Sleep – Your Personal Super Power
Sleep plays a big part in our overall health and wellbeing – and while many factors affect our resting habits, we all have a circadian rhythm, which is like a built-in biological clock. This rhythm determines what time of day we start to wake up or go to sleep.
There’s also more than one type of sleep. The two main stages of sleep are REM and non-REM, which are both important to get a good night’s rest.
So, let’s talk sleep stages –
Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
- REM is much like the name suggests – your eyes move rapidly, your blood pressure and heart rate go up, and your brain becomes very active.
- REM repeats at 90-minute intervals throughout the night.
- Adults spend one fifth of their resting time in REM state, compared to babies who spend half their sleeping in REM.
REM is when all our dreams happen, and studies indicate that this process is important for learning and creating and consolidating new memories.
Non-Rapid Eye Movement (non-REM)
Non-REM consists of 4 different stages:
- In stage 1 you transition easily between being awake and asleep
- During stages 2, 3 and 4, eye movements stop, your body temperature drops, and you are deeply asleep.
People struggling with anxiety can often feel frustrated when they can’t regulate their worry or fear, and the impact it has on them and the
Sleep offers a wide range of health perks
Scientists don’t fully understand why sleep is so important, however, there are lots of benefits linked to getting a healthy, quality amount of sleep in your daily life.
- Supports the immune system
- Keeps your heart and blood vessels healthy
- Promotes attention, memory and learning functions
- Helps your body grow, heal, maintain muscle and regulate hormone levels
Definitely starting to sound like a superpower!
One of the best ways to maximise your sleeping superpower is to set up a consistent night and morning routine, so going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. This helps ensure that firstly, your circadian rhythm stays on track and secondly, you are getting the most out of your shut eye every night.
No matter what age or stage of life, you can benefit from assessing your routines and if necessary, tweaking the parts that may be preventing you from getting a healthy amount of sleep.
If you’d like to learn more about sleep and what you can do to improve your morning or night routine, you can read more about it (orange button) or download some of our resources to share:
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