The  science of a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep costs the United States over 411 billion dollars a year. [1] One in three of us don’t get enough sleep. [2] And fifty one percent of workers even admit falling asleep on the job! [3] But sleep boosts more than just productivity. It helps you store memories, learn new skills and repair your body. To get the full benefits from sleep, your brain passes through a cycle. [4] Let’s explore each stage and find tips to improve your quality of sleep. Stage  One. Light sleep. Five to ten minutes. You’ll still be aware of your surroundings at this wind-down stage. So, shut  out light with blackout blinds or an eye mask. Darkness tells your brain’s hypothalamus sleep centre it’s time to nod off. [5] Use white or ambient noise to block out unwanted sounds. Some apps even play binaural beats that induce drowsiness. [6] Keep a to-do list to organize tomorrow’s tasks and clear your mind. This allows your brain activity to slow by the fifty percent required for light sleep. [7] Stage  Two. Intermediate sleep. Fifteen minutes. We spend forty five to fifty five percent of our sleep in this stage. [8] Your brain throws out Sleep Spindles – high bursts of brain waves which relax and ready us for deep sleep. [9] To up these frequencies, experts recommend snacks such as cherries, rice and almonds which produce the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. [10] Stage three. Deep sleep. Ninety minutes, decreasing each sleep cycle. At this restorative stage, the brain’s Glymphatic System removes neurotoxins or waste. [11] During deep sleep, our body temperature drops by one or two degrees. [12]. So, keep your bedroom cool, around eighteen celcius, and dial up or down your duvet tog to find your sleep sweet spot. Stage four. REM. Ten to sixty minutes, increasing with each cycle. During the rapid eye movement, REM, stage, we dream four to six times a night. But we forget ninety five to ninety nine percent of our dreams by morning. [13] To help you dream, your body releases chemicals to stop you moving about. [14] To  further relax muscles, take a warm bath. Warm water lowers heart rate and blood pressure, helping you destress and drift away. [15] Gentle yoga eases tired muscles, reducing stress for eighty five percent of people. And improves sleep quality for over fifty five percent. [16] A good night’s sleep is key to enjoying short and long-term mental and physical wellbeing. So, try these tips to get the most from the four stages of sleep. And wake up feeling rested, refreshed and ready for the working day ahead.
References
[1] Suyin Haynes, ‘Lack of Sleep Costs U.S. About $411 Billion in Lost Productivity, Study Find’ (2016). Available at: https://fortune.com/2016/11/30/sleep-productivity-rand-corp-411-billion/ (accessed 13 February 2020).
[2] CDC, ‘1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep’ (2016). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html (accessed 13 February 2020).
[3] Sarah Berger, ‘Survey: 51% of Americans snooze at work’ (2018). Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/03/amerisleep-survey-more-than-half-of-americans-nap-at-work.html (accessed 13 February 2020).
[4] ‘Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep’. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep (accessed 13 February 2020).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Rosie Osmun, ‘How to Fall Asleep Quickly (in Five Minutes or Less)’ (2020). Available at: https://amerisleep.com/blog/falling-asleep-quickly/ (accessed 13 February 2020).
[7] ‘UNDERSTANDING YOUR SLEEP CYCLE From Awake to REM in 4 Stages’ Available at: https://www.sleepadvisor.org/stages/ (accessed 13 February 2020).
[8] ‘Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem.’ Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19956/ (accessed 13 February 2020).
[9] ‘Sleep Spindles’. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/sleep-spindle (accessed 13 February 2020).
[10] Jennifer Hines, ‘Foods for Sleep: A List of The Best and Worst Foods for Getting Sleep’ (2019). Available at: https://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/foods-for-sleep-list-best-worst-foods-getting-sleep (accessed 13 February 2020).
[11] ‘Stages of Sleep: The Definitive Guide’ (2018). Available at: https://ouraring.com/stages-of-sleep/#stage-n3 (accessed 13 February 2020).
[12] WebMd, ‘What Happens to Your Body When You Sleep?’. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/what-happens-body-during-sleep#1 (accessed 13 February 2020).
[13] How Often Do We Dream?’. Available at: https://www.sleep.org/articles/how-often-dreams/ (accessed 13 February 2020).
[14] University of Toronto, ‘How muscles are paralyzed during sleep: Finding may suggest new treatments for sleep disorders’ (2012). Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120711131030.htm (accessed 13 February 2020).
[15] ‘What are the benefits of cold and hot showers?’ Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327461.php#cold-showers (accessed 13 February 2020).
[16] NHIS, ‘Use of Complementary Health Approaches in the U.S.’ Available at:  https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/wellness?nav=chat (accessed 13 February 2020).
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