological detoxification.
slow sleep
NREM sleep also has its stages.
First stage. The alpha rhythm decreases and low-amplitude slow theta and delta waves appear. Behavior: drowsiness with half-asleep dreams and dream-like hallucinations. At this stage, ideas may intuitively appear that contribute to the successful solution of a particular problem.
Now it cannot be used as a sleeping pill; that is, doing exercises when you do not fall asleep because the indispensable condition for rest is not fulfilled, which must be done endlessly, because in fact it becomes an attempt to sleep, and the effort does not lead to relaxation or sleep. This is why it is recommended to do relaxation exercises at other times of the day and for the sole purpose of learning to recognize when you are stressed.
The importance of deep sleep for the body
Diaphragmatic breathing: breathing is also good method relaxation. Sleep is associated with deep, regular and abdominal breathing, which can lead to physiological deactivation. Thoughts and concerns for our cocaine detox team is a major component of insomnia. The following classes were identified: solving daily problems, staying awake, common problems, noises in the house and other conditions in the room.
Second stage. At this stage, the so-called “sleep spindles” appear - the sigma rhythm, which is a rapid alpha rhythm (12-14-20 Hz). With the appearance of “sleep spindles”, consciousness is switched off; during pauses between spindles (and they occur approximately 2-5 times per minute), it is easy to wake up a person. Perception thresholds increase. The most sensitive analyzer is the auditory one (the mother wakes up to the cry of the child, each person wakes up to the calling of his name).
The problem with thought control is that it is ironic or paradoxical because there is a process of searching for alternative thoughts and another is checking whether it is achieved or if it fails and this causes the thought to increase its frequency. When we want not to think about something, we think about something else, and we understand it, but suddenly we realize that we have achieved it, and that we were not thinking about it, with which the thought becomes real again. The desire to stop thinking about something has been shown to increase the frequency of that thought.
Third stage. It is characterized by all the features of the second stage, including the presence of “sleep spindles”, to which slow high-amplitude delta oscillations (2 Hz) are added.
Stage 4 of slow-wave sleep, deep sleep. This is the deepest sleep. Delta oscillations (2 Hz) predominate.
Video: Somnologist R. Buzunov about interesting facts about sleep
Create a series of pre-sleep routines that activate conditioning, which automatically leads to the calmness needed for sleep. For example: lock the door with the key, turn off the gas, brush your teeth, set the alarm and complete all the tasks necessary for that moment of the night, always do them in the same order. Set a fixed time to get out of bed and go to bed. You should get up around the same time every morning, including weekends. If you think you have to get up later on the weekends, do it no later than an hour later. Control physiological variables, don't go to bed hungry, thirsty, want to pee, etc. avoid consumption alcoholic drinks. Alcohol can be a short-term remedy. At first it has a calming effect, but then it causes insomnia and restless sleep, shallow sleep accompanied by night awakenings. Calculate the time it takes to fall asleep. If it takes five minutes or less, it's likely you won't get any sleep. Five to twenty minutes is normal. And if it takes longer, it means you're not ready to sleep yet. A hot bath is another way to relax before bed. Warm water relaxes and creates a feeling of well-being. Take warm milk before going to bed. It releases tryptophan, which is a substance that induces sleep. Have a quiet lunch and do not lie down for two hours after lunch. Before going to bed, do not drink chocolate or large amounts of sugar. Avoid drinking excess liquids. If you wake up in the middle of the night, don't eat anything, or you may start waking up at the same time usually, feeling hungry. Control noise, light and temperature in the room. If you can't sleep, get up and come back when you are asleep. When you get into bed, you should turn off the lights in the room with the intention of going to sleep immediately. If you can't fall asleep in one sitting, about 10 minutes, get up and go to another room. Engage in quiet activities until you feel numb, at which time return to the bedroom to sleep. Make sure the bed is large enough that the mattress and mattress are firm and comfortable enough so that the bedding is not too thin, excessive or irritating. Try it natural remedies, such as: lemon balm, Roman chamomile, valerian, passionflower, lavender, passionflower, etc. don't go to bed while you're awake. Do not use the bedroom for activities other than sleeping. The only exception to this rule is sex. Don't use your sleep time to think about your problems.
