Slow and REM sleep

NREM and REM sleep are different in their bioelectrical activity brain

Recording brain biocurrents in the form of an electroencephalogram (EEG) gives a peculiar pattern characteristic of various conditions. During slow-wave sleep, the EEG shows

slow waves of large amplitude, followed by fast rhythms during REM sleep. Differences between sleep stages are not limited to EEG data.

slow sleep

During slow sleep, breathing and pulse become less frequent, muscles relax, and during this period the so-called physical activity person.

REM sleep

During the REM sleep phase, breathing rate and heart rate increase, motor activity increases, and movements are clearly visible behind closed eyelids. eyeball. These so-called rapid eye movements - characteristic feature this phase, hence another name for it: REM in its first letters English words Rapid eye movements. At this moment, the sleeper dreams. Installed interesting fact: waking up a sleeper during REM sleep, despite signs of more superficial sleep, increased breathing and heart rate, EEG rhythm, is much more difficult than during slow sleep. Therefore, the REM sleep phase is also called paradoxical sleep (respectively slow sleep orthodox).

REM sleep never occurs immediately - it is recorded only after a certain duration of the slow-wave sleep phase. REM sleep is very important for a person’s mental state. When sleep patterns were studied in volunteers who were awakened for 3-4 nights in a row before the onset of the REM phase, they began to develop mental disorders, despite the overall sufficient duration of sleep.

Night sleep

Usually night sleep consists of a strict alternation of 4-6 completed cycles, each of which begins with slow sleep and ends with REM sleep. The normal duration of any cycle is from 60 to 90 minutes, but if at the beginning of the night REM sleep lasts only a few minutes, then by the morning its duration is about half an hour. In this case, it is necessary to combine these cycles, characterized by different ratios of sleep phases, with a certain hormonal level and temperature rhythm, changing from evening to morning. This is why certain hours of the day are so important for sleep. And it is no coincidence that sleeping during the day, as a rule, does not give the same refreshing effect as sleeping at night.

Another interesting point is that every healthy person dreams, but only those who wake up in the first 15 minutes after REM sleep remember them. It turned out that those who have a good memory dream. The brighter and more imaginative the dreams, the better sleep. According to some scientists, one of the reasons for this is that during sleep, information received during the day may be actively processed. Thus, in the slow-wave sleep phase, information received during the day is processed, and in the REM sleep phase, which is characterized by dreams with the inclusion of fantastic unreal components, both protection from external stimuli and mental activity are carried out.

REM sleep plays a significant role in the process of learning and memorizing various information. Thus, among students actively studying foreign language, we can identify a group of young people who memorize new words very quickly and correctly. Unlike students with poor memorization ability, they have a longer duration of REM sleep.

A person needs night rest every day. At rest, REM sleep and deep (slow) sleep constantly alternate. Up to five such cycles take place during the night. Scientists have proven that both of these phases are needed for proper rest, and it has already been determined in what period it is better to wake up.

The resting state is divided into stages: slow and fast. Each of them plays an important biological role for the body. Normally, the first takes up about three-quarters of the total time a person spends at rest. At the moment of its onset, a complete movement into the kingdom of Morpheus is noted.

During REM sleep, a person's physiological state changes, and brain activity increases significantly. At this moment, data is exchanged between consciousness and subconscious, information begins to be filtered. Due to this, cognitive abilities improve.

With each new cycle the duration deep dive gets smaller. It is determined that for full recovery The body needs the alternation to be completed before four in the morning. In the future, rest continues, but complete sleep is no longer observed.

Stages of REM and NREM sleep

Highlight next stages slow period:

• nap;
• sleep spindles;
• delta;
• deep delta sleep.

The body's functions undergo a number of changes as it enters a state of rest. During the stages of drowsiness and sleep spindles, breathing and thermoregulation slow down, and the person is already dreaming. During complete immersion, they are not remembered, but the pulse quickens and an increase is noted. blood pressure. There may be nightmares that you cannot remember after waking up. Waking up a person at this moment turns out to be very problematic.

The REM sleep phase is divided into the following stages:

• emotional;
• unemotional.

They change several times, and the emotional one turns out to be much longer. At this moment, movements of the body and eyes are noted. The brain works the same way as when awake. Waking a person up at this stage is easy. After waking up, he clearly remembers what he dreamed about.

