It’s recommended that humans have around 8 hours of sleep each night. This is the optimal amount of sleep for our body to have a chance of repairing itself and our minds to relax and sort out the little things it can’t when we’re awake. Having poor sleep is linked with a huge number of different ailments and conditions including depression, heart disease, and strokes, which is why it’s so important we take an active interest in getting the best night possible.
When we fall asleep it can sometimes feel as though nothing really happens, but in reality, a lot happens when you’re sleeping. Some people can remember areas of their sleep such as dreams and others wake as though nothing has happened at all. Our brains are clever and can do some pretty incredible things, but what actually happens in your brain when you’re sleeping?
The Stages Of Sleep
When we try and get off to sleep we rarely think about what might be happening when we drift off. There are, in fact, four different stages of sleep that we go through which are stages 1, 2, 3, and finally the REM stage.
The first stage is what’s known as the lightest stage of sleep. This drowsy sleep stage is coupled with slow eye movements and can be easily disrupted usually causing a person to wake up. Our brains start to slow down and our muscles relax in this stage. It’s common to feel hypnic jerks or muscle spasms when in this stage.
The second stage is the first defined stage of sleep. It’s not as common to wake up in this stage as it is in stage one. Slow eye movement continues and our brain waves will slow with the occasional burst of activity. Our body temp will reduce and our heart rate will slow down.
The third stage is known as deep sleep. This is where most of the restoring of our body occurs. It’s rare to be woken up during this sleep and things such as sleepwalking, sleep talking and night terrors happen during this stage.
REM
REM stands for rapid eye movement and is known as the dreaming stage of sleep. Our eyes rapidly move from side to side and our brain becomes more active than in any other stage of sleep. It’s more likely to be woken up during this period and due to the fact our brain is so active, it can leave us feeling groggy and sleepy.
Dreams
If you’re a person that dreams then you’ll understand what the feeling is like. Anything can happen when you’re dreaming, from racing supercars to living out your biggest fantasy. The downside is that we don’t always have good dreams. Nightmares are common amongst millions of people and some suffer from nightly nightmares. This begs the question: Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could control our dreams?
There are some people that train for years to be able to do just that. Control your dreams and do anything and everything you want using only your imagination. Lucid dreaming is a style that puts the dreamer in control. The narrative, the characters, the plot, everything is down to you. It’s a difficult technique but it’s not the only way you can create a dream of your choice.
Being able to change your environment for the purpose of a dream is another way of falling into your desired slumber show. Factors including your sleep position, what clothes you’re wearing, and the mindset you’re in before sleeping will help you get into a dream of your choice. Sex dreams are great when they come round but it’s often few a far between. Who wouldn’t want to have a great experience every night when they fall asleep?
With the right preparation, there is every chance you can do so. Finding the right advice can be difficult for these situations as everyone tends to be a little different. You can see more here about the methods you can use to help you get yourself in the right frame of mind to choose a dream. Never worry about having a nightmare again. Instead, get ready for a night of fun.
Restore & Repair
When we sleep, our consciousness is relaxed but our body and our mind don’t. It goes through many different processes in order to restore and repair our bodies ready for the next day.
Our brain processes all the information it’s received during the day. Memories can be stored in the long term memory which can then be recalled at a later date. Our cortisol levels reduce which is the main culprit for stress but picks back up again in the morning to ensure your appetite is ready for breakfast.
Most importantly, when we sleep our immune system releases small types of proteins called cytokines. These help our bodies fight infection, inflammation, and trauma. So sleep is essential for our immune systems to be at the top of their game.
Sleep is important to everyone and we should be taking it a little more seriously. Having poor sleep is linked with far too many illnesses for us to not think about it and try to actively improve our nightly routine. Change the external factors that could affect your sleep and have a great dream. Why not try something new this evening?
