What Happens When You Sleep: Stages, Sleep Needs, and Tips for Restful Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of our lives. We spend at least one-third of our lives sleeping or trying to fall asleep. On the surface, this act of falling asleep may seem like a simple reset button. But, the real story is quite complicated. When you sleep, your body and brain repair cells, organize information, and balance your hormones.

Throughout the years, our understanding of sleep has improved. People used to believe that sleep was just a time when our bodies and minds lay dormant. However, we now know that is not the case.

Here’s a quick breakdown about what happens when you sleep, how much sleep you need, and some signs you’re not getting good sleep. Read on to learn more about how a custom mattress can upgrade your sleep experience.

The Typical Sleep Cycle Consists of 4 Stages

As you snooze, your body works hard to repair your muscles and regrow tissues. Meanwhile, the brain clears out waste from your nervous system and strengthens essential memories. A sleep cycle is made up of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Sleep cycles repeat every 80-100 minutes throughout the night. Adults usually undergo 4-6 cycles, every night.

Typically, your sleep cycle starts with three stages of NREM sleep, followed by REM sleep. The 4 stages of sleep can be summarized as follows:

• Stage 1: NREM Light Sleep – This stage only lasts a few minutes. Waking up from this stage is relatively easy, since you’re just starting to drift off.

• Stage 2: NREM Deeper Sleep – Following the light sleep stage, your heart rate slows down and your body temperature drops. This stage takes around 50% of your total sleep time.

• Stage 3: NREM Deep Sleep – During this stage, tissue growth and repair occur. This deep sleep stage is also called slow-wave sleep. If you happen to wake up at this stage, you won’t feel well-rested.

• Stage 4: REM Sleep – Finally, REM sleep is when dreaming occurs. This stage usually happens later at night. During REM sleep, your brain activity increases, and memory consolidation occurs.
  

Depending on your age group, health, and lifestyle, the amount of sleep you need varies quite a bit.  Babies spend the majority of their time sleeping. But, as you age, the recommended number of hours goes down to around 7–8 hours of sleep, if you’re an older adult above 65 years old.

In general, getting a good 7–9 hours of sleep each night can help you stay healthy and age better, as well. 

Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Sleeping more doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting better sleep. The quality of your sleep matters a lot more than you think. Sure, you can be in bed for 8 hours, but if you wake up feeling groggy and like you’ve been run over by a truck, this could mean that you need to establish a good sleep routine and invest in a high-quality custom made mattress.

Here are some signs you’re not getting good sleep each night:

• Waking up tired and groggy

• Difficulty focusing or remembering things

• Mood swings or irritability

• Constantly waking up in the night

• Increased consumption of caffeine to stay awake

• Noticing skin breakouts, puffy or red eyes, and dark circles under your eyes
  

Poor sleep habits, like an inconsistent sleep routine, can lead to bad sleep quality. Aside from your sleep routine, having chronic health problems, stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders can also be factors affecting your restfulness.

Improving Your Sleep with a Custom Mattress Tailored to Your Needs

If you’re struggling to sleep well, even with healthy sleeping habits, it’s time to look into how your mattress is affecting your sleep comfort. Your lumpy, old mattress might seem like it’s still usable. But, relying on an uncomfortable mattress can lead to issues such as back pain, allergies from all the accumulated grime, and poor sleep.

You deserve to feel well-rested every time you wake up. And, better sleep starts with a better mattress that’s designed for you. With a custom size mattress, you can sleep on a bed that’s made according to your sleep preferences. From firmness level and shape to mattress size, you can craft a custom bed where you can sleep well for years to come. We’re here to help you design a mattress that makes falling asleep easy.