In this series of articles we will examine how sleep actually works. The underlying theory behind good sleep.
By understanding what creates a good night sleep, you also gain awareness of what prevents sleep and what could potentially create insomnia.
Sleep theory can be a big confusing subject so I’ve broken it down into a series of articles. Take it in your stride and you’ll understand more abut sleep than most people ever will in their lifetime.
What is Sleep? Why do we Need it?
So what exactly is sleep? Well the Oxford English Dictionary defines sleep as:
“a regularly recurring condition of body and mind in which the nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended”
So basically, it’s a state we enter where, the body shuts down and we slowly drift out of consciousness.
When you put it in terms like that, it seems like a very weird thing to happen.
The big question is, do we really need sleep? And what happens to us during sleep? Could future developments mean we don’t have to sleep as much, if at all? All is answered in this article.
There’s 2 different types of sleep. REM, which stands for rapid movement and NREM, non rapid eye movement. There’s also 3 variations of NREM, stage 1, 2 and 3.
In this article I will explain the differences between each type and stage of sleep and explain where they appear in your sleep cycle.
Understanding these different varieties of sleep and where they appear in your sleep cycle can help you get the very most out of your sleep and even tweak it a bit.
Sleep Patterns
A good sleep pattern is the cornerstone to getting great sleep. A messed up sleep pattern is one of the main causes of insomnia. The key to getting it right is to choose a sleep pattern and stick to it like glue.
Don’t think you’re limited to just one sleep and wake time. With an understanding of the stages of sleep and the sleep cycle, you can sleep multiple times during the day and effectively feel great on as little as 3 hours of sleep per day. It’s possible, but it’s not for the faint hearted! To have any chance of succeeding you need to know the theory behind what you’re doing.
In this article we’ll take a look at the theory behind sleep patterns to see exactly how they work and what creates a great sleep pattern. Then we’ll investigate the range different sleep patterns that are open to us, from the traditional to the down right insane!
Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep is a big part of our lives. We spend a third of our lives asleep. Even when we’re not sleeping, the amount and quality of sleep we get in the night plays a big role in our day to day performance and ultimately, overall quality of life.
We covered what happens when we sleep in the What is Sleep article, but what happens when we don’t get enough sleep? Can anything bad really happen?
In this article we’ll discover exactly how sleep deprivation effects your day to day performance and determine whether a lack of sleep can do any lasting damage.
How Sleep Changes with Age
Many things change as you age and sleep is no exception. Both the nature and amount of sleep you need changes with age, with the biggest of these changes occurring during your early years.
By knowing how your sleep changes as you age, you’re given an early warning signal for any potential problems that may develop into insomnia if not properly dealt with.
In this article you’ll find out how much sleep each age group needs and the common problems they face that could become the cause of insomnia.
The Meaning of Dreams and how to Interpret them
We’ve been dreaming since the dawn of civilization. The oldest existing dream records are found on clay tablets dated at around 3000BC, that’s over 5000 years old!
But what do dreams mean? What methods can we use for dream interpretation?
