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During a normal night's
sleep, there are five different stages of sleep. The
first two stages are considered light, shallow stages of
sleep. Stages three and four are considered to be the
deeper, restorative stages. Stage five is REM sleep. REM
sleep is the stage where dreams occur.
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During REM sleep, while we
are dreaming, our brain patterns are similar to those we
experience while we are awake.
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During deep sleep, the heart
rate, breathing, blood pressure and body temperature
reach their lowest levels of the day.
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Most adults need about eight
hours of sleep to function at their best. Studies have
shown that most adults only get six to seven hours of
sleep per night.
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Many people who suffer from
insomnia also suffer from anxiety and depression.
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Our large body muscles are
paralyzed during sleep.
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Cats sleep up to 18 hours
per day while giraffes usually sleep not more than about
20 minutes each day.
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It is more difficult to wake
a child than an adult from deep sleep.
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Too little sleep for long
periods of time can lead to hallucinations.
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Women and older people
suffer from insomnia most often.
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Even during a deep sleep, we
can still pick up sounds and signals from the world
around us. This explains why we can sleep through a
howling storm but will hear a door open or a baby cry.
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The average person wakes up
about six times per night.