- Exercise regularly physical exercise, but do it throughout the day.
- Avoid doing this hours before bed.
- A daily walk before dinner is recommended.
The third and fourth stages are often combined under the name delta sleep. At this time, it is very difficult to wake a person; 80% of dreams occur, and it is at this stage that attacks of sleepwalking and nightmares are possible, but the person remembers almost none of this. The first four slow-wave stages of sleep normally occupy 75-80% of the entire sleep period.
It is an active process involving multiple and complex physiological and behavioral mechanisms in various systems and regions of the central nervous system. Additionally, this stage is also characterized as the stage in which dreams occur. The distribution of sleep stages at night can be altered by several factors, such as: age, circadian rhythm, room temperature, medication consumption, or certain medical conditions.
Sleep mode has several functions. The simplest hypothesis is that sleep is intended to restore the body to the possible flow of energy established during wakefulness. Do not drink alcohol or coffee, some teas and soft drinks before bed. If you haven't slept much in the past nights, avoid sleeping during the day. Don't bring trouble to bed. Perform quiet and relaxing activities in preparation for sleep. Stay physically and mentally active.
- Schedule regular bedtimes and wake-ups.
- Go to bed just before bed.
- Maintain a proper sleeping environment: clean, dark, noise-free and comfortable.
- Do not use sleeping pills without medical advice.
It is believed that slow-wave sleep is associated with the restoration of energy expenditure.
REM sleep
REM sleep ( paradoxical dream, stage of rapid eye movements, or abbreviated REM sleep, REM sleep) is the fifth stage of sleep. EEG: rapid fluctuations in electrical activity similar in value to beta waves. This resembles the waking state. At the same time (and this is paradoxical!) at this stage the person is completely immobile due to a sharp drop in muscle tone. However, the eyeballs very often and periodically make rapid movements under closed eyelids. There is a clear connection between REM and dreams. If you wake up a sleeping person at this time, then in 90% of cases you can hear a story about a vivid dream.
An example is the African elephant, the largest land animal. IN wildlife he sleeps on average two hours a day and often goes almost two days without sleep. The study is unprecedented for emerging from captivity. Researchers observed two African elephant matriarchs in national park Chobe to Botswana for 35 days. They equipped the elephants with a sleep sensor in the trunk and a collar that allowed them to identify their sleeping position.
In their natural environment habitat, elephants sleep only two hours a day, the least amount of sleep among mammals, says Paul Menger of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. They don't have time to dream, the researchers contacted. They remain awake for up to 46 hours, traveling long distances during these periods.
The REM sleep phase lengthens from cycle to cycle, and the depth of sleep decreases. REM sleep is more difficult to interrupt than slow-wave sleep, although REM sleep is closer to the threshold of wakefulness. Interruption of REM sleep causes more severe violations mental health compared to slow-wave sleep disorders. Some of the interrupted REM sleep must be replenished in subsequent cycles.
Predators constantly harass elephants, who must always be on guard. Another reason for sleeping several hours is the amount of food you eat. Herbivores that consume low-calorie foods must spend more time chewing in order to consume energy from their food and do not require such large quantities time to digest. It is not surprising that the giraffe, like the elephant, sleeps very little.
Already, the number of hours of sleep is universally decreasing among mammals depending on the density of neurons per cortical area. The lower the density of neurons in the brain, the less the animal needs to sleep. Neurons grow, density per area decreases, and animals sleep less. More time to feed allows for increased evolutionary growth.
REM sleep is hypothesized to provide functions psychological protection, processing of information, its exchange between consciousness and subconscious.