The change of stages occurs through an intermediate state, similar to drowsiness, and not instantly. It takes up about five percent of the time a person spends at rest.

The stages can be recognized by muscle activity. It is noted that it gradually decreases and is practically not observed with complete immersion.

Changes in breathing rate, body temperature and blood pressure are also observed.

What is the difference

REM and non-REM sleep periods have a number of differences. Among them are the following:

Features of awakening

There are certain features of awakening at different stages of night's rest. This is due to the fact that each of them differs in the degree of brain activity. It is noted that sleepers will have different sensations after waking up, depending on when they woke up.

Considered unsuitable for lifting deep stage slow sleep During this period, neurochemical processes have not yet had time to fully complete. Due to this, the body does not have time to recover and prepare for the next day. The result is a feeling of depression and irritability.

During REM sleep it is much easier to wake up. There is a feeling of vigor and fullness of strength. However, it is recommended to get out of bed after this stage is completed, but before drowsiness has already set in. As a rule, this happens in cases where a person wakes up without an alarm clock, but listens to his feelings.

Night rest takes place in stages. Each stage is important for the body. Only if the cycles are completed completely will the morning be easy, and the feeling of fatigue and drowsiness will not appear during the day. A failure in this well-established mechanism leads to the fact that the body does not recover properly and health deteriorates.

Sleep is one of the most mysterious processes that occur in human body. And one of the most significant, since we spend almost a third of our lives sleeping. And complete sleep deprivation, even for a relatively short period of time of a few days, can lead to neurotic disorders and imbalance of the entire body. Sleep is a very complex process in which brain activity changes and vital important functions body. Scientists were able to identify the phases of slow and fast sleep, which have their own characteristics and purposes.

A little history

They tried to study sleep back in Ancient Greece. True, the explanation of what was happening at that time was more mystical than scientific. It was believed that during sleep, the immortal soul could rise to higher spheres and even descend to the kingdom of the dead. Slightly modified, this interpretation of sleep lasted in scientific circles until the mid-19th century.

But even after scientists established that sleep is caused by work nervous system and the human brain and the immortal soul has nothing to do with it, it was impossible to conduct full-fledged research due to the lack of suitable equipment. It was only in the second half of the 20th century that it became possible to record nerve impulses emanating from muscles and the brain, which made it possible to determine the level of their activity.

A lot of things have been done with the help of electrical appliances in the field of sleep. important discoveries. Rapid and slow-wave sleep were discovered and studied different kinds insomnia, the processes occurring in the body during lethargic sleep have been studied.

Scientists were able to reveal that human activity is regulated by circadian rhythms - daily alternations of periods of sleep and wakefulness, which continue to work even if it is impossible to navigate in time due to the lack of clocks and sunlight.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging allowed us to study in more detail brain activity, which looks completely different during REM and NREM sleep. Interesting processes happen to a person when falling asleep, when the body and brain begin to slowly switch off and plunge into a state of deep relaxation, but at the same time certain parts of the brain continue to work.

But the most ambitious discovery was that the reactions of the brain and body to a vivid dream that a person sees in the REM phase are practically no different from reactions to real events. This means that a person literally “lives” his dream physically and mentally. But first things first.

Falling asleep

A person who wants to sleep is always easy to recognize, even if he tries to somehow hide his condition. Signs of drowsiness include:

A sleepy person begins to stretch, rub his eyes, and turn around in search of a position comfortable for falling asleep. This condition is associated with an increase in the concentration of a special hormone in the blood - melatonin. It gently inhibits the activity of the nervous system, promoting deeper relaxation and speeding up the process of falling asleep.

The hormone has virtually no effect on the quality of sleep itself. Melatonin is only a natural regulator of circadian rhythms.

The process of falling asleep in a healthy adult lasts from 20 to 40 minutes. If it takes more than an hour to fall asleep, we can talk about the presence of one of the many forms of insomnia and it is better to take measures to eliminate it before it becomes chronic. Natural products can help with this sedatives, taking additional doses of melatonin or proven folk remedies.

Slow phase

Having gone through the stage of falling asleep, a person plunges into slow-wave sleep. It gets its name from the slow rotation of the eyeballs that can be observed in a sleeping person. Although it's not just them. During slow-wave sleep, everything vital signs the body is slowed down - the body and brain relax and rest.

