A good night’s sleep is crucial for our health and well-being. Unfortunately, many people suffer from sleep problems due to stress, unhealthy habits, or other factors.
Research shows that poor sleep has immediate negative effects on our hormones, exercise performance, and brain function. For adults and children alike, it can also lead to weight gain and increase the risk of illness.
On the other hand, good sleep has a positive impact on concentration, memory and mood. Therefore, it’s important to obtain enough sleep to stay healthy and productive.
But what does truly make up restful sleep?
Our sleep follows a specific cycle, during which different phases of sleep alternate:
- Falling asleep phase: It‘s a transitional state between wakefulness and sleep. The body gradually relaxes, breathing and pulse become more regular, and muscles relax. Duration: Approximately 1-7 minutes. The body gradually relaxes, breathing and pulse become more regular, and muscles relax. Duration: Approximately 1-7 minutes.
- Light sleep: In this phase, we can still be easily awakened. Breathing is regular, muscle tension continues to decrease, also breathing and heart rate slow down. Duration: Approximately 10-25 minutes.
- Deep sleep: It is less easy ob e awakened in this phase, heart rate slows down, blood pressure and body temperature decrease. The body can regenerate best. Approximately 20-40 minutes.
- Dream sleep or REM sleep: The brain is very active during this sleep phase, we are difficult to wake up, our muscles are paralyzed, which is likely due to deep relaxation. Blood pressure and heart rate increase. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement – the rapid eye movements in this dream phase. REM sleep seems to serve primarily the recovery of the nervous system and psyche. Duration: Approximately 10 minutes, but sometimes up to 45-60 minutes.
For truly restful sleep, all phases need to be experienced multiple times per night. A complete sleep cycle with all sleep phases lasts 70 to 110 minutes. REM sleep phases lengthen over the course of a night to up to an hour, while deep sleep phases become shorter. We wake up several times per hour, but in most cases, we cannot remember it. By the way, we can dream in any of the sleep phases – but most in the dream or REM phase.
Here are our tips for a more restful sleep:
- Create a relaxing sleep environment: Darken your bedroom, keep the temperature comfortably cool, and ensure a quiet atmosphere.
- Establish regular sleep times: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
- Avoid screen time before bedtime: The blue light from phones, tablets, and computers can disrupt sleep. Try to avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime.
- Relax before bedtime: Take time for relaxation techniques such as reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath to prepare your mind for sleep.
- Watch your diet: Avoid heavy meals and caffeinated drinks in the evening to avoid affecting sleep.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise can help reduce stress and improve sleep quality. However, avoid intense workouts in the evening.
- Avoid long naps: If you nap for too long during the day, it can disrupt your nighttime sleep. Try to limit daytime naps to short power naps of no more than 20-30 minutes.
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