People who are blind from birth dream of sounds and sensations, they do not have REM.
How much sleep a person needs is inextricably linked with the concept of sleep phases. The sleep phases of any person alternate alternately, replacing each other, and there should be a certain number of such alternations. Otherwise, the body will not receive all the necessary time to restore internal structures, as well as to structure the information received during the day.
Is it possible to get enough sleep?
Sleep-inducing metabolites accumulate in the waking brain and are produced by neurons themselves. How long an animal remains awake should depend on how long it takes for the critical concentration of sleep-inducing metabolites to accumulate. The lower the density of neurons under a certain cortical surface, the slower the accumulation of metabolites should be, and the longer the animal should remain in an active state, says the neuroscientist.
That's about 7 hours of sleep a day. But this is less than the average human need for 8 hours of sleep. They are the only omnivores on the list. The goat sleeps about 5 hours a day. More than sheep, they sleep for about 4 hours. Cows spend almost the entire day chewing and walking. About 4 hours of sleep remain.
The sleep phases must be fully completed, thus forming a complete cycle of night rest. Moreover, depending on nature, a person can get enough sleep in a greater or lesser number of such cycles.
Let's take a closer look at the sleep phases themselves, which are the same for any person and can only vary slightly in time. And then we’ll talk about the full cycles of these phases to find out: how much sleep a person needs to get enough sleep. This is where the difference between two single individuals can vary dramatically.
Ever seen a horse sleep? Yes, one hour he tires and lies. And pack about 3 hours of sleep. The same amount as a donkey. Some studies already show that the giraffe only sleeps about two hours a day. They were considered the animals that slept the least. Recent research conducted in Botswana has now linked to the largest land mammal, the African elephant.
The Greeks feared Morpheus, the god of dreams, because they believed that every night when he fell asleep, the deity could torment them by sending them terrible nightmares. Science, however, can prove that sleep is good teacher. The American scientist's findings are the result of a series of experiments presented last month at the third International Congress of the World Federation of Sleep Research Societies. At a meeting held in German city Dresden, leading researchers from different parts of the world gathered. Every effort becomes a waste if the hours in the books are not accompanied by a good night's sleep.
Sleep phases
The sleep phases of any person are divided into 2 types:
- NREM sleep phase;
- REM sleep phase.
The complete passage of all phases of sleep takes from 1 hour to 1.5 hours for different people. Usually they focus on the last digit, although it is not exact. Each of us has our own total duration of sleep phases, which may vary slightly not only in different periods life, but even during one night's sleep.
Stages of slow-wave sleep
The slow-wave sleep phase begins from the moment you fall asleep and takes up three-quarters of the entire sleep cycle.
NREM sleep begins with the process of dozing, which smoothly flows into shallow, moderate-deep and, finally, deep sleep. In total, the slow-wave sleep phase, as you can see, consists of 4 types of sleep.
It is very important that during the slow-wave sleep phase nothing interferes with sleep. After all, it is during this phase that all the changes necessary for the health of the body occur:
- In mice, the energy spent during the day is restored;
- Restoration occurs at the cellular level various structures body;
- The body builds protein structures - muscles, tissues of internal organs;
- Fat burning occurs (in case of proper nutrition during the day, especially in the evening);
- The necessary hormones are released, primarily growth hormone and melatonin;
- The body prepares for the next day.
If the slow-wave sleep phase is often disturbed, then such interrupted sleep leads to the fact that in the morning a person feels tired, physically weak, lacks energy and is overwhelmed. True, the cause of all these problems can be not only bad conditions sleep in the slow phase, but also the general lack of these slow phases of sleep, which will be discussed below.
Scientists believe that the maximum effectiveness of slow-wave sleep occurs before 4 am. Moreover, in each new cycle, the proportion of slow-wave sleep phases gradually decreases, giving way to REM sleep phases.
