When you go to sleep, your body goes through multiple stages that are repeated in cycles. There are both light and deep sleep stages. Deep sleep is considered exceptionally important, as many processes happen in the body during this stage. If you are not getting enough deep sleep, then it can have long-term complications in store for you. We’ll take a look at the role of deep sleep and what you can do to improve your sleep and achieve this stage.
Why Is Deep Sleep Important?
To understand the important role of deep sleep, we need to consider what happens in your body during this stage of sleep. When you are in deep sleep, bones, and muscle tissues are repaired. Your body can also regrow damaged muscles and bone tissues when you are in a deep sleep. Apart from these benefits, it is also during deep sleep that your immune system is strengthened. This happens due to the release of certain hormones. Deep sleep is also important for balancing hormone levels in your body.
Your brain also creates and stores new memories while you are in deep sleep, and gets a chance to rest. It is also a time when your brain recovers.
What Are The Stages Of Deep Sleep?
While you are asleep, you go through multiple stages of sleep. It starts with light sleeping stages, then moves into deeper stages. Deep sleep is a non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep phase and is sometimes also called slow-wave sleep. During this particular stage, your brain waves start to slow down. Your body also slows down many of its processes when you are in deep sleep.
Deep sleep is often divided into two stages, accounting for stages three and four of every cycle you go through. By stage four, your muscles have relaxed and you’ll generally have a difficult time waking up from deep sleep.
How Much Deep Sleep Do You Need?
There is no general recommendation for time spent in deep sleep, but it has been found that deep sleep plays an especially important role in young people. This is because deep sleep helps with development and growth.
Throughout the night, you’ll spend about 75% of the time you sleep in a non-REM sleep state. Up to 23% of this time is spent in deep sleep, which generally decreases with age.
How Do You Know If You’re Not Getting Enough Deep Sleep?
One way to tell is to use a smartwatch or fitness tracker that can track your sleep. These devices can usually tell when you are in a deep sleep since your heart rate and breathing decrease during this stage. You can then look at your data on the smartphone app that accompanies the device.
If you are feeling tired when you wake up in the morning, it may also be a sign that you are not getting enough deep sleep. Your body depends on the deep sleep stages to recover, rest, and restore energy for the upcoming day.
Reasons You Can’t Sleep Deeper At Night?
There are different reasons why your deep sleep time may be lower than what you expect it to be. Age is an important factor that you have to keep in mind. The older you are, the less time you spend in deep sleep. Additionally, disorders that affect your circadian rhythm, work shift, and jet lag have also been found to affect deep sleep duration.
If you are feeling depressed, stressed out, or experiencing insomnia, then these are also factors that may contribute to short deep sleep stages. Additionally, it’s also essential to take a closer look at your sleeping habits. An irregular sleep-wake routine, for example, can cause disruptions in your sleep.
Deep Sleep Inhibitors
Certain medications and supplements may also inhibit deep sleep stages while you are sleeping. Caffeine is particularly important when looking at deep sleep inhibitors. If you drink caffeine too close to bedtime, then it may result in insomnia, which can inhibit deep sleep.
Another potential deep sleep inhibitor is chronic pain. When you experience pain symptoms, it’s harder to fall asleep. You may also wake up during the night due to the pain, which disrupts your sleep. When you go back to sleep, your body needs to restart these cycles.
Tips For Increasing Your Deep Sleep
While some people may ask how to get more REM sleep, others rather want to focus on deep sleep. There are different strategies you can use to achieve deep sleep, so let’s explore six of the best ones.
1. Exercise Regularly
If you constantly think, “I just can’t get enough sleep”, then you should take a closer look at your daily routine. Exercise is often overlooked, but can play a role in improving sleep. One study [1] found that regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster and extends your deep sleep duration.
There might be cases where you feel fatigued and tired during the day. This can especially be a problem if you’re already having difficulties with your sleep. And when you feel this way, you might not have the motivation to exercise. Taking Nuu3 Natures Superfuel can help to improve energy levels and give you that boost in motivation you need to get active.
2. Keep The Bedroom Dark & Cool
A cool and dark environment is also something that you should aim for if you are trying to get longer deep sleep. Studies have confirmed [2] that a cooler temperature can help in achieving peaceful sleep.
3. Develop A Bedtime Routine
A bedtime routine is another great idea, and the specifics differ from one person to the next. Consider taking a relaxing bath or doing some yoga before you get into bed. You can also boost deep sleep with sleep support gummies - these safe, natural supplements contain key ingredients designed to improve the overall quality of sleep, including the time spent in the deep sleep stage during the night.
4. Follow A Healthy Diet
What you eat can affect your health and, in turn, this can play a role in your ability to sleep. A healthy diet with a balanced range of ingredients can help to improve your health. This reduces problems like pain and disease, resulting in a better quality of sleep.
Apart from your diet, it’s important to take a look at the supplements you take. If you take Nuu3 Keep Calm Gummies before you go to bed, for example, you might find it easier to switch off and unwind, instead of having thoughts that you just can’t get out of your head.
5. Avoid Caffeine Before Bed
If you want to know how to make yourself sleepy, then avoiding caffeine is of much importance. Taking caffeine before bedtime will make you lie awake for a long time before your mind can wind down and relax.
6. Put Your Devices Away Before Bedtime
To promote slow sleep waves during deep sleep, consider putting away your smartphone, laptop, and other electronics before you get into bed. The blue light that these devices emit can affect your brain waves [3] and make you feel more alert.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients can support deep sleep?
Several botanical extracts, including chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm, have proven sleep-supporting benefits, helping individuals fall asleep faster and enjoy fewer disturbances; valerian root extract, in particular, is known to increase the duration of deep sleep.
Do I have to get all my sleep at once?
Yes, it is important to get your day’s sleep in one sleeping session. This is because your body has to restart the entire sleep cycle if you wake up too soon and go to sleep again.
What happens if you can’t fall asleep?
You’ll likely feel tired the next day, experience poor concentration, and have memory problems. Mood changes, anxiety, a weakened immune system, and irritability are also commonly experienced the next day if you can’t fall asleep.
What are sleep disorders, and which of them are more common?
Sleep disorders are conditions that affect your sleep. They can affect how long it takes to fall asleep and how long you sleep. Some may cause sleep deprivation, and others can make you sleep for longer than nine hours a day. Insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and sleep apnea are particularly common sleep disorders.
Conclusion
You need to get deep sleep to ensure your body recovers and you are ready to take on what the next day holds for you. Feeling tired, groggy, and irritable during the day may be signs that you are not getting enough sleep. Staying in a dark, cool room, avoiding caffeine, and avoiding the use of technology before sleeping are all excellent strategies to improve sleep.
References
1] ↑https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12531177/
2] ↑https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22738673/
3] ↑https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29101797/
Dr. Ahmed Zayed
Dr. Zayed, has years of experience in the field and has been contributing to public health awareness. Dr. Ahmed Zayed holds a baccalaureate of Medicine and Surgery. Egypt. Dr. Zayed believes in providing knowledgeable information to readers. His articles were featured on many websites like HuffingtonPost, Chicagotribune . Other than his passion for writing, Dr. Zayed spends his time outside the hospital, either reading or at the gym.
