We’ve all experienced this. You are in the middle of a wonderful dream. Maybe it’s flying. While flying in the sky, I came across an eagle. The eagle looks at you, opens its beak, and – beep! beep! beep!
The alarm will sound. The dream is over, it’s time to wake up.
Many people, children and adults alike, feel more awake when they wake up naturally from sleep, rather than when woken up by an alarm or another person, such as a parent. why is that?
i am a neurologist A person who studies the brain, especially what happens in the brain when we sleep. We also care for children and adults who are having trouble sleeping and want to sleep better. In my research, I work with parents to help teach their children good sleep habits.
To understand how to sleep better and why waking up naturally from sleep increases your sense of alertness, you need to start by understanding your sleep cycle.
sleep cycle
of sleep cycle It consists of four stages. One of them is REM, which stands for rapid eye movements. The other three are in the NREM stage. When I fall asleep, the first thing I do is state of sleepiness This is called NREM sleep stage 1.
This is followed by deeper stages of sleep called NREM stages 2 and 3. Each stage of non-REM is deeper than the previous stage. Then, about 90 minutes after you first fall asleep, you enter stage 4, REM sleep. This is the stage when your sleep becomes light and you dream a lot. After a few minutes, you will return to non-REM sleep.
(Credit: The Conversation, CC BY) The four stages of the sleep cycle.
These cycles repeat throughout the night, and most people alternate between 4 and 6 cycles of NREM and REM sleep each night. As the night progresses, the cycle includes less non-REM sleep and more REM sleep. That’s why it’s important to get enough sleep to keep your body in good shape. both are enough REM sleep and NREM sleep.
REM sleep and NREM sleep
How do researchers like me know whether a person is in NREM or REM sleep? In a sleep lab, we can tell from brain waves, eye movements, and muscle tension such as the jaw. These are measured by placing sensors called electrodes on your scalp, around your eyes, and on your chin.
These electrodes detect brain activity that ranges from relatively fast waves with low amplitude (wave height) to relatively slow waves with high amplitude (higher waves). When we are awake, the waves are low in height and move relatively quickly. In contrast, during sleep, the waves are higher and slower.
NREM stage 3 is the highest and slowest wave of all sleep stages. During REM sleep, the amplitude of brain waves is low and relatively fast, and eye movements are also rapid. A healthy brain requires both NREM and REM stages so that they can learn and remember.
wake up naturally
When you wake up on your own in the morning, it’s usually when you’re nearing the end of any stage of sleep. Think of it like getting off the train at a station. However, when an alarm or someone wakes you up, you may feel a tremor, like jumping off a train between stops. That’s why it’s good to wake up as naturally as possible.
In fact, people can train their brains to wake up at a certain time each day, which is a natural stopping point. In the brain internal 24 hours clock It determines when you first start feeling sleepy and when you wake up. this has to do with us circadian rhythm.
You can adjust your circadian rhythm to wake up naturally each morning.
Train your brain to wake up at a certain time
First, it’s important to go to bed at a certain time that allows you to get enough sleep. Staying up too late doing homework or looking at your phone prevents you from getting enough sleep, leaving you dependent on your alarm clock or your parents to wake you up.
Other ways to help you fall asleep at a healthy time include being physically active during the day; Avoid coffee, soda, and other caffeinated drinks and foods. Physical activity increases brain chemicals that help you fall asleep, but caffeine does the opposite, keeping you awake.
Secondly, you should note the following: light in your environment. bright until late at nightEverything, including from screens, can interfere with brain production. chemical substance called melatonin It promotes sleep. But when you wake up in the morning, you need to be exposed to light.
Morning light helps synchronize or adjust your circadian rhythm with the outside world, making it easier to fall asleep at night. The easiest way is to open the shades or curtains in the room. In winter, some people use light boxes to mimic sunlight and set the rhythm.
Benefits of good sleep
Good sleep habits require consistent bedtimes and wake-up times, and getting enough sleep on a regular basis. It is usually 9 to 11 hours for school-age children who have not yet reached their teens, and 8 to 10 hours for teenagers.
This will help you perform at your best learn at school, boost moodplease help stay healthy weight, and advertise many other aspects of health.
Beth Ann Murrow is a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University. This article is republished from conversation under Creative Commons License. please read original article.
