The Four Stages Of REM Sleep

Then you will move into stage two which includes sleep spindles and K complexes. Sleep spindles are very short bursts of brain activity, and K complexes are single high voltage strikes of brain activity. Also, in stage two delta brain waves start to slow function of the brain preparing for stage three and four. Stage three and stage four i will talk about as one because they are very similar and do similar things. These stages are referred to slow wave sleep because your brain is in it’s slowest speed of function. In stage three you brain is between 20 and 50 percent delta waves, from 50 to 100 percent delta waves you are considered to be in stage four. While in stage four people may experience sleep walking and other muscular movement without knowing so. Noises as loud as 90 decibels may not be able to wake the person from sleep. During REM sleep which is after NREM sleep the brain is more active and alert. This is where most dreams occur because your brain is active but you are still sleeping. After the short 15 minute period of REM sleep you will start over with stage one of NREM these cycles normally take 90 minutes to complete. Activity during sleep can come at any point but is most common in REM or stage four of

While experiencing good sleep, I will unconsciously pass through five stages: 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM sleep (citation). According to the PL100 text, these stages progress cyclically from 1 through REM then begin again with stage 1, and usually,

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.

While awake, beta waves are active in the brain. The first stage is known as REM. This is where rapid eye movement occurs. As well, dreams typically occur here. As you begin to fall asleep these beta waves become less prevalent and theta waves start to develop. This occurs in the early stages of sleep. Furthermore, this stage is known as N1 which is a light sleep that usually occurs for about five minutes. During this time body temperature drops and shallow, irregular breathing occurs. The next stage is known as N2. An EEG would show sleep spindles at this point. As time goes on the brain will begin to produce delta waves. These waves are long and slow. They occur in the deepest stages of sleep known as N3. This stage is also responsible for growth hormones being released in the pituitary gland. After N3 the body will begin to wake up on its own. The body will return to it's REM stage where body temperature increases and eyes have movement.

These stages are characterized by bursts of electrical activity on electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. EEG readings monitor electrical activity representing neuronal activity in specific neurophysiological regions. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized by desynchronized, saw-toothed theta rhythm waves and heightened cognitive activity. Comparatively, high amplitude, synchronous delta waves, and sharp hippocampal waves characterize slow wave sleep (SWS) sleep (stages 3-4 of non-REM sleep) (Tucker et al. 2006).

Sleep is a beautiful thing, but people do not get enough of it. It is a time for the body to rejuvenate and process the events of the day. Sleeping is something that we seek out. Getting the recommended amount of sleep allows our body to function properly the next day. Without it, there could be detrimental consequences. The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that without sleep, neurons could be “polluted with byproducts”. In severe cases, people who get very little sleep often experience mood swings, hallucinations and cells do not continue to reproduce.

During a night of sleep, we pass through 5 cycles, with 4 stages being non- rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and the last being rapid-eye movement sleep (REM). The sleep cycle follows a pattern where it starts over every 90 minutes.1 When in stage one, you are in a very light state of sleep, and you can be very easily awakened. Eye movement just starts to slow down and muscles begin to relax.2 Then entering stage two, brain waves become slower and eye movement ceases, sometimes displaying spindles on the epochs.2 During this stage your heart rate and breathing remain the same, but your body starts to cool down as your temperature begins to decrease.1 Upon entering stages 3 and 4, you enter a deep sleep and it is hard to be awakened. In stage 3, your brain waves are very slow, or known as delta waves on the epoch.2 During these stages, you begin to breath slower, your blood pressure falls, and your muscles are fully relaxed. The last and final stage is known as REM sleep, and it occurs about every 90 minutes. You start to breathe faster, your eyes move very rapidly, heart rate goes up, and muscles are paralyzed.2 This is the stage where you dream.1

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).

There are five basic stages in cycles I go thought when I am going sleep though out the night. Stage one, which lasts about five minutes, my brain waives becomes slower and irregular. Then I would go in to stage two, which lasts around ten to twenty minutes, I would have a regular EEG and less then 50 percent of this time is spent in this stage. Stage three is a short transition, which is made up of twenty to fifty percent delta waves. Stage four is around fifteen to twenty minutes, in this stage I have less than fifty percent delta waves and it is where I get the deepest sleep. Then I would cycle back through stages three and two before I enter into stage five. In stage five, which is called REM, which last ten to twenty minutes and I will

Stage 1 is a type of sleep where you drift in and out of your sleep. You can be easily awake. The eye moves slow and muscle activity is slow during this stage. During these stages many can experience sudden muscle contractions proceeding by sensation of falling. Stage 2 eye movement stops in your brain wave become slower with only an occasional burst for rapid waves. Stage 3

Entering the second hour of sleep, brain wave activity increases and the individual enters into the first REM sleep (rapid-eye-movement sleep) period. The cycle of NREM and REM sleep is repeated throughout the night, with each REM cycle becoming longer and each NREM less deep.

It all starts off with “Stage one”. Although dreaming is rare during this period a lot happens before sleep really has begun. This is the stage where the body is between wakefulness and sleep. This stage is also sometimes referred to drowsy sleep. Breathing gradually becomes more regular, the heart rate begins to slow, the muscles in the body are still quite active, and the eyes roll around slowly and may open and close from time to time (Mastin). This all happens when, the body is preparing to go through, “Alpha and Theta, and have periods of dreaminess, almost like daydreaming, except we are beginning to fall asleep” (Walcult). Alpha and Theta are wave patterns that can be classified into two types of waves. Alpha waves are slow, and increase in amplitude, both occurring at the same time. As for Theta waves, are even slower in frequency and greater in amplitude than alpha waves. These waves are experienced throughout the day but both waves mix together once the body is at sleep. During this short period of very light, easily interrupted sleep, usually only lasting about less than ten minutes, the sleeper may be aware of sounds and conversations, but feels unwilling, rather than unable, to respond to them. A person awakened during this period will often say they have never slept at all, and feel exhausted. Typically, this stage represents only about 5% of the total sleep time (Mastin). All of

 There are five stages of sleep, REM and NREM stages 1, 2, 3, & 4.

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

Sleep is basically a state of physical inactivity and mental rest in which conscious awareness, thoughts, and voluntary movements do not occur. During sleep, irregular and unpredictable dreaming also takes place. Sleep is a very active and coordinated process in which the brain busily turns off or moderates wakeful functions while actively turning on sleep mechanisms. There are two stages that sleep is usually divided into. The first stage is the non-rapid eye movement, or NREM stage. The second stage is the rapid eye movement, or REM stage. NREM is the stage of sleep that occurs when one first starts their sleep cycle and it is said to make up 75% of the sleep cycle. One of the distinguishing features of NREM sleep is its lack of dreaming. During the last two stages of the four stage NREM sleep, the deepest and most restorative sleep occurs, followed by various important biological processes. Meanwhile, the REM stage of sleep first occurs approximately 90 minutes after falling sleep and increases over the later part of the night, while occupying only 25% of the sleep cycle. The REM sleep is the stage of sleep that is characterized mainly by the appearance of