Five Different Cycles: The Five Stages Of Sleep

There are five phases of sleep in a sleep cycle; phase 1 – light sleep with slow movement of eye which forms 4-5% of total sleep, phase 2 – eye movement stops and brain waves becomes slower which forms 45-55%of total sleep, phase 3 – extremely slow brain waves which comprises 4-6% of total sleep, phase 4 -deep sleep phase with no eye movement or muscle activity which forms 12-15% of total sleep, and phase 5- it is also called REM sleep where breathing becomes more rapid, irregular and shallow, and it forms 20-25% of total sleep time (Nichols, 2017).

Fifth Stage REM Rapid-Eye-Movement Sleep, while in REM breathing rates, brain activity increases and decreases, and brain waves are faster and smaller. Paradoxical sleep or active sleep refer to REM the reason for this is because brain, body become heightened and muscle movements are restrained but can twitch this is so dreams are not acted out. REM can last for up to fifteen min. From stage one NREM to REM sleep has taken about ninety min. For the rest of the night’s sleep cycle, it bounces between NREM and REM.

The brain activity during REM sleep is mainly mixed brain waves consisting of theta, alpha and beta waves. This is also the point in a sleep cycle where the body is basically rigid. The brain has shut off all muscle movements other than the ones that keep you alive. This stage is a prime example of how the brain is busy while we are sleeping, “REM sleep begins with signals from an area at the base of the brain called the pons. These signals travel to a brain region called the thalamus, which relays them to the cerebral cortex – the outer layer of the brain that is responsible for learning, thinking, and organizing information. The pons also sends signals that shut off neurons in the spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis of the limb muscles”(Brain Basics). Being that REM sleep deals with learning, scientists believe this is the reason infants sleep a large amount of time and also why they are more susceptible to being woken up by the slightest noises. Since this stage of sleeping has a great deal of dreaming and brain involvement some scientists believe that dreaming is the brain’s way of sorting out information it receives during sleep, creating a “story” out of what it gathers. REM sleep could be considered as a work out for your brain, helping us to make sense of what we experience throughout our

Non-REM sleep has 4 stages as it is the longest level of sleep. Each stage has certain characteristics and patterns of brain wave activity. REM sleep is a stage associated with dreaming. Motor neurons are inhibited to avoid acting out the responses while actively dreaming. However, the eye muscles are not inhibited for unknown reasons which allow the eyes to move rapidly which explains why it is called REM sleep. Sometimes parts of the brain can be more active and random than when it is awake but it varies with the intensity of the

A normal night's sleep is when a person successfully goes through all five stages of sleeping. The first stage is when you are lightly sleeping and muscle activity starts slowing down a little. You then start slowing your breathing and heart rate down, as well as your body temperature. The 3rd stage is what is called deep sleep. Deep sleep is whenever your brain start to generate delta waves. The next stage is number 4. This stage is whenever your body is in a very deep sleep and your brain is producing delta waves. The last stage of sleep is the 5th. While in this stage a person may start having rapid eye movement. This is also the stage wear dreaming occurs. It is always important to get a good and full night's rest. Not sleeping can cause

In the first hour of sleep the brain quickly sinks into the deepest rest period of the night. During this time of NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement sleep) the body is truly at rest. The brain is never at rest but satisfies itself at this stage with partial, vague thoughts and images. Sleepwalking and night terrors may occur during this stage. All Stage 2, 3, and 4 sleep is NREM.

This is the transitional stage between light and deep sleep and is considered as slow wave sleep (SWS), consisting of delta activity. If woken from this sleep individuals feels confused and dopey for a few minutes, as they are unresponsive to environmental stimuli. Stage 4 or NREM 4 lasts about 30 minutes and is sometimes considered to be deep sleep. According to Carlson (2013) , “The distinction between stage 3 and stage 4 is not clear-cut; stage 3 contains 20–50 percent delta activity, and stage 4 contains more than 50 percent” (p. 291)

The next stage in the Non-REM sleep is the N2(R&K Stage 2). At this point a person’s body temperature will start to decrease along with a slowing heart rate. Sleep spindles, which are quick movements of activity of the brain

This stage is believed to help people enter deeper stages of sleep (4). Stage 3 sleep consists of 20-50 percent delta activity and stage 4 sleep of more than 50 percents delta activity (4). Stages 3 and 4 are characterized as being slow wave sleep in addition to being the deepest levels of sleep. Approximately 90 minutes after being asleep, people enter rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep (4). REM sleep consists of rapid eye movements, a desynchronized EEG, sensitivity to external stimulation, muscle paralysis and dreaming (4).

The different stages are 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. The cycle goes in order during the night, from 1 to REM. After the cycle is done with the REM stage, it repeats and starts over at stage 1. Half of our time sleeping is spent in stage 2, one-fifth is spent in REM sleep, and the rest of the time is allocated to the other stages. However, for babies, half of the time is spent in REM sleep. This changes as as we age.

The human brain is complex and the way the body advances is through sleep. Sleep allows the body to rest, repair and rejuvenate itself. The brain is responsible for wave patterns called alpha and beta waves that through a series of stages, produces what we know as non-rapid eye movement (NREM), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Most sleepers pass through five stages; 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. A complete sleep cycle lasts between 90 to 110 minutes, once the cycle is completed it starts back at stage one and repeats itself. Stage 1 is a very light sleep, where you can drift in and out of sleep and you are easily awakened. Eye movement and muscle activity will begin to slow down. People most commonly experience muscle contractions throughout stage 1. When stage 2 begins eye movement has stopped completely and our brain waves begin to slow down. It is in stage 3 where a person will experience delta waves in the brain, these are very slow brain waves. The delta waves in stage 3 are intercepted with a few smaller, faster waves. In stage 4 the brain is only producing delta waves. Stages 3 and 4 are known as deep sleep, it is very hard to wake someone if they are in a deep sleep because there is no eye movement or muscle activity. Stages 1-4 are the longest stages of sleep lasting between 4 to 7 hours a night.

the NREM sleep stages are Stage 1. You’re drowsy which means you tired, it eventually gets replaced even slower theta brain waves then you enter the first step of sleep which doesn’t last for long you eventually disengage from your surroundings. Hypnagogic experiences can happen in stage 1. Stage 2 is onset sleep, you have brain activity that only last 1 or 2 seconds. You can get K complexes which means it is a high-voltage that spikes of brain activity, eventually

N1 (R&K Stage 1) occurs when alpha waves decrease and theta waves increase. A person is now entering a light sleep. This is the first stage of non-REM sleep. If a person is awakened from this stage of sleep, they may not believe that they were asleep.

Rapid eye movement (REM) is a stage of sleep. It is high frequency, waves per second, low amplitude, height of waves, and lots of eye movement. This stage does not happen until four stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) occur. During an eight-hour sleep period, people go through five full cycles of the five stages. Each stage lasts about ninety minutes each (Lefton, 195).