Sleep

5 sleep cycles Within minutes or seconds of nodding off Stage one Within minutes or seconds of nodding off “catnap” or light sleep stage Your brain begins to produce alpha and theta waves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaOjFdthxDU

Stage two Still in a light sleep stage at this point A power nap (longer than a cat nap) Brain waves start to slow down Would want to wake up after this stage if you were napping

Stage three & four Brain waves start to slow down and delta waves are produced by the brain It’s most difficult to wake up during this stage Disoriented if woken during this stage NREM (non-rapid eye movement) This is when the body repairs muscles and tissues, stimulates growth and development, boosts immune function, and builds up energy for the next day.

NREM (non-rapid eye movement) Dreamless sleep During NREM, the breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, the blood pressure is low, and the sleeper is relatively still This usually happens during stages 1-3

REM (rapid eye movement) Stage 5 sleep cycle You generally enter REM sleep about 90 minutes after initially falling asleep Each REM stage can last up to an hour. An average adult has five to six REM cycles each night REM is when dreaming occurs Memories from the day are stored in long term memory during REM

Smart phones and sleep Emit “blue light” which is a type of light your brain interprets as daylight Blue light suppresses melatonin (a hormone which helps the circadian rhythm of your body and should increase once you are preparing for bedtime) If you look at your phone at noon – not a problem, but if you look at your phone at midnight, your brain will have difficulty shutting down for sleep

Teens and sleep You need 8-10 hours of sleep every night Sleep assists with stress management, fighting off illnesses and storing information into your long term memory Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect your biological clocks and hurt the quality of your sleep.