After 4 o'clock in the morning, the phases of slow-wave sleep almost do not appear. Therefore, if you feel a lack of strength and energy every morning, perhaps it’s due to going to bed late, and therefore the body does not have enough time for all slow phases of sleep to recover.
REM sleep phases
The REM sleep phase occupies a relatively small proportion of the sleep cycle - only one quarter. But this does not make it lose its significance.
During REM sleep, the body:
- Processes and sorts absolutely all information received during the day;
- Restores the energy of the nervous system;
- Prepares memory and attention for further work during the new day.
After 4 o'clock in the morning, almost all of the sleep time is allocated to the fast phase, which is associated with a rapid transition to wakefulness. The body has already prepared physical body to work, and now is preparing the mental sphere.
Sleep cycles. How much sleep do you need
Sleep cycles are interrelated with sleep stages. The circle of slow and fast sleep phases forms one sleep cycle. And the whole question is how many sleep cycles should there be during a person’s nightly rest.
Scientists agree that 5 sleep cycles are enough for the average person. This is why they usually talk about 7-8 hours of sleep needed to rest at night. 5 cycles of 1.5 hours each give 7.5 hours of sleep.
At the same time, there are people who sleep little. For such people, only 4 phases of sleep are enough to restore the strength and structure of the body, as well as process all the information. As a result, 6 hours of sleep (or even less) is enough for such people.
There is another group of people who need to sleep for 6 cycles, which takes about 9 hours. And there is no need to consider such people as couch potatoes. It's just that their body is built that way. If they lack at least one sleep cycle of up to 1.5 hours, they will then feel exhausted and lethargic all day.
The minimum acceptable number of sleep cycles is 4 cycles (4-6 hours long, depending on the duration of one cycle), but provided that these 4 cycles are completed before 4 am. In this case, the body will receive the minimum necessary time to recover during the phases of slow-wave sleep, and in the morning such a person will feel quite acceptable.
2013-03-05 | Updated: 2018-05-29© Stylebody
Scientists have long proven that good sleep, which includes two main phases - slow and fast - is extremely important for human health and well-being. And this fact must be taken into account when creating a daily routine. There is an old folk saying that states that “the morning is wiser than the evening.” And indeed, to accept important and complex solutions It's much easier in the morning than at night. In addition, each of us has noticed how lack of sleep affects well-being and performance. A sleepless night may entail not only a sharp decline mental activity, but also headache, weakness, weakness and other unpleasant symptoms.
Physiology of sleep
The human body is designed in such a way that all processes occurring in it are tied to a certain daily time and largely depend on the change of day and night. Sleep and wakefulness constantly alternate between each other and occur at approximately the same time. And if normal rhythm sleep-wakefulness is suddenly disrupted, this has the most negative impact on the work of various human systems and organs. From chronic lack of sleep First of all, the nervous and immune system, which can lead to the gradual disabling of the entire organism.
Wakefulness and sleep are two opposite and, at the same time, interconnected states. When a person is awake, he actively interacts with environment: eats, exchanges information, and so on. During sleep, on the contrary, there is an almost complete disconnection from the outside world, although important processes in the body itself do not stop. It is estimated that sleep and wakefulness are in a 1:3 ratio, and any deviation from this norm is dangerous to health.
Scientists have been able to record changes that occur in the human brain during sleep using a research method such as electroencephalography. It allows you to make a graphic recording in the form of waves, the decoding of which provides information about the quality of sleep and the duration of its different phases. This method is mainly used for diagnosis various violations sleep and to determine their degree negative influence on the body.
When the mechanism that regulates the frequency of sleep and wakefulness is disrupted, various pathological conditions arise, such as narcolepsy (an irresistible desire to fall asleep that occurs during the day), as well as hypersomnia (an exaggerated need for sleep when a person sleeps much more than normal).
Sleep is characterized by a quality called cyclicity. Moreover, each cycle lasts an hour and a half on average and consists of two phases - slow and fast. For a person to get enough sleep, four to five such cycles must pass. It turns out that you need to sleep at least eight hours a day.
