When we go to sleep at night a typical person experiences four stages of sleep. In order to wake up feeling refreshed its best to wake up at the end of the sleep cycle, being woken up in the middle can leave one feeling groggy and tired.
The 1st stage is experienced for approximately 10-30 minutes while entering the sleeping state. One is easily awoken during this stage and if awoken one can feel as if they haven't slept at all. During this time it is normal to feel as if you are falling which causes most to flinch or jump suddenly in your sleep- typically waking you up.
The 2nd stage is experienced for 20-60 minutes while your body prepares to enter into a deep sleep. During this stage your heart beat will slow down and your body temperature decreases.
The 3rd and 4th stages are where we enter into our deepest levels of unconsciousness. This is where we enter into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Delta Sleep. Contrary to the 2nd stage, during REM your heartbeat rises along with your eyes moving rapidly in different directions. During REM is also when we are most likely to experience our most powerful dreams.
As we enter into Delta Sleep our bodies are in the deepest state of sleep, being awoke in this state can leave the person confused where they are or what is going on. It is also thought that our bodies tissue repair (scrapes, cuts, or bruises) and or regeneration occurs at its highest level in this sleep stage. Entering Delta Sleep is most common for infants and declines as we age.
Please note that ALL bodies are different and enter into different sleeping stages with different amounts of time. It is important to know what cycle your body is on. If you are waking up to an alarm clock clock chances are you are interrupting your body in the middle of a sleep cycle leaving you feeling tired and un-refreshed. You can find out how long your sleep cycle is by waking up after 5, 6, 7, or 8 hours of sleep over a few weeks and keep note of how you felt waking up with the given amount of sleep. Most people find the best results with 6.5 to 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
As we spend a third of our lives in bed. Getting a good nights sleep is scientifically proven to be as important as our diet. It is important to give your body the best opportunity to go through its full sleep cycle. Lake Country Bed Barn wants you to have a Good Morning and wakes up feeling refreshed. We are hear to help your sleep needs in Lake Country, Waukesha and Watertown.