As they studied this phase, scientists made more and more new discoveries. As a result, it was discovered that in infants slow sleep has only two stages, and in children over 1-1.5 years old and adults - as many as four, through which the body sequentially passes:

All four stages of the slow phase take approximately one and a half hours, plus or minus 10 minutes. Of this, approximately a fifth of the time is occupied by deep and very deep sleep, and the rest is superficial.

Moreover, a person usually goes through the first stage of slow-wave sleep only after falling asleep, and when slow and fast sleep alternate during the night, it “falls out.”

Fast phase

Scientists have not fully figured out what REM sleep is, how such strange processes can occur in the body, and what significance it has for humans. If everything is more or less clear with slow sleep - this is a period of active recovery of the body and complete relaxation, then the reactions of the brain and the vital functions of the body during REM sleep are completely different.

During REM sleep, a person's eyeballs under closed eyelids begin to move quickly along a chaotic trajectory. From the outside it seems that a person is closely watching something. In fact, this is so, since it is in this phase that dreams appear. But eye movement is not the only and far from the main difference between REM sleep.

What was seen on the encephalogram, and later on the tomogram of the brain during the fast phase, so amazed scientists that it received another name “ paradoxical dream" All readings during this period may be practically no different from those taken in a state of active wakefulness, but at the same time the person continues to sleep:

In fact, the entire body is “turned on” in the dream as if it were a real event, and only the person’s consciousness is turned off. But if you wake him up at this moment, he will be able to tell the plot of the dream in great detail and at the same time will experience emotional experiences.

Interestingly, it is during REM sleep that changes occur hormonal levels. Some scientists believe that it is necessary for emotional “reset” and balancing of the endocrine system.

Having experienced exciting events again during sleep, a person then sends these memories to the subconscious, and they stop bothering him.

REM sleep also helps in regulating the level of sex hormones. Nocturnal erections, wet dreams and spontaneous orgasms occur during this phase. Moreover, they are not always accompanied by dreams of an erotic nature.

At the same time, most heart attacks or strokes occur, due to the fact that the relaxed heart and blood vessels are subjected to sudden stress.

At the beginning of the night fast phase does not last long - from 5 to 10 minutes, and a person spends most of the time after falling asleep in slow-wave sleep. But in the morning the phase relationship changes. The periods of REM sleep become longer and longer, and the periods of deep sleep become shorter and shorter, and at one point the person wakes up.

Proper awakening

An interesting fact is that a person’s activity and condition, especially in the first half of the day, depends on how he woke up. If he is awakened by external stimuli (alarm clock, bright light, sharp sounds, shock) during the slow phase of sleep, he still needs some time to “come to his senses.” In the first seconds, he may not even understand where he is, some parts of the brain are still so inhibited.

It is a completely different matter if the awakening occurs during REM sleep. The body is already alert and active, you just need to turn on your consciousness. A person who wakes up in this phase feels great, can quickly get out of bed and go about his business. At the same time, he perfectly remembers the last dream and can write it down or retell it.

The modern rhythm of life places high demands on the level of physical activity. Perhaps that's why in Lately The so-called “ smart alarm clocks", which read the body's readings and send a signal just in the stage of REM sleep.

The advantage of such a device is that it greatly facilitates awakening, but the disadvantage is that it can wake a person up 20-30 minutes before the set time, since it begins to track sleep phases in advance, calculating the appropriate moment.

But even if you woke up easily, doctors do not advise jumping out of bed right away. Give the body 5-10 minutes for all organs and systems to smoothly start working. Stretch, lie down, tune in to the new day, go over your plans in your head again. And when you feel that you are completely ready for active actions- get up and start your morning routine.

Prevention of insomnia

Healthy quality sleep is considered to be a state in which a person quickly falls asleep and smoothly moves from one phase to another, waking up at the end of the night at his usual time on his own, without an alarm clock. Unfortunately, few people can boast of this today. Chronic fatigue, stress, unhealthy diet, negative emotions greatly reduce the quality of sleep and become increasingly common reasons development of chronic insomnia.

To avoid this problem and the multiple troubles associated with it - from neuroses to serious psychosomatic diseases, try to take at least basic measures that can ensure normal quality of sleep:

And most importantly, do not reach for sleeping pills even if you have been unable to fall asleep for several nights in a row. Such drugs quickly become addictive and in most cases deprive a person of the rapid phase of sleep.