The main differences between the phases are:
Duration The predominant phase is the slow phase. It takes up approximately 80% of the time of the entire sleep process and, in turn, is divided into four stages. The fast phase takes significantly less time, and its duration increases in the morning, closer to awakening. Purpose The purpose of sleep phases is different. During the slow phase they are restored internal organs, the body grows and develops. The fast phase is needed to activate and regulate the nervous system, to organize and process accumulated information. During REM sleep, children form the most important mental functions- that’s why in childhood we so often see vivid, memorable dreams.
Brain activity The differences between the slow and fast phases in terms of brain activity are very interesting. If during slow-wave sleep all processes in the brain slow down significantly, then in the REM sleep phase they, on the contrary, are extremely activated. That is, a person is sleeping, and his brain is actively working at this time - that’s why REM sleep is also called paradoxical. Dreams People see dreams throughout the entire cycle, but those dreams that occur during the fast phase are better remembered. The dynamics of dreams also strongly depend on the phase - the slow phase is characterized by restrained dreams, during the fast phase they are more vivid and emotional. Therefore, it is morning dreams that most often remain in memory after waking up.
How does the sleep process proceed?
When a person becomes drowsy and falls asleep, the first stage of non-REM sleep begins, lasting a maximum of ten minutes. Then, as the second, third and fourth stages occur, sleep becomes deeper - all this lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. It is the fourth stage of the first phase that is characterized by such well-known phenomena as sleepwalking, talking in sleep, nightmares, and childhood enuresis.
Then, for a few minutes, there is a return to the third and second stages of slow-wave sleep, after which the fast phase begins, the duration of which in the first cycle does not exceed five minutes. At this point, the first cycle ends and the second cycle begins, in which all phases and stages are repeated in the same sequence. In total, four or five such cycles change per night, and each time the REM sleep phase becomes longer and longer.
In the last cycle, the slow phase may be exceptionally short, while the fast phase is predominant. And it’s not for nothing that nature intended it this way. The fact is that waking up during REM sleep is very easy. But if a person is woken up when slow-wave sleep is in full swing, he will feel exhausted and sleep-deprived for a long time - one can say about him that he “got off on the wrong foot.”
NREM sleep phase (4 stages)
| Stage | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Nap | The pulse and breathing slow down, the eyes move slowly under closed eyelids. Consciousness begins to float away, but the mind still continues to work, so at this stage people often come to interesting ideas and solutions. In a state of drowsiness, a person wakes up relatively easily. | No more than 5-10 minutes. |
| Sleepy spindles | The name of the second stage of slow-wave sleep is associated with the encephalogram graph. During this period, the human body relaxes, but the brain still remains sensitive to everything that happens around it and reacts to the words and sounds heard. | Approximately 20 minutes. |
| Delta sleep | This stage precedes deep sleep. Characterized by a slight increase in heart rate, breathing is also rapid, but shallow. Blood pressure drops, eye movements become even slower. At the same time, active production of growth hormone is observed, blood flows to the muscles - thus the body restores energy costs. | About 15 minutes. |
| Deep dream | At this stage, consciousness is almost completely turned off, the eyes stop moving, breathing becomes slow and shallow. A person sees dreams of neutral, calm content, which are almost never remembered. Waking up during deep sleep can only be forced and occurs with great difficulty. A person awakened at this stage feels overwhelmed and lethargic. | From 30 to 40 minutes. |
REM sleep phase
When a person enters the REM phase of sleep, it can be seen even from the outside. His eyeballs begin to move actively, his breathing either quickens or slows down, and facial movements may be noticeable. The devices record a slight increase in body and brain temperature, increased cardiovascular activity. During this phase, the process of exchanging information accumulated during wakefulness between consciousness and subconscious occurs, and the energy that the body managed to accumulate during slow sleep is distributed. A person sees colorful dreams that he can remember and retell after he wakes up. Waking up during REM sleep is the easiest and fastest.
