The Importance of the Different Stages of Sleep

Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is essential for your mind and body, but are you aware of what exactly happens while you’re slumbering? Every night, your body goes through what’s known as the sleep cycle, which consists of multiple stages. You need to spend a sufficient amount of time in each part of the cycle in order to get the full benefits of a good night’s sleep. Below is a closer look at the different stages of the sleep cycle – as well as what can happen if they’re interrupted by sleep apnea.

What are the Four Stages of the Sleep Cycle?

Most people go through the sleep cycle about four to six times each night. Said cycle consists of four stages, which are as follows:

• Stage 1: During this stage, brain activity starts to slow down, and the body becomes more relaxed. It’s typically very easy to wake you up at this point. This stage normally only lasts a few minutes.  
• Stage 2: Once the second stage of sleep begins, body temperature goes down, eye movements stop, and breathing and heart rate become slower. Sometimes brief bursts of brainwave activity known as sleep spindles will occur; they help stop you from being woken up, and they may also play a role in solidifying your memory.
• Stage 3: At this point, your body enters what is known as deep sleep. This stage plays an important role in the healing process, and it’s also good for the immune system.
• Stage 4: This stage of sleep is often referred to as REM sleep, with REM being short for rapid eye movement. At this point, your brain will be working on memory consolidation. Note that most dreaming tends to take place during REM sleep.

What Happens If the Sleep Cycle is Interrupted by Sleep Apnea?

In order to get the full benefits of sleep, your body needs to be able to complete the different stages of the sleep cycle multiple times without being interrupted. However, if you have sleep apnea, pauses in your breathing may force you to wake up, thus interrupting the sleep cycle.

When you fall asleep after being awakened, your body won’t pick up where it left off; it will start the sleep cycle anew from the first stage. This means that if sleep apnea is interrupting your slumber, you will spend little – if any – time in the later stages of sleep, which can have a negative impact on your physical health and mental well-being.

To get the quality sleep that you need in order to live life to the fullest, you should have sleep apnea treated as quickly as possible so that it doesn’t interfere with your sleep cycle. Get in touch with a sleep apnea expert to start exploring your treatment options.

About the Author

Dr. Deborah A. Romack earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery at Baylor College of Dentistry. She has been attending courses about obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, airway obstruction, and upper airway resistance syndrome since 2005. She can help patients with sleep apnea get a better night’s rest with personalized oral appliances. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Romack at Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine, visit her website or call (817) 594-3806.