Are You Tired of Being Tired?
There are 5 stages of sleep:
• Stage One (Drowsiness)-This is the stage of sleep when you drift in and out of sleep about 5-10 minutes but awaken easily. Everything slows down, your eyes move slowly, along with muscle activity.
• Stage Two (Light Sleep) - In this stage of sleep, our eye movements stop and our brain waves become slower. Our heart rate slows and our body temperature decreases.
• Stage 3 and 4 (Deep Sleep) - In stage 3 of deep sleep, our brain waves become smaller and faster becoming "delta" brain waves. Stage 4: The brain is producing "delta" brain waves almost exclusively. At this stage of sleep it is very hard to wake someone. Someone who is awaken from this stage of sleep may well be disoriented and groggy. Children can experience night terrors, bedwetting and sleepwalking during this stage of sleep.
• REM Sleep- This stage of the sleep cycle is marked by our breathing becoming rapid, irregular and shallow. Our eyes jerk rapidly in all directions and our limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed. Our heart rate increases, blood pressure drops. Also, males get erections during this stage of sleep. This is the dream stage of sleep.
Some of the signs that you aren't getting the sleep you need are:
• Difficulty waking up in the morning
• Inability to concentrate
• Falling asleep at work or in class
• Feeling moody, irritable, anxious, or depressed
This is the time your body uses to restore and rejuvenate itself in the following areas;
• Memory, Learning, Social Processes
• The Nervous System
• The Immune System
• Growth and Development
Sleep is very important to our bodies so you want to do whatever you can to get the sleep you need to function properly, so you can go through your day fresh and alert and performing at 100% of your potential.