How much sleep do you need to get enough sleep?
According to scientists, a person needs to sleep from 8 to 10 hours a day, which equals 4-6 sleep cycles. It should be borne in mind that the duration of the sleep cycle varies from person to person and, depending on the individual characteristics of the nervous system, can vary from 1.5 to 2 hours. And so that the body receives good rest, there should be at least 4-5 such complete cycles. How much sleep a person should have is largely determined by his age.
Here are the approximate sleep norms for different age groups:
- Most long sleep for unborn babies in the mother's womb - about 17 hours a day.
- Newborn babies spend 14 to 16 hours sleeping.
- Babies aged 3 to 11 months need to sleep 12-15 hours.
- One- and two-year-old children sleep 11-14 hours a day.
- It is advisable for preschoolers to sleep at least 10-13 hours.
- The body of primary school children under 13 years of age requires 10 hours of rest at night.
- Teenagers are recommended to sleep between 8 and 10 hours.
- Sleep duration of an adult from 18 to 65 years, depending on personal characteristics body, is 7-9 hours.
- The need of people after 65 years decreases slightly - they need to sleep from 7 to 8 hours.
How to sleep less and get enough sleep
The quality of sleep is very dependent on what time a person goes to bed. Sleeping until midnight from 19.00 to 24.00 is extremely beneficial. People who are accustomed to falling asleep early feel refreshed and well-rested, even if they get up at dawn. In this case, a person can sleep less, but still get enough sleep. And the trick is that the value of sleep in a certain period of time is different.
Sleep value table by hour
| Sleep period | The value of rest |
|---|---|
| 19.00 — 20.00 | 7 hours |
| 20.00 — 21.00 | 6 hours |
| 21.00 — 22.00 | 5 hours |
| 22.00 — 23.00 | 4 hours |
| 23.00 — 24.00 | 3 hours |
| 24.00 — 01.00 | 2 hours |
| 01.00 — 02.00 | 1 hour |
| 02.00 — 03.00 | 30 min |
| 03.00 — 04.00 | 15 minutes |
| 04.00 — 05.00 | 7 min |
| 05.00 — 06.00 | 1 min |
What time is best to get up in the morning?
It is believed that the best time to wake up is from 4 to 6 am. People who rise with the sun are not afraid of fatigue, and they manage to do a lot in a day. But, of course, in order to get up early, you need to develop the habit of going to bed early. In addition, people have different biological rhythms. As you know, people are divided into “night owls” and “larks”. And if a person is a night owl, then it is better for him to wake up around 8-9 in the morning.
How to correctly calculate your wake-up time
It is very difficult to independently calculate the time for which you need to set an alarm clock in order to wake up in the REM sleep phase. As mentioned above, each person's sleep phases have an individual duration. Therefore, before carrying out such calculations, you must first contact medical Center so that specialists can determine your personal sleep rhythm using special instruments.
Although it is possible to calculate the approximate time When is the best time to wake up? To do this, you need to take the average duration of the slow sleep phase (120 minutes), as well as the average duration of the fast phase (20 minutes). Then you should count 5 such periods from the moment you go to bed - this is the time you set the alarm clock. For example, if you fell asleep at 23:00, then best time Your wake-up time will be from 7:20 to 7:40 am. If you decide to sleep longer, for example on Sunday, then the time to get up correctly will be between 09:00 and 09:20.
The importance of sleep for the body
- The main purpose of sleep is to allow the body to rest and recover. Prolonged insomnia is fraught with serious health problems. Animal experiments have shown that complete absence sleep after a certain time causes hemorrhages in the brain. People who are chronically sleep deprived soon experience increased fatigue, and then problems with the cardiovascular system join.
