The Science Behind Sleep: Why Each Stage Matters

There is a science behind the act of sleeping. From the moment you close your eyes to the time you wake up, there is a process occurring – stages of sleep – that can be smooth and successful or interrupted and incomplete. When living with a chronic condition that causes airway obstructions, achieving the kind of rest your brain and body need can seem impossible. Fortunately, you can be treated for sleep apnea and begin to discover why each stage of sleep truly matters.

What Are the Different Stages of Sleep?

There are generally four stages of sleep, also known as a sleep cycle. It doesn’t just happen once but instead, it can occur several times (i.e., 4-6 times). While the timeframe for each stage differs for each person, an average breakdown looks something like the following:

• Stage 1 – NREM Sleep (N1) or non-rapid eye movement is more commonly known as “light sleep.” While your brain slows down, so does your heart and breathing. As your body relaxes, you may begin to twitch. You can expect this phase to last anywhere from 5-10 minutes on average.
• Stage 2 – NREM Sleep (N2) is a slightly deeper form of “light sleep,” in which your body’s temperature drops and your eye movement stops. It is much harder to be woken up during this phase, which can last up to 25 minutes or more with each cycle.
• Stage 3 – NREM Sleep (N3) is when you begin to enter a deep state of sleep. Noise and other activities occurring around you are unlikely to cause you to wake up. It’s during this stage that your blood pressure lowers, and sleepwalking can occur. Your brain is also cataloging facts and information accumulated throughout the day (i.e., general knowledge or experiences).
• Stage 4 – REM Sleep or rapid eye movement is the last stage. While your brain becomes more active by storing core memories and helping maintain information for memory and learning, your body experiences temporary paralysis. This usually occurs within 90 minutes of falling asleep. Your breathing may speed up and become irregular, and you will likely begin to dream.

Why Are Sleep Stages Important?

Being able to move through the various stages of sleep uninterrupted is crucial for many reasons, such as:

• Learning
• Being able to focus
• Creativity
• Ability to think rationally
• Ability to solve problems
• Controlling emotions and behaviors
• Being able to remember memories and information

As you can see, a healthy sleep cycle is essential for both children and adults, as much of the brain’s daily function relies on what happens while you’re asleep. When sleep apnea or another similar condition negatively affects your sleep cycle, it can become a serious problem.

The Impact of Sleep Apnea

When faced with an airway obstruction that occurs multiple times each night, it becomes nearly impossible to achieve a full sleep cycle. This can lead to sleep deprivation, which can increase the likelihood of anxiety and depression, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, negative cognitive decline, irritability, and chronic fatigue.

Fortunately, seeing a sleep dentist can put you on the right path toward better breathing and improved nightly rest. With a custom oral appliance that you wear to bed, you will worry less about an accidental obstruction and instead, focus more on your uninterrupted sleep.

Seeking treatment for sleep apnea is one of the most important steps you can take if you want to take control of your overall health and well-being. In doing so, you’ll finally be able to get the rest you need.

About the Author
Do you suffer from sleep apnea? Dr. Shelley Shults is a board-certified registered nurse, general dentist, family nurse practitioner, and dental sleep medicine practitioner who wants to help. Leading a team of professionals at Powell Dental Sleep Solutions, she treats individuals with OSA who are looking for any way to get the sleep they need. Relying on customized oral appliances, she can help individuals attain full sleep cycles, effectively improving their daily life. If you are tired of being interrupted because of your ceased breathing every night, contact us at (614) 681-8593.