How Sleep Works –the Science of Sleep
Sleep is a quite interesting phenomenon. No one can say for sure the exact requirements or processes of sleep. However, you feel drowsy and tired if you don't get enough sleep. There must be something for this sleep, which is mandated for animals and birds. Fish doesn't go to complete sleep. Insects, though become inactive at times of the day, they never sleep.
General Characteristics of Sleep
Observe a person sleeping. Most probably, he or she will be lying down usually on his/her side, with eyes closed. The muscles are relaxed; you see a slow, rhythmic pattern of breathing. Similarly, the sleeping person doesn't hear anything – unless a loud sound is produced.
The most important thing about sleep is the sleeping person, animal or bird becomes unconscious about the environment, although strong enough stimuli can take the animal or bird back to awakened state.
One thing worth the noticing is the person will readjust his/her posture once a while, usually once or two times an hour. This is a programming that prevents blood getting clotted in any one part of the body.
Also, after sleep, you will mostly feel refreshed. If the sleep is interrupted or if you have gone to sleep with the help of sedatives, you don't feel refreshed.
Sleeping is total relaxation, characterised by slowing down of breathing, slowing down of heart rate, and slowing down of brain action. Sleep is not a continuous process, but a cycle of various stages namely stage 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM stage.
Brain waves during first stage of sleep are similar to the brain waves during awakened state. The activity slows down till fourth stage and the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage is characterised by high activity of brain. It is during this REM stage that you see dreams.
The world of sleeping is quite fascinating one – while all mammals have dreams, reptiles can't dream. Birds have little dreams. Only half of brains of dolphins and whales sleep at a time.
Sleep and Brain
If you record the brain waves of a sleeping person using an electroencephalograph (EEG), you can see different types of brain waves.
Alpha waves are recorded in brains of persons while in awakened and relaxed stage. The frequency is almost 10 cycles per second. A person alerted to something exhibits beta action, which is 18 to 20 cycles per seconds.
During sleep, the frequency is lowered, indication slowing down of brain action. Theta waves and delta waves are produced by the brain during sleep. Theta waves repeat 3.5 to 7 times a second, while delta waves have a frequency of 3.5 cycles per second.
The waves slow down as the person goes deeply into sleep. The brain action is slowed down to a minimum in the fourth stage, where delta waves of frequency 3.5 cycles per second take over. A person in this stage of sleep can't be easily woken up.
The fifth stage or REM stage lasts for five to 30 minutes and is characterised by rapid brain action. The brain activity during this stage resembles alert state of a fully awakened person. You can identify this stage by observing the rapid movement of eye of a sleeping person. It is widely acknowledged brain recomposes itself during this stage, and tries to solve different problems, which the conscious mind can't solve.
It is during REM stage that a person dreams. Wake up a person at this stage and he/she can describe the dream. All the other four stages of sleep is called NREM or Non-REM sleep.
You can't get to REM stage while under sedation or if you go to sleep after taking sleeping pills of any kind.
These five stages of sleep repeat six to eight times in a night's sleep. If a person doesn't get a minimum of six complete cycles of all the five stages of sleep, he/she exhibits symptoms akin to insomnia.
Problems Associated with Lack of Sleep
If you get so much troubled, it can get difficult to go to sleep. This actually leads you to a vicious cycle. You can actually find solutions to hard pressing problems while sleeping. [Read REM Stage of sleep once again].
Lack of sleep for a night can leave you drowsy and irritable the next day.
Two consecutive sleepless nights can affect your cognition and ability to concentrate.
Three nights of sleepless nights can cause hallucinations.
It is observed that sleep deprivation is fatal to rats, as they eventually die when left without a sleep for several days together. Thus, you know the extreme importance of sleep.
Physiological Activities during Sleep
In children, it is observed that growth hormones are produced during sleep. In children and adults, the hormones responsible for optimum performance of immune system are released during sleep. Thus, sleep in essence can help children grow and stay immune to diseases. Sleep deprivation can unsettle this balance.
Sleep slows down heart rate, breathing and generally minimizes utility of energy. That is, you use less energy while sleeping.
Sleep also gives the body a chance to repair muscles and damaged tissue.
Sleep is proven to have problem solving abilities. Hard pressed problems are easily solved after a good sleep, as told by several scientists and researchers. This might be because the brain gets a chance to reorganise memories and theories in an organized manner, which is not possible when energy is consumed for various bodily and mental functions.
If you feel refreshed after you wake up, it is sign that you get a good night's sleep. If you don't feel refreshed, your sleep is interrupted. It can happen sometimes even without your knowledge.
Sleep & Dreams
Dreams are another interesting topic that is almost as much elusive as sleep itself. We have all kinds of dreams – from pleasant to weird and from angels to demons. According to Joel Achenbach, dreams occur due to electrical activity of the brain. The brain stem sends in random electric pulses throughout the brain. It is random pulses only, but the brain tries to make meaning out of it.
Dreams can sometimes tell about the personality of the person or can remind things that the conscious mind overlooks on a regular basis. It can also be the attempt of the brain to solve the problems we are currently left with.
Preventing dreams can have negative effects on the mental condition of a person. Persons repeatedly woken up during REM sleep exhibit high levels of irritability. Dreams are good things, not just for poetic imagination, but also for better mental well being.
How Much Should I Sleep?
It is relative to the physical conditions and age of a person. While babies sleep for more than 18 hours a day, children need eight to 12 hours of sleep. An average adult person needs seven to eight hours of sleep.
Top Seven Tips to Get Better Sleep at Night
1. Don't take too much alcohol. Avoid drugs and smoking. Alcohol and drugs leave you drowsy and less active the day after.
2. Eat healthy food – vegetables, fruits and lots of water. Fried, oily, junk food, etc are harmful to body and to sleep.
3. Don't take coffee or other stimulants in the evening.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Go to bed only when you feel like sleeping.
6. Listen to calming music or read a book before going to sleep.
Have a regular sleep pattern. Sleep early and wake up early in the morning.
Stemulite is one formulation that can help you get better REM sleep. While you read in detail about Stemulite, you can learn that it comes with several physical and physiological benefits. A good night's sleep is a blessing – in more ways than one.