Under the influence of a sleeping pill, a “heavy”, very deep sleep without dreams occurs, which is very different from normal - after it the person still feels broken.

If problems with falling asleep or frequent awakenings at night have become protracted, you are often tormented by nightmares, or your loved ones talk about you walking at night, go to the doctor. The problem cannot be solved without finding out the cause that provoked it. And this can only be done after examination and consultation with several specialists: a neurologist, an endocrinologist, a somnologist.

But in most cases, temporary insomnia occurs as a result of stress or severe fatigue and can be easily dealt with using folk remedies: warm baths, milk at night, relaxing massage, aromatherapy. No less important is positive attitude. You can significantly improve the quality of your sleep simply by weaning yourself from thinking about problems in the evenings.

Adequate rest is one of the main components of human health. For the formation, development, normal functioning The body creates ideal conditions during sleep. Only during this period are beneficial hormones produced and amino acids are synthesized. There is also improvement, systematization of brain activity, and unloading of the nervous system.

To understand the processes taking place, you should study what slow and fast sleep is, what are the differences between these structural units and determine their importance for people. It is good to compare these parameters using indications from comparative tables.

Psychophysical processes occurring during sleep divide it into phases. At this time, different activity of the brain is observed, regeneration of certain organs and systems occurs.

REM sleep and slow-wave sleep have a certain relationship with each other. It changes with the transition from one cycle to the next. Constant interruption of one of the components has negative consequences.

Phase components of sleep and their order

Sleep is a definite structure; it includes several cycles that appear 4-5 times during the night. Each one is approximately 1.5 hours long. This form contains phases of slow and fast sleep.

An adult's rest begins with napping, which is the initial structural unit of the slow period. Next, three more components pass in turn. Then there comes a short period. The duration changes every cycle.

Features of slow sleep

The slow period lasts three-quarters of the entire rest period. After falling asleep, it is at its greatest length, gradually shortening in the morning.

During a long rest, 4-5 periods are included in the cycles; this is the optimal value. It begins the process of putting a person to sleep. At the third phase stage, attacks of sleepwalking may occur.

Structure

This phase is structured by periods. They all play great importance for a person. Each has its own characteristics, features, and functions change in the process.

• nap;
• sleep spindles;
• delta sleep;
• deep delta sleep.

The first period is characterized by slow eye movement, a decrease in temperature occurs, the pulse becomes less frequent, stabilization occurs nervous activity. It is at this moment that a solution to a problem that appeared during the day can come, the missing link in the semantic chain can be filled. Waking up is very easy.

In the second period, consciousness begins to switch off, the person sinks deeper into slumber. The pulse is rare, muscle relaxation occurs.

During the third stage, the heart begins to contract more frequently and more shallow respiratory oscillations occur. The flow of blood to the tissues is activated, eye movement occurs very slowly.

The last period is characterized by the greatest immersion. At such a moment, it is very difficult for people to wake up, they get up unrested, have difficulty integrating into the environment, dreams are not stored in memory. All body functions are significantly slowed down.

Signs

You can understand that a person is in the slow-wave sleep phase by comparing characteristic indicators: breathing, which becomes rare, shallow, often arrhythmic, the movement of the eyeballs first slows down, then completely disappears.

The heart rate slows down and the body temperature becomes lower. By this period, the muscles relax, the limbs do not move, physical activity absent.

Meaning

When you are in slow-wave sleep, recovery occurs internal organs. During this time, growth hormone is released, this is especially important for children. They develop and improve all their systems over such a period.

It is important to know! During this period, substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body accumulate and amino acids are synthesized. This type of sleep is responsible for physiological rest.

Contradictions of paradoxical sleep

REM sleep is also called paradoxical because of its inconsistencies various manifestations internal processes. During this period of rest brain activity very active, it can be even higher than when awake, but at this time the person is in the process of dozing.

Muscle tone is significantly reduced, but the stage is characterized by movement of the eyeballs and twitching of the limbs. If such a rest for some reason takes a long time, upon awakening there is a feeling of exhaustion, snippets of dreams are spinning in the head.

Manifestations

The fact that a person is in the REM sleep phase can be noticed without the help of devices. There are a number of specific manifestations. These include:

Body temperature rises and heart rate increases. The brain begins to be active. During this period of rest, unification, comparison occurs genetic information with the purchased one.

