What is sleep?

We all sleep. We do it every night. But have you even actually thought about what it is?

 

Throughout our entire lives, we sleep for almost 1/3 of it. Sleep plays a vital role in our lives: it affects out mental, physical and social wellbeing. Therefore it is important to get enough of it. 

 

The way you feel when you are awake, entirely depends on how you slept and what happened overnight. Studies have shown that sleep is just as important as food and water. Without sleep, you will find it hard to remember certain things, difficulty concentrating and hard to respond quickly. 

 

So, how does sleep work and what is it? They are 4 main stages to sleep. In stage 1, your body will gradually relax and your heartbeat and breathing will slow down. This only lasts for a few minutes and is when you are in a light sleep. Then stage 2 happens, this is your body preparing for a deep sleep. Your body will relax even further and so will your muscles. Your body temperature will drop and eye movements stop. Stage 3 is the period of deep sleep which ensures you will feel refreshed the next day. It occurs in long periods of time and in the first half of the night. By this stage, you body is completely relaxed and you are in a deep sleep. Finally, stage 4, this is rapid eye movement sleep. It happens roughly 90 minutes after falling asleep. You eyes move rapidly side to side behind your closed eyelids. Your arm and leg muscles become temporarily paralysed and blood and heart pressure increases. 

 

All stages are equally important to getting sufficient and through sleep and now you know what happens to you body during sleep!