Ever Wondered What Happens While You Sleep?  

We all know sleep is important, but what exactly is going on while you’re snoozing? When you're in deep sleep:

1. Your body tissues regenerate and repair
2. Memories of things you learned get hard coded in your brain
3. You get Growth Hormone secretion

What is REM Sleep?

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is when your brain is most active, almost like being awake, but your body is deeply relaxed. During this stage, your brain sorts through memories, processes emotions, and strengthens brain synapse connections that help you learn and grow. It also is really important for emotional resiliance, and studies have shown the more REM sleep you get the more you are able to cope with stress.

Why REM is Crucial  

REM sleep typically occurs in cycles throughout the night, with the most prolonged periods happening during the second half of your slumber. You enter into REM sleep 5 -6 times per night or every 90 minute cycles. The first time you hit REM sleep it may be only a few minutes, the next cycle a few minutes longer, and so until the final REM cycle may be up to 30 minutes long. This is why it's so important to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night to ensure you get at least 5 REM cycles.

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep?  

Lack of sleep can:

1. Impair your focus, mood, and energy.
2. Increase stress
3. Insulin Resistance - blood sugar rises or falls, and making it harder to lose weight
4. Suppress your immune response making it harder to fight infection and disease
5. Increased inflamation
6. Chronic sleep deprivation affects your physical health, too, increasing the risk of conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Simply put, not getting enough sleep takes a serious toll on your body and mind.

How to Improve Sleep Quality?

It’s not just about how many hours you sleep—it’s about getting enough quality sleep. In upcoming articles, we’ll explore tips and different avenues to help you sleep sound and wake up revitalized.

Coming Up Next:

Discover the best supplements for a good night’s sleep, must-have accessories, and how to create the ideal environment. We’ll also cover tips for tackling snoring and the impact of your sleep position on the quality of your rest. Stay tuned!

Preslea Lamb

Boost Health Daily Host

Dr. Tracey Marks

Psychiatrist and author making mental health education accessible Creator at The Mental Wellness Space

Dr. Brianne Holmes

Chiropractor 💜 Founder @ibrainandbody 💜 Root cause & lifestyle medicine+Chiropractor 💜 Hormones + Women's Health 💜 Thyroid + Infant and Kids + Lab testing

Dr. Mike Hansen, MD

Mike Hansen, MD, is a medical doctor who is board certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine, and pulmonary disease. He also sees patients in his weight loss clinic, which focuses on lifestyle medicine & disease prevention.

Dr. Alex Juszczynski, DC

Doctorate of Chiropractic from Logan University and is also certified in acupuncture at The Wellness Way, where he combines chiropractic care with lifestyle and dietary adjustments to enhance overall health and vitality.

Harry Thorn

Health Tips & Recipes for Muscle Gain & Gut Health