The value of the fast phase

In between quick rest the nervous system is activated. All acquired knowledge, information, relationships, and actions are processed and analyzed. Serotonin, the hormone of happiness, is produced.

During this period, the formation of the most important mental functions in children. Insufficient duration of such rest may mean the rapid appearance of problems with consciousness. Programs for future human behavior are created, answers to questions that cannot be found while awake are formulated.

Dreams

The dreams that come to a person during this phase are the most vivid and memorable. They are emotionally colored and dynamic. External stimuli can be intricately woven into the plot of a vision.

Visions are transformed into different symbols, images, and everyday reality. In the paradoxical phase, a person usually realizes that events are not happening in reality.

Awakening in different phases: differences

The structure of sleep is heterogeneous. All phases are distinguished by different brain activity, psychophysical activity, and regeneration of certain human systems.

It is important to know! The incompleteness of the processes causes a difficult transition to wakefulness in slow-wave sleep. When climbing quickly, the climb is easy, and the start of vigorous activity occurs without problems. But constant interruption of rest in this phase has a negative effect on the psyche.

Table: comparative characteristics of sleep phases

Parameters characterizing rapid and slow-wave sleep are shown comparison table. This is the basic data that helps to recognize the rest period. From one cycle to the next, the duration of the first becomes shorter, while the paradoxical one lengthens.

Indicators	Slow phase	Fast phase
Number of stages	4	1
Sleep depth	deep	surface
Having dreams	calm, poorly remembered	vivid, emotional, retained in memory
Eye movement	no or very slow	fast
Muscle tone	slightly reduced	sharply weakened
Breath	rare, stable	arrhythmic
Heartbeat	slowed down	accelerated
Body temperature	reduced	increased
Duration	75-80% rest	20-25% of sleep duration

Sleep Research: Interesting Facts

The paradox of time perception is often encountered in relation to sleep. There are times when it seems like you just closed your eyes, and several hours have already passed. The opposite also happens: it seems that you slept all night, but 30 minutes have passed.

It has been proven that the brain analyzes sounds, sorts them, and can weave them into a dream. Moreover, in some phases people can awaken if they are called by name in a whisper. The more biological age person, the shorter the duration of the paradoxical stage. In infants it exceeds the slow one.

A person spends a third of his life sleeping. If you sleep less than a quarter of a day for two weeks, the state of the body will correspond to being in drunkenness. Memory will deteriorate, concentration and reaction will suffer, and problems with coordination will arise. But many geniuses practiced polyphasic rest over a long period of time, the total duration of which was no more than half the norm. At the same time, they felt cheerful, their performance improved, and discoveries were made.

Absolutely all people see dreams, but almost all of them are forgotten. Animals also dream. Not so long ago most of humanity saw black and white dreams, and now 85% of men and women view vivid stories. The explanation for this is the creation of color television broadcasting.

Blind people are also not deprived of dreams. If the blindness is acquired, then the pictures represent what was previously seen. In congenital blindness, vision consists of sounds, smells, and sensations. They do not experience the phenomenon of rapidly moving eyes under their eyelids. These people are much more likely to have nightmares.

Longest period of wakefulness healthy person There was a time period of 11 days during which the American schoolboy did not sleep. After a head injury and brain damage, a Hungarian soldier did not take a nap for 40 years. At the same time, he felt cheerful, did not experience fatigue or discomfort.

It is important to know! Few girls dream of slim figure, know the following fact. Systematic lack of sleep leads to weight gain excess weight. One of important conditions Losing weight is getting enough sleep.

Women's deep rest is often 20 minutes longer than men's, but the latter sleep more restlessly and wake up more often. The weaker sex complains more about sleep disturbances and gets less sleep. Ladies are more susceptible to emotionally strong visions and nightmares.

Conclusion

You can’t make a choice about whether fast or slow sleep is better. Both of these components must be present in a person’s rest without fail and in the correct percentage.

Rest refers to a necessary phenomenon through which processes are carried out: replenishment of energy and physiological costs. Scientists distinguish 2 phases of sleep - slow and fast.

Due to individual characteristics and excessive workload at work, it has become necessary to calculate an acceptable time to wake up in the morning. With correct calculations with the sunrise, a person will have a paradoxical result: high spirits, improved performance in any area. In addition, they will not develop concomitant diseases, such as insomnia.