- Sleep affects metabolic processes in the body. While a person is in slow-wave sleep, growth hormone is produced, without which protein synthesis cannot occur - therefore, lack of sleep is especially dangerous for children. In people who lack sleep, the cleansing and restoration processes in the body are also disrupted, since during sleep, organ cells are actively supplied with oxygen, and the work of the liver and kidneys, which are responsible for neutralizing and removing harmful substances, is activated.
- During the fast phase, the distribution, processing and assimilation of accumulated information occurs. By the way, as it turned out, you can’t learn or remember anything while you sleep (learning method foreign languages sleeping people did not justify itself), but the information that entered the brain immediately before sleep is actually better remembered.
- REM sleep promotes the activation of all neurohumoral processes - nervous system person tunes in active work. It has been noticed that a lot of nervous diseases appear from lack of sleep.
The effect of sleep on the cardiovascular system
Many of us are accustomed to regularly invigorate ourselves with tonic drinks - strong tea, coffee. Yes, this way you can really cheer yourself up for a short period of time. But then, when caffeine stops working, the person feels even more tired, drowsiness and weakness appear. Therefore, there is nothing better for vigor than normal sleep. People who systematically cut down their sleep time, thereby force their body to work under overload and lead it to exhaustion, as a result of which such problems arise. serious illnesses like ischemia, chronic, and so on.
The effect of sleep on appearance
Medical scientists unanimously claim that lack of sleep provokes oxygen deficiency in the body and inevitably leads to early aging and significant deterioration. appearance. A well-rested person, as a rule, can boast not only of vigor, but also a fresh appearance, good color faces. By the way, metabolic disorders, which can lead to chronic insomnia, often entail increased appetite and... Therefore, athletes and actors, for whom it is vital to always be in good physical fitness, strictly adhere to the sleep-wake schedule.
Sleep and human behavior
It has been noticed that in people who do not get enough sleep, such negative character traits as capriciousness, short temper, irritability, and aggressiveness become more acute. And all because their nervous system is not ready for stress and is constantly on edge. But among those who get good sleep, it prevails great mood and full psychological readiness to overcome life's problems. Therefore, if your work involves night shifts, be sure to compensate for the lack of sleep during the day. Drivers should never get enough sleep. Great amount accidents occurred due to the fact that a sleep-deprived driver was distracted or fell asleep at the wheel.
And finally, we should remember one more function of sleep - through dreams, our subconscious often sends us hints and insights that help us solve important life problems.
Daily healthy sleep is a vital need of the human body. At this time, the activity of the heart muscle decreases, brain activity slows down, and all muscle groups relax. When a person sleeps, accelerated cell division occurs, which are responsible for fighting bacteria and viruses. Sleep normalizes hormonal levels and helps the body readjust and prepare for changing weather and changes in the length of daylight hours.
Physiologists were able to study such a complex phenomenon in detail relatively recently, when electrical waves arising in the brain were discovered and devices capable of recording them were designed. The result of the research was the identification of slow and fast cycles, the alternation of which constitutes the sleep of any person.
Main phases of the slow cycle
After a person falls asleep, a period of slow-wave sleep begins. It is so called because the movement of the eyeballs is slowed down to a complete stop. But not only the eyes, but all body systems relax as much as possible, reactions are inhibited. The entire period of slow-wave sleep for an adult is usually divided into four phases:
- Alpha sleep or nap. The encephalogram shows a predominance of alpha rhythms, which characterize the state of the brain during the daytime active life. Gradually they fade and are replaced by theta rhythms, which characterize the state of deep sleep. During this transition interval, the process of relaxation of the body muscles occurs. A person experiences the familiar sensation of flying and falling. While fragmentary thoughts remain in the brain, the information received during the day is processed and conjectured.
- Sleep spindles or light sleep. Sensitivity to external stimuli still remains; a person can easily wake up from a sharp sound or touch. If there is no interference, then the process of falling asleep develops, the level of sleep decreases. blood pressure, the work of the heart muscle slows down, breathing becomes deep and intermittent. Eyeballs spinning slower and slower.
