The Importance of Sleep and Its Stages
Table of Contents
NREM Sleep
Stage N1:
The doorway to sleep, where we drift off and disengage from wakefulness. This stage is also where we transition to deeper sleep, and is characterised by slow, rolling eye movements, a decrease in heartbeat and breathing rates, and muscle relaxation.
N1 sleep is short and normally lasts around one to seven minutes. Some people will find themselves waking up more easily as compared to the other stages.
Stage N2:
Occupying the largest portion of our sleep, stage N2 is a period of light sleep preceding the deep restoration of stage N3. Here, the body goes into further relaxation, heart and breathing rates continue to slow, and body temperature drops, preparing us for the deep sleep that follows.
N2 sleep can last around 20 minutes and will get longer throughout the night. Most people will spend around half their sleep time in N2 sleep.
Stage N3:
REM Sleep
Following NREM sleep, we enter REM sleep, the stage most associated with vivid dreaming. It’s characterised by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and muscle paralysis to prevent acting out dreams. REM sleep has been linked to memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and cognitive function.
Typically, it takes around 90 minutes of sleep before you transition into your first REM stage. As the night unfolds, the duration of REM sleep extends, particularly during the latter half.
How Sleep Stages Affect Your Health and Wellness
Tips to Improve Your Sleep Quality and Help You Enter Deep Sleep
Achieving restorative sleep involves more than just the quantity of hours spent in bed; it’s about the quality of those hours. Here are strategies to enhance sleep quality and ensure you move through the sleep stages effectively:
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule to regulate your body’s clock.
- Create a bedtime routine that signals your body it’s time to wind down.
- Ensure your sleeping environment is conducive to rest, focusing on comfort, temperature, and minimal light and noise.
- Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime.
- Limit exposure to screens and blue light in the evening.
- Buy and invest in a high-quality mattress to support your body and ensure nighttime comfort. You can also consider an adjustable bed frame to alleviate joint stiffness and pain and help you sleep better.
How Marble Mattress Technology Facilitates Healthy Sleep Stages
Marble is a bed company in Singapore that has revolutionised the mattress industry with its HexiGrid™ technology, designed to enhance sleep quality by ensuring an optimal balance between support and comfort.
The HexiGrid™ layer adapts to your body’s movements, providing targeted support while minimising pressure points, facilitating smoother transitions between sleep stages, and reducing the chances of waking at night. This technology, coupled with temperature-regulation capabilities, ensures that sleepers maintain a comfortable body temperature throughout the night, further promoting uninterrupted deep sleep and the entire cycle of sleep stages.