The 7 Stages of Sleep and What Happens in Each
We have all heard about the importance of sleep, but what is really going on when we close our eyes and drift off? Sleep isn’t just one continuous state. It is made up of different stages, each with its own role in keeping our body and brain healthy. In this post, we will break down the 7 stages of sleep, what happens in each, and how they contribute to our overall well-being. Stage 1: The Drowsy Drift (NREM) This is that light sleep we all experience just as we are falling asleep. You know the feeling, your eyelids get heavy, your thoughts start to wander, and you might even twitch a little. In this stage, your body is beginning to relax, and your brainwaves slow down from their active daytime rhythm. Your heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements slow down. Muscles relax, but it is easy to wake up from this stage. It is the transition between wakefulness and sleep. Without this phase, you’d have a hard time diving into deeper sleep stages. According to research from ...