- Delta sleep. This phase is characterized by the predominance of delta rhythms on the brain encephalogram, characteristic of very deep sleep.
- Very deep. Characterized by complete relaxation of all body systems, a sleeping person is practically impossible to awaken. main feature This period is the launch of recovery processes. In this phase, information that is stored in the subconscious becomes available. This can cause nightmares or conversations in a sleeping person.
The duration of all four phases is about one and a half hours. At the same time, very deep sleep takes 18-20 minutes.
Characteristics of a fast cycle
REM sleep is fundamentally different from slow sleep. All readings taken while the body is in the REM sleep cycle correspond to similar readings that were recorded during active wakefulness. The body’s transition to a fast cycle is characterized by the following processes:
- Blood pressure rises sharply;
- Muscles tense, tone increases;
- Are becoming more active various areas brain;
- Heart rate accelerates;
- Breathing becomes frequent and shallow;
- The eyeballs roll restlessly.
During REM sleep, dreams occur. It is interesting that the consciousness of the sleeping person is turned off, however, a suddenly awakened person can tell in detail what he dreamed. At its first onset, the rapid cycle takes a very short period of time, but then the situation changes. Slow stage gradually decreases, and the fast one increases. Of the total duration of night rest, slow sleep accounts for 75-80%.
Which sleep is more beneficial for a person?
There is no clear answer to the question of which of the two cycles is better - slow or fast. These are two phases of natural physiological process, which are interconnected and complement each other. Slow promotes the complete restoration of all functions of the human body. With the onset of REM sleep, scientists observe changes in the state hormonal levels person. Physiologists believe that this cycle is needed to regulate endocrine system. However, at this stage, due to a sharp increase in pressure and acceleration of heart contractions, heart attacks and strokes occur more often.
Which sleep is best for waking up?
Well-being and mood depend on the phase in which awakening occurred. Physiological scientists do not recommend waking up during REM sleep. The best time to wake up is during the transition from REM to NREM sleep. For self-awakening, the body of a healthy person chooses this convenient time. Waking up immediately after a dream, a person is cheerful and cheerful, remembers everything he saw perfectly and can retell it. All systems are already active daytime mode. A person who wakes up to the sound of an alarm clock in the deep sleep stage will look lethargic and sleep-deprived all day. In the first moments, he may not understand where he is and what is happening. All body systems are relaxed, basic functions are inhibited, and recovery will take time. Nowadays, so-called “smart” alarm clocks have appeared and are becoming popular. They read the brain of a sleeping person and wake him up at the most appropriate moment, at the end of the fast cycle.
How to get rid of insomnia
Healthy sleep is the state of a person when, having gone to bed at a certain time, he quickly falls asleep, goes through about six changes of slow and fast phases during the night and wakes up on his own at the end of the fast phase. However, many factors of modern life - poor nutrition, lack of motor activity, chronic fatigue, stress interferes with proper sleep and causes insomnia. It can cause various Negative consequences: from neuroses to serious somatic diseases.
The main methods of combating insomnia at the initial stage are:
- Elimination of external irritants;
- Ventilate the room before going to bed;
- Allocate at least 7 – 8 hours for night rest;
- Falling asleep no later than 24 hours;
- Organization of a comfortable sleeping place;
- Waking up on your own if possible;
- Quitting alcohol and smoking at night, they disrupt the correct alternation of phases;
- Yoga, meditation.
The developed habit of not thinking about problems at night, as well as regular evening walks, can significantly improve the quality of sleep. If there is no improvement, you should consult a doctor. Under no circumstances should you take sleeping pills on your own. Under their influence, a heavy, abnormally deep sleep occurs, after which the person wakes up broken.
People spend a third of their lives sleeping. But until now this complex and to some extent magical phenomenon has not been fully studied. What happens to the human body and brain when he closes his eyes at night and falls asleep remains a mystery in many respects.
Loading...