Feeling Stressed? You Might Be Missing Out on This Key Sleep Stage
Have you ever slept for a full eight hours but still felt completely exhausted? You might not be getting enough of the right types of sleep.
Today, many people use smart watches or rings to track their sleep. These gadgets talk about REM, deep, and light (or core) sleep. But what do these stages actually mean, and how much of each do you really need?
Sleep is broken down into small, 30-second blocks. Each block is classified as either Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep or Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep.
"The stages of sleep change as you get older, and every single stage is important for your overall health," says Dr. Salah Aboubakr, sleep medicine provider at McLaren Greater Lansing.
You go through a sleep cycle that lasts about 90 to 120 minutes. Most people complete four to five of these cycles every night.
Here are the three main types of sleep:
- Light (Core) Sleep (Stage 1 and Stage 2):
- What it is: This is the biggest part of your sleep—about 45% to 55% of the total time for most adults. It starts right after you fall asleep. You might have sudden muscle twitches.
- What it does: Your eye movements, heart rate, and breathing slow down.
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Deep Sleep (Stage 3):
- What it is: This makes up about 20% of your total sleep time.
- What it does: This is the most important stage for repair. A growth hormone is released that helps rebuild muscles, tissues, and bones. It also strengthens your immune system and helps control your blood sugar.
- REM Sleep (the Stress Buster):
- What it is: This makes up 20% to 25% of an adult’s total sleep. The longer you sleep, the more REM sleep you get. This is when you have your most vivid dreams, and your eyes move quickly beneath your eyelids (rapid eye movement).
- Why it matters: REM sleep is essential for learning, memory, creativity, and solving problems. Crucially, it helps you process emotions, which reduces stress and anxiety. It's how your brain releases bottled-up feelings and gets ready for the next day.
However, your body cycles through different sleep stages like REM and non-REM, and the time spent in each stage changes over the course of the night.
"Stage 3 (deep sleep) happens early in the night,” said Kyle Sartelle, manager of McLaren Greater Lansing’s Sleep and Alertness Center. “REM and lighter sleep stages almost completely replace it in the second half of the night."
If you struggle with getting quality sleep each night, it may be because of a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and more. If you think you may be suffering from a sleep disorder, visit McLaren Greater Lansing’s Sleep and Alertness Center for more information.
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