#Does dreaming mean deep sleep how to#

Finally, the last and perhaps most important stage is REM. These low activity levels contribute to how refreshed and energetic we feel when we wake up. Stage 3 is when your body is at its most relaxed, with the lowest breathing, brain activity, and heart rates. The first two are characterized by how soundly we sleep Stage 1 is light sleep and Stage 2 is deep sleep. When we do sleep, we go through four different stages: Stage 1 NREM, Stage 2 NREM, Stage 3 NREM, and Stage 4 REM. This is also a recurring problem for researchers in Antarctica, who experience 24 hours of sunlight during the summer and suffer from something called ‘ polar insomnia’! Sometimes, it can get thrown off, and you may find yourself more tired during the day and wide awake at night. Our circadian rhythm is our 24-hour internal clock, and it regulates when we wake up, how tired we get throughout the day, and when we go to sleep. Together, this pattern of the rising and setting Sun helps us maintain our own sleep cycle, or our circadian rhythm. In contrast, when the Sun rises and natural light increases, our bodies produce more cortisol, which helps boost and balance our energy levels. In order to understand our sleep cycle, we first need to take into consideration the rising and setting of the Sun! When the Sun goes down and natural light disappears, our bodies begin to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps us fall asleep. While research is still being conducted, scientists have already been able to answer many of the most head-scratching questions! What Causes Sleep? Why do we need to sleep? What is the purpose of dreaming? Answering these questions helps us to understand our basic human needs, so that we can then turn around and optimize them. Sleep and dreams have puzzled scientists for many years. Keep reading to learn more about what science does and doesn’t know about sleep and dreams! The Science Behind Sleep and Dreams: What We DO Know By learning more, we can make the most out of our (literal) dreams and use them to help us reach our (figurative) dreams.

#Does dreaming mean deep sleep how to#

As I wrote in Chapter 7, “Striking a Balance,” of my book, Dream Big!: How to Reach for Your Stars, “Sleep is truly one of the most important basic needs that you have, and it’s one that’s often overlooked.” Delving into the science behind sleep and dreams teaches us a lot about how our brains work. We often take sleep and dreams for granted. While dreaming is something we do every day, we still don’t know a lot about it. Have you ever wondered if our dreams really mean something, why we have them, or if they are beneficial to us in some way? For years, scientists have been asking the same questions.