The value and functions of sleep

An acceptable and recommended sleep period for adults is considered to be up to 12 am. Only at this moment is the human body able to restore the energy and physiological activity required for full performance.

The table shows valuable hours for a specific time period.

Times of Day	The value of sleep per hour
19-20 hours	7 o'clock
20-21 hours	6 hours
21-22 hours	5 o'clock
22-23 hours	4 hours
23-24 hours	3 hours
0-1 hour	2 hours
1-2 hours	1 hour
2-3 hours	30 minutes
3-4 hours	15 minutes
4-5 hours	7 minutes
5-6 hours	1 minute

Based on the above data, you can clearly see how important it is to go to bed on time. This affects the performance of the whole organism, and therefore shapes the further mood and well-being of a person.

Several main functions have been identified through which it becomes possible to form an idea of ​​​​the benefits:

1. Internal organs and muscle tissue remain in a relaxed state at night, gaining strength.
2. During the day, a person expends a lot of energy for full-fledged activities, but only during sleep are the reserves replenished.
3. A lot happens when you're on vacation necessary processes dictated by the brain. This is the removal of waste and toxins, rebooting the central nervous system, cleansing the brain center.
4. Also, during sleep, long-term memory is formed, which includes accumulated information. This includes understanding what you see and consolidating new skills.
5. The main component is the analysis of the state of internal organs; if violations are identified, they should be eliminated. As a result, immunity improves, because new cells are formed during sleep.

Sleep is a necessary component in the life of every person. Without it it is impossible to live to the fullest. A necessary requirement is that you need to fall asleep at the recommended interval, because this can increase efficiency and prevent the development of certain diseases.

Cycle duration

Sleep is a state of consciousness of all living things, which includes 5 stages. They replace each other during the night's rest. The occurrence is explained by the activation of brain centers.

In an adult who does not have serious problems With health, falling asleep begins with a nap. It doesn't take much time - only 10 minutes. After this, stage 2 enters. Lasts a little longer - 20 minutes. The remaining two stages take at least 45-50 minutes.

As soon as initial process, consisting of 4 stages, passes, and the action of stage 2 occurs again. At this moment, the first episode of REM sleep appears. But it doesn’t last long – 5 minutes. Such sequential processes are formed into cycles. The first one takes 1.5 hours or a little longer. Afterwards, the cyclicity resumes, but slow-wave sleep disappears. This is because REM sleep comes into play. Sometimes it takes 60 minutes.

Important! At good rest presumably 5 cycles. The sequence and duration vary slightly, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.

Most studies confirm that the fast and slow phases are characterized by of different durations in a ratio of 1:4. In this case, the first spends 85% of the rest time, but the second accounts for 15%. One cycle lasts 1.5 hours. It is important for a person to sleep 6-8 hours. Based on this, the cycles can be repeated 6 times. But the meanings are variable, depending on the specific case.

In young children, the process takes place in a slightly different sequence. REM sleep predominates, which is gradually replaced. Initially, it accounts for 50%, and as the baby develops, this figure decreases to 25%.

In an adult, the stages should tend to repeat in equal sequence. However, due to age characteristics And serious pathologies It is possible to observe some disturbances in normal sleep. Elderly people often face problems of insomnia, because the fast phase makes up no more than 18%, and the slow phase is completely absent.

However, there are other reasons quality rest: diseases of the brain or spinal cord. In this case, it is impossible to sleep normally; there is superficial sleep. It is rare, but it is observed that a person does without rest at all, even short.

Slow phase

Certain brain centers are involved in the formation of slow-wave sleep: the hypothalamus, thalamic nuclei, and the inhibitory department of the moruzzi.

Important! The main feature of slow sleep is the formation of new cells and structures, tissue restoration. This process must occur at rest with the participation of certain hormones, amino acids and proteins.

The end result of anabolic processes is considered to be the replenishment of energy that is lost during performance during the day. Their activity begins from stage 2, because at this moment complete relaxation occurs. Therefore, such a period is considered favorable for restoring lost energy and physiological reserves.

Important! It has been proven that moderate physical exercise per day contribute to the prolongation of stage 4 of the slow phase.

When falling asleep, certain rhythms appear, which depend on the good illumination of the room by sunlight. The onset of dusk signals a decrease in some activity. At this moment, the first sleep triggers are observed: yawning and weakness.

