Sleep Facts
Studies show that people who get 6-7 hours of sleep have a longer life expectancy than those who get 8 hours.
Healthy Sleep Cycle
Healthy sleepers will go through this cycle four to five times during the night with a vast amount of this time spent in slow wave and REM sleep.
Stage 1 - Introduction to Sleep
Your eyes fight to stay open, muscles begin to relax, and the world disappears.
Stage 2 - Beginning of Sleep
Light, relaxing, dreamless sleep while the body prepares for coming dreams.
For those with sleep disorders:
Muscles in the throat area may relax enough to cause the upper airway to start collapsing and snoring begins.
Stages 3&4 - Slow Wave Sleep
Deep, restful sleep for building up physical and mental energy.
For those with sleep disorders:
Throat muscles relax enough to potentially cause difficulty breathing.
Stage 5 - Rapid Eye Movement
The Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage is when dreams begin, brain function improves, and long-term memories are created. The brain is very active, and yet, with the exception of the heart and lungs, the muscles of the body are paralyzed.
For those with sleep disorders:
Muscle paralysis during REM has significant implications for sleep apnea or sleep suffocation sufferers such as complete airway collapse.
Unhealthy/Fragmented Sleep
People with sleep-related breathing disorders suffer from sleep fragmentation. As their bodies attempt to go deeper into sleep, the upper airway collapse interferes with breathing, forcing the body to revert to lighter sleep stages to get air. This sleep fragmentation interferes with the replenishment of the immune system, the production of growth hormone and the regulation of glucose metabolism, among other things.
