SleepSleep

Everyone’s favorite pastimeEveryone’s favorite pastime

CatchingCatching some some zzzzzzszzzzzzs

Are you aware that you spend one Are you aware that you spend one third of your life asleep?third of your life asleep?

Why do we sleep?Why do we sleep?

Why do we dream?Why do we dream?

Why do some of us have trouble Why do some of us have trouble getting to sleep or experience getting to sleep or experience

nightmares?nightmares?

The Stages of SleepThe Stages of Sleep

Sleep researchers have discovered Sleep researchers have discovered that we sleep in stages.that we sleep in stages.

There are 4 stages of sleepThere are 4 stages of sleep

Stage 1Stage 1

Stage 1 is the stage of Stage 1 is the stage of lightest sleeplightest sleep

Stage 1 Stage 1

In stage 1 your pulse slows A BIT, And In stage 1 your pulse slows A BIT, And your muscles relax, but your your muscles relax, but your breathing becomes uneven and your breathing becomes uneven and your brainwaves grow irregular. brainwaves grow irregular.

If you were to awake you would think If you were to awake you would think you were just drifting.you were just drifting.

This phase lasts for about ten minutes.This phase lasts for about ten minutes.

Stage 2Stage 2

Stage 2Stage 2

During stage 2 sleep, brain wave During stage 2 sleep, brain wave activities begin to get irregular.activities begin to get irregular.

We’re soundly asleep at this stage, but We’re soundly asleep at this stage, but we may not think were actually we may not think were actually sleeping.sleeping.

Example:Example:

My wife wakes me up while I’m sleeping My wife wakes me up while I’m sleeping in front of the television all the time to in front of the television all the time to tell me that I’m snoring, but I always tell me that I’m snoring, but I always tell her that I wasn’t sleeping. I must tell her that I wasn’t sleeping. I must have been snoring while awake.have been snoring while awake.

Stage 3Stage 3

Stage 3Stage 3

Your eyes roll slowly from side to side. Your eyes roll slowly from side to side. You fall into an even deeper sleep.You fall into an even deeper sleep.

We spend about an hour and a half in We spend about an hour and a half in stage 3.stage 3.

Stage 4Stage 4

Stage 4Stage 4

During stage 4 , our eyes begin to move During stage 4 , our eyes begin to move back and forth very rapidly, which is back and forth very rapidly, which is called rapid eye movement. called rapid eye movement.

REMREM

Now were in REM sleep, the sub-stage in Now were in REM sleep, the sub-stage in which the brain is active, but were which the brain is active, but were asleep.asleep.

R.E.M.R.E.M.

We Dream in REM Sleep. After we We Dream in REM Sleep. After we reach REM sleep, about an hour and reach REM sleep, about an hour and a half into the whole sleep process, a half into the whole sleep process, the rest of the night is characterized the rest of the night is characterized by alternating periods of REM sleep by alternating periods of REM sleep and Non-REM sleep (activity seen in and Non-REM sleep (activity seen in Stages 1,2 , and 3).Stages 1,2 , and 3).

Why do we Sleep?Why do we Sleep?

I don’t necessarily know why other I don’t necessarily know why other people sleep, but I usually sleep people sleep, but I usually sleep because I’m tired. because I’m tired.

For the most part, researchers still For the most part, researchers still don’t know why we sleep, but some don’t know why we sleep, but some believe it has a restorative function. believe it has a restorative function.

Research that looks at the effects of Research that looks at the effects of the lack of sleep, or sleep the lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation, suggests that we deprivation, suggests that we engage in sleep so that our body can engage in sleep so that our body can restore what was lost or damaged restore what was lost or damaged during our waking hours.during our waking hours.