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The key to getting good sleep is understanding how it works.
But it’s a complicated thing.
A key indicator of sleep quality is the way our sleep cycles look.
All wired up and ready for bed
A sleep cycle is made up of four main stages: REM, and NREM1, 2 and 3.
But how do sleep cycles work?
To find out, I took part in a polysomnography.
All wired up and ready for bed
This is a gold standard sleep study that helps diagnose disorders like sleep apnea.
It monitors body and muscle movement, brain activity, heart rate and blood pressure.
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What is a sleep cycle?
However, its a little more complex.
All wired up and ready for bed
NREM sleep is divided into stages 1, 2 and 3.
REM sleepis when we dream, and NREM sleep includes light anddeep sleep.
Each have different roles in our brain and body’s functioning.
I found it surprisingly easy to sleep, despite the amount of wires strapped on to me
When we first fall asleep, we dont experience REM sleep straight away.
Dr Allie Hare is an award-winning consultant in Sleep medicine.
She is the President of the British Sleep Society and is the co-founder of Grace London.
The study was conducted by iPDiagnostics and the results were analyzed by Dr Hare.
A video camera was also set up to record any unusual activity.
In the morning, the team came to disconnect me, and my results were analyzed.
This is the full breakdown of my sleep. TIB refers to ‘time in bed’, TST is ‘total sleep time’ and SPT is ‘total sleep period.'
So, what did it show?
These services support accurate diagnoses and enable tailored treatment pathways.
In general, this shows excellent sleep and restorative rest.
In fact, in only took me 7.5 minutes to fall asleep (sleep latency).
I spent a lot of time awake between 2am and 3.30am.
My longest period of REM sleep was later on in the night during the early hours of the morning.
During this time, I briefly transitioned between waking and N1 light sleep.
I asked Dr Hare to help by explaining what each sleep stage means and what occurs in each one.
N1 sleep
N1 sleep is the lightest and the first stage of sleep.
It can last around one to seven minutes and its pretty much the process of falling asleep.
Youll be able to easily wake someone if theyre in this stage of sleep.
In young adults, stage N1 usually occupies approximately 5-10% of total sleep time.
This stage is a transitional stage between wake and other sleep stages, says Dr Hare.
During N1 sleep, blood pressure, heart rate, core body temperature and muscle tone all decrease.
If yousleep through the night, youre unlikely to spend much time in N1 as the night progresses.
K-complexes are long delta waves that help to keep you sleeping, as well as also consolidating memories.
Deep sleep is essential, restorative sleep that helps the brain and the body repair itself.
Impaired glymphatic clearance has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimers.
Aside from brain health, N3 also helps to maintain ahealthy immune system.
REM sleep
REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movement.
Tom’s Guide created this content as part of a paid partnership with Helix Sleep.
The contents of this article are independent and solely reflect the editorial opinion of Tom’s Guide.
