What Your Bedtime Says About You with Professor Matt Walker
The Checkup with Doctor Mike
Complexity of Sleep Cycles and REM Patterns
Sleep in humans consists of two main types: non-rapid eye movement (non-rem) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, also known as dream sleep. Non-rem sleep is further divided into four stages, with stages one and two being light non-rem sleep, and stages three and four being deep non-rem sleep. The brain experiences a rollercoaster ride throughout the night, transitioning between non-rem and REM sleep in 90-minute cycles. The balance of non-rem and REM sleep within these cycles changes across the night, with more deep sleep in the first half and more dream sleep in the second half. Cutting sleep short, especially in the early morning hours, can lead to a significant reduction in REM sleep, which is crucial for learning, memory, emotional health, and hormonal balance. Different stages of sleep serve different functions for the brain and body at different times of the night, highlighting the importance of each stage for overall well-being.
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