The Little-Known Health Benefits of Deep Sleep
The different phases of sleep and how this component of health works to restore and reenergize us remain largely mysterious. But studies find that deep sleep has a number of surprising benefits for your health and your everyday performance - making a strong case for sleep-easy solutions. Deep sleep is also known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, and it is a greatly important component of the sleeping pattern. REM is the fifth stage of sleep, generally occurring about 60 to 90 minutes after you go to sleep. In this phase, your eyes rapidly tremble under your closed lids, while respiration becomes irregular and shorter. Your heart beats faster and