Each stage has a specific time interval. So, 8% is spent on the third, and 15% of the entire period spent on sleep is spent on the fourth. Many attribute the slow phase to the restoration of energy resources. Only it is fundamental in understanding actions and memories.

The main signs of this stage of sleep are considered to be loud breathing, which gradually becomes rarer and less deep than during wakefulness. There is a decrease general temperature, activities muscular system and eye movements. At slow phase During sleep, a person can see minor dreams; on the encephalogram, slow and long waves begin to predominate.

The first stage is drowsiness

It refers to stage 1 of falling asleep. In this state, the sleeper is able to see phenomena and actions that bother him while awake. In addition, this has a clear characteristic:

• heartbeat weakens;
• breathing slows down;
• the temperature drops;
• you can catch the slow movements of the eyeball.

Also, an altered state is recorded in a brain hologram, accompanied by surges in mental activity. At the same time, it is recorded that a solution comes difficult situation, which was difficult to resolve in the process of life. Main fact: awakening a person from stage 1 slow-wave sleep is not difficult.

Stage two - light sleep

During shallow sleep, the consciousness of reality gradually begins to turn off, but it is still possible to react to voices or sounds. At the same time, certain processes occur in a sleeping person: a decrease in temperature, any activity weakens, and pressure drops. With repeated studies, the sequence of stages of the slow phase is comparative (with the spindle), because over time all actions decay. Ultimately - immersion in a deep state.

Stage three - slow-wave sleep

A somewhat different state develops at this stage, since all movements come to naught. This can be verified through brain research. At the same time, the pulsation is weak, sighs become more frequent, the pressure level drops, and the pupils practically do not move. Blood flow to muscles and tissues is also manifested, and growth hormone is formed. All this characterizes the process that has begun in the body to replenish energy.

Stage four - deep sleep

The last stage is responsible for complete immersion in sleep. The phase is accompanied by a blackout of consciousness; it is impossible to even feel, feel or hear anything. That is why there are no special unexpected manifestations from the body: breathing is difficult to observe, extraneous movements of the eyeballs or body parts are not observed.

In the state of the deep phase, it is almost impossible to raise a sleeping person to his feet. If this is done, poor orientation in space, slower reactions, bad feeling, it is not possible to catch the ghostly thing. Sometimes people wake up in good mood, occurs in nightmares. But this stage is not felt upon awakening.

Basically, stages 3 and 4 are classified as one, in which case their duration is about 40 minutes. High-quality and timely rest creates activity for work for the coming day. If the deep sleep stage is complete, it is possible to remember some information after waking up.

Fast phase

When rest is reorganized into a fast phase, unusable knowledge and skills are cleared in the emotional and intellectual areas. At this time, active activities take place:

• By recovery nerve cells. There is an opinion that this is impossible, but these are unreliable assumptions.
• By understanding the information received during the day.
• At the beginning of preparatory actions for mental activity.

Due to the existence of a single stage of the fast phase, its duration increases, which is 15%. Its main goal is to process the received information with the possibility of its further application. In addition, this phase is mandatory, because it is required for the complete restoration of the nervous system.

Significant changes were revealed during REM and slow-wave sleep. This manifests itself in characteristic actions and movements, some of which can be observed visually:

• Difficulty breathing when exhaling deeply.
• Deviations from the normal heartbeat.
• Muscle tone weakens, which can be more clearly observed in the neck of the mouth.
• The pupils perform unconscious movements at an accelerated pace.

In this phase, dreams are the most emotional. They may be dominated by bright and significant moments from life or various situations transferred the previous day.

If a sleeper is awakened in the REM phase, he will clearly and clearly reproduce the dream. Awakening in this phase is easy because no discomfort is felt. On the contrary, your mood lifts and your well-being improves.

Through alternating phases, some changes are revealed with their effect on the body. The next morning, the likelihood of waking up in the fast phase increases, but the slow phase decreases. If it is impossible to go to bed at the conventional time, the fast phases will be shortened, but the slow phases will not be in danger.

Features of awakening in each phase of sleep

Sleeping is characterized by heterogeneity, and several phases have been identified that particularly affect the body. Each of them has specific phenomena of the brain system. The main task is to replenish energy and physiological resources.

If we talk about the correctness of phase awakenings, then you need to have information about each one. First, it is worth highlighting at what stage the interruption occurred. Problems will arise in the slow phase, because the most significant processes are being restored.

