The Natural Sleep Process
Stages of Sleep:
Non-REM Sleep
- Stage One: This is experienced as falling to sleep and is a transition
stage between wake and sleep. It usually lasts between 1 and 5 minutes
and occupies approximately 2-5 % of a normal night of sleep. This
stage is dramatically increased in some insomnia (restless legs)
and disorders that produce frequent arousals such as apnea.
- Stage Two: This follows Stage 1 sleep and is the "baseline" of
sleep. This stage is part of the 90 minute cycle and occupies
approximately 45-60% of sleep.
- Stage Three & Four: Stage 2 sleep evolves into "Delta" sleep
or "slow wave" sleep in approximately 10-20 minutes and
may last 15-30 minutes. It is called "slow wave" sleep
because brain activity slows down dramatically from the "theta" rhythm
of Stage 2 to a much slower rhythm of 1 to 2 cycles per second called "delta" and
the height or amplitude of the waves increases dramatically. In most
adults these two stages are completed within the first two 90 minute
sleep cycles or within the first three hours of sleep. Contrary to
popular belief, it is delta sleep that is the "deepest" stage
of sleep (not REM) and the most restorative. It is delta sleep that
a sleep-deprived person's brain craves the first and foremost. In
children, delta sleep can occupy up to 40% of all sleep time and
this is what makes children unwakeable or "dead asleep" during
most of the night.
REM Sleep
- This is a very active stage of sleep. Composes 20-25 % of a
normal nights sleep. Breathing, heart rate and brain wave activity
quicken.
Vivid Dreams can occur. Sleep Specialists call this 5th
stage of sleep "REM" rapid eye movement sleep because
if one is to watch a person in this stage, their eyes are moving
rapidly about.
After REM stage, the body usually returns to Stage 2 sleep.
 Top
of Page
What are your Sleep Patterns
Do you have trouble falling asleep? Do you fall asleep easily, then
wake up 5 hours later and can't fall back asleep? Do you wake up
several times during the night and have trouble staying asleep? If
so, you are one of over 100 million Americans who experience some
form of insomnia and your sleep may be improved by better sleep habits.
Top
of Page
Tips for better Daytime Habits
- Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping
at night, try your best not to nap during the day because you
will throw off your body clock and make it even more difficult
to sleep
at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if
you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes,
early
in the day.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic
beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol
may initially act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep
patterns.
- Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult
to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many over-the-counter and
prescription drugs disrupt sleep.
- Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening.
This will help to regulate your body's natural biological
clock. Likewise,
try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so
that the light will not interfere with your rest.
- Exercise earlier in the day. Exercise is very important for
a good sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning
or afternoon. Exercise
stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime
may make
falling asleep more difficult.
Top
of Page
Tips for a better Sleep Environment
- Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are
disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen- or king-size
bed. Test
different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows
that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on
your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.
- Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not
a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc.
Let your
body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.
- Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room
is well ventilated and the temperature consistent. And try
to keep it
quiet. You could use a fan or a "white noise" machine
to help block outside noises.
- Don't let your clock make you anxious. A big, illuminated digital
clock may make you anxious. Place your clock so you can't
see the time while you're in bed.
Top
of Page
Tips for a better Pre-Sleep Ritual
- Keep a regular schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at approximately
the same time everyday, even on the weekends.
- Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping
a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it's time to slow
down and
begin to prepare for sleep.
- Relax for a while before going to bed. This may include practicing
relaxation and/or breathing exercises or taking a warm bath
or sitting in a hot tub before bedtime. Try listening to recorded
relaxation
or guided imagery programs.
- Eat only a light snack before bed. Eating a large, heavy meal
can interfere with your normal sleep cycle.
- Drink warm milk before bedtime. In addition to being
soothing, milk and dairy products contain tryptophan, a natural
sleep enhancer. Plus, the warmth may temporarily increase your
body temperature
and
the subsequent drop may hasten sleep. Other foods which
contain tryptophan may also help.
- Jot down all of your concerns and worries. Think about your
worries and possible solutions before you go to bed,
so you don't need
to ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list
may be very helpful in letting you put away these concerns
until the next day when you are fresh.
- Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go
to bed.
- Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids and make sure that
your prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little
evidence that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep
aids" are effective. In some cases, there are
safety concerns. Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular,
have a long duration of
action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk
to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your
concerns!
Top
of Page
Tips for Getting Back to Sleep
- Do visualization. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize
walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive
or mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust
to sleep.
- Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Go into another room and
do something relaxing until you feel sleepy
- Don't do anything stimulating Don't read anything job related
or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend
to be alerting). Don't expose yourself to bright light. The
light
gives
cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
- Get up and eat some turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major
building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter,
which sends messages
between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness.
Eating foods containing tryptophan raise the levels of serotonin
produced
in
the body, which in turn increase a person's feeling of
sleepiness. It
is best to eat tryptophan on an empty stomach. Other foods,
besides turkey, that contain a notable amount of tryptophan
are: milk,
cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, chicken, cashews, soy
beans and tuna.
Top
of Page
Tips for Keeping a Sleep Diary
Used in order to determine where your sleep troubles lie a sleep
diary allows you to learn about your sleep patterns and habits by
keeping
a daily sleep diary.
Make
up
a chart
with spaces
for:
- The time you went to bed and woke up; how long and well did you
sleep.
- When you were awake during the night
- How much caffeine or alcohol you consume and when
- What did you eat and drink and when
- What emotion stress did you have
- What drugs or medications did you take
Top
of Page
Other Useful Sites:
How
to Get a Good Night's Sleep (U. of Kentucky)
Sleep
Inducing Techniques (Hampden-Sydney)
|
