What Happens During Sleep

What Happens During Sleep?

What is sleep exactly? According to Wikipedia, Sleep is a periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is interrupted. There are two types of sleep. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and NREM (Non-REM) sleep. REM sleep is when we dream. People usually have 3-5 REM episodes per night. NREM sleep is divided into 4 stages. Stage 1 is known for drowsiness as to when you first fall asleep. Your eyes move slowly under the eyelids, and muscle activities slow down. This stage lasts for about 5-10 minutes and you can easily be awoken. Stage 2 is a light sleep where your eye movements stop, your heart rate slows, and your body temperature decreases. Stage 3 and 4 is where you enter into your deep sleep where it is difficult to be awoken. If you are awakened, you do not adjust immediately and may feel disoriented for several minutes after you wake up. Children during deep sleep may experience bedwetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking. Deep sleep is the most vital stage, as it is the first stage that the brain attempts to recover when we are sleep deprived. (Helpguide)

Sleep deprivation can be felt both physically and mentally. Some signs of sleep deprivation are difficulty waking up in the morning, lack of concentration, falling asleep during work or class, feelings of moodiness, irritability, depression,

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or anxiety. The amount of sleep needed for a person is based on numerous factors such as the amount of exercise you get, daily activities, age, and the quality of sleep. The following are the recommended hours of sleep for certain age groups: infants need about 16 hours per day, children ages 3-9 should get around 10-12 hours, ages 9-12 about 9 hours of sleep, teenagers 9 hours of sleep, and adults should get about 7-8 hours a night. (Helpguide) You may ask why we need sleep. According to Help Guide, sleep helps you to restore and rejuvenate many body functions. One being memory and learning where sleep seems to organize memories. Mood enhancement and social behaviors is another which is parts of the brain controlling emotions, decision making, and social interactions that slow down dramatically during sleep. People who are tired are often cranky and easily frustrated. Another is the immune system, without sleep, the immune system becomes weak and becomes more vulnerable to viruses. Growth and development is also involved to where growth hormones are released during sleep.

While you are sleeping, you tend to move around in your bed when you don’t even know it. Scientists believe the position in which a person goes to sleep provides an important clue about the kind of person they are. According to Professor Idzikowski there are 6 known sleeping positions that have a true meaning of what personality you may have. Here is what they would look like: (flatseats.com)

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First position is the Foetus position, those who curl up are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. As first impression they may come off as shy. This is the most common sleeping position, more than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position. The next postion is the Log position where you are on your side with both arms down to your side. These people are easy going, social people who like being part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers, but they are gullible. The third position is the Yearner, people who sleep on there side with their arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have made a decision, they are unlikely to change it. The Soldier position is when you lie on your back with both arms pinned to your sides. People who sleep in this position are generally quiet and reserved, they don’t like a fuss. Freefall is when you lie on front with your hands around the pillow, and your head turned to one side. These sleepers are known to be nervy and thin-skinned underneath and they don’t like criticism. The last position is the Starfish, where you are lying on your back with both arms up around the pillow. Sleepers like these make good friends because they are always ready to listen to others, and offer help when needed. They don’t like to be the center of attention though. (Professor Idzikowski) There are also sleeping positions that couples tend to use also. Such as, Loosely Tethered, Honeymoon Hug, Royal Position, Leg Hug, and Zen Style. (SheetuDeep) Loosely Tethered sleeping style is similar to the Spoon. It is comforting and has a maximum physical closeness with the genitals

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against the buttocks, though it is not necessarily an erotic position. The Honeymoon Hug is where you are face-to-face and body-to-body. Though it is uncomfortable to maintain throughout the night, it is the natural position couples slip into just after lovemaking. The Royal Position is when one partner, typically the man, lies face up, which indicates a strong ego and a sense of entitlement. The woman’s head on his shoulder suggests that she is the more dependent and compliant one. This position reflects a high level of trust and strong commitment. The Leg Hug are for couples who aren’t comfortable establishing physical contact at the onset. They would rather go about it as if it were an “accidental” touch. (SheetuDeep)