Awakening in the fast phase is facilitated, regardless of the colorful and vivid moments that can be seen in dreams. But the absence of this phase for a long time can negatively affect a person’s well-being, undermining psychological background. She is the link between consciousness and subconscious.

How to calculate the optimal time to wake up

All stages of sleep play an important role for humans. This will allow the body to restore strength and energy. The best solution is to adhere to the regime without breaking it. It is good if the cycles are completed by 4:00, since slow-wave sleep gradually declines after midnight. It is not necessary to do this, perhaps sleep more. It allows the nerves to recover at this very time when the fast phase begins.

To ensure quality rest that has beneficial effects, it is important to go to bed early. This will help maintain the duration of the phases.

Most people are curious whether there is a special technique with which it would be possible to calculate best time to wake up on your own. So that at the same time you feel a surge of strength, with a further desire for mental and physical labor. Dymaxion is a common technique that involves sleeping for 30 minutes 4 times a day.

Using the slow and fast phases of sleep, how to get enough sleep? If awakening occurs in the slow phase, then fatigue is guaranteed. Therefore, it is better to do it in a quick phase. Careful calculations will allow you to track right time. This is easy to do; you just need to build a graph. But you are also allowed to use a calculator.

Based on somnological studies, it is known that sleep cycles take 2 hours, with fast sleep only 20 minutes. Using this data, it becomes possible to calculate an acceptable time to wake up.

However, full recovery requires 6-8 hours. After making the calculations, you should set the resulting value on the alarm clock face.

You can only find out the positive effect of awakening in the fast phase on your own; for this you need to try it. But this does not mean that you will be able to fall asleep right away. Therefore, when making calculations, it is important to leave a little time in reserve.

Human sleep phases by time table

In a dream, a person arrives at one stage: fast or slow. The special features of each of them can be found in the table below:

slow sleep	REM sleep
Napping is the first stage. It is characterized by vivid thoughts and memories that arise on a subconscious level. At this moment, the sleeper is in a superficial sleep, which lasts 5-10 minutes.	Quick is separate and last stage. At this moment the person is in a state of activity. However, his movements are constrained, because motor function absent due to paralysis. The subconscious mind works harmoniously, so you can remember a lot useful information received per day. Awakening is not easy. This may have a negative impact on mental state. The fast phase takes 60 minutes.
With shallow depth it is possible characteristic manifestations: consciousness is turned off, but the auditory reference (external voices, sounds) is heightened. For this very reason, sudden awakenings often occur. The duration of the stage is only 20 minutes.
The third stage is characterized by obvious immersion in sleep.
The fourth stage involves deep sleep. It is difficult to wake up a sleeping person. At the same time, dreams are clearly expressed. A person may have a disease - sleepwalking. The next morning it is difficult to remember what you dreamed; only some moments are remembered. More often, stages 3 and 4 are combined into one, each lasting about 45 minutes.

The table describes the phases of human sleep by time and characterizes the stages occurring in a specific phase. With the completion of all stages, the first cycle comes to an end. Sleep should be cyclical, so for quality rest the body must go through 5 cycles. The stages replace each other gradually. Doctors recommend getting at least 8 hours of sleep. If you constantly violate the recommendations, you can develop a disease - a mental disorder.

Sleep takes place in 2 phases: slow and fast. In young children, the fast phase predominates, which differs from adults. At the moment of sleep, it is possible to see the movements of the eyeball, while the baby has colorful dreams. Muscle tone weakens, but this does not affect the nasopharynx and eyes. Movements are limited.

It is known that during the growth and development of a child, the need for sleep is paramount. But everyone decides for themselves how much sleep they need. This is dictated by the body, namely individual characteristics: physiological, mental.

The norm for a child is determined depending on age guidelines:

• 1-2 months - 18 hours;
• 3-4 months - 17-18 hours;
• 5-6 months - 16 hours;
• 7-9 months - 15 hours;
• 10-12 months - 13 hours;
• 1-2 years - 13 hours;
• 2-3 years - 12 hours;
• 3-5 years - 10-13 hours;
• 6-13 years – 9-11 hours;
• teenagers 8-10 hours.

Over time, children spend fewer hours resting in order to get a good night's sleep. This is dictated by changes in needs and increased load on the brain. The most active ones need little time at all to gain strength for a productive day.