Sleep is our brains' opportunity to relax. Sleep deprivation is a health and safety risk for you and the people around you [1].
What are the different stages of sleeping?
There are 4 stages to the sleep cycle. The first 3 stages are known as non-rapid eye movement sleep and the final stage is referred to as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
The 4 stages include:
Stage 1 non-REM
Stage 2 non-REM
Stage 3 non-REM
Stage 4 REM
During sleep, this process will cycle continuously until waking up. The usual sleep cycle takes on average 90-120 minutes and 75% of the cycle is spent during non-REM sleep.
Why might we sleep poorly?
Busy schedules
Looking at electronics before bed
Medical conditions, such as sleep apnea
Stress
Some reasons why sleep is so important for us to function:
Help maintain a healthy weight [2, 3]
Improved concentration and productivity [4]
Maximise athletic performance, recovery and injury prevention [5-7]
Strengthen your heart and cardiovascular response [2]
Manage blood sugar and metabolic disease [8-10]
Support a healthier immune system [11, 12]
It interferes with our ability to socialise and interact with people [13]
Supports positive mental health [14]
Struggle to sleep at night? Here are some recommended strategies for going to sleep:
Develop a sleep schedule
Get some daily exercise
Avoid midday napping
Limit electronics before sleep
Avoid night-time nicotine
Avoid large meals and alcohol
Avoid lying in bed awake – go and do something relaxing
Visit a health practitioner if nothing seems to work
Learning how our lifestyle affects our long-term health is critical
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Reference:
[1] Worley SL. The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep: The Detrimental Effects of Inadequate Sleep on Health and Public Safety Drive an Explosion of Sleep Research. P T. 2018;43(12):758-63.
[2] Itani O, Jike M, Watanabe N, Kaneita Y. Short sleep duration and health outcomes: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Sleep Medicine. 2017;32:246-56.
[3] Brum MCB, Dantas Filho FF, Schnorr CC, Bertoletti OA, Bottega GB, Da Costa Rodrigues T. Night shift work, short sleep and obesity. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome. 2020;12(1).
[4] Hudson AN, Van Dongen HPA, Honn KA. Sleep deprivation, vigilant attention, and brain function: a review. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2020;45(1):21-30.
[5] Vitale KC, Owens R, Hopkins SR, Malhotra A. Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;40(08):535-43.
[6] Charest J, Grandner MA. Sleep and Athletic Performance: Impacts on Physical Performance, Mental Performance, Injury Risk and Recovery, and Mental Health. Sleep Med Clin. 2020;15(1):41-57.
[7] Bonnar D, Bartel K, Kakoschke N, Lang C. Sleep Interventions Designed to Improve Athletic Performance and Recovery: A Systematic Review of Current Approaches. Sports Medicine. 2018;48(3):683-703.
[8] Chattu V, Chattu S, Burman D, Spence D, Pandi-Perumal S. The Interlinked Rising Epidemic of Insufficient Sleep and Diabetes Mellitus. Healthcare. 2019;7(1):37.
[9] Adenekan B, Pandey A, McKenzie S, Zizi F, Casimir GJ, Jean-Louis G. Sleep in America: Role of racial/ethnic differences. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2013;17(4):255-62.
[10] Zizi F, Pandey A, Murrray-Bachmann R, Vincent M, McFarlane S, Ogedegbe G, et al. Race/Ethnicity, Sleep Duration, and Diabetes Mellitus: Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey. The American Journal of Medicine. 2012;125(2):162-7.
[11] Irwin MR. Sleep and inflammation: partners in sickness and in health. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2019;19(11):702-15.
[12] Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiological Reviews. 2019;99(3):1325-80.
[13] Beattie L, Kyle SD, Espie CA, Biello SM. Social interactions, emotion and sleep: A systematic review and research agenda. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;24:83-100.
[14] Li L, Wu C, Gan Y, Qu X, Lu Z. Insomnia and the risk of depression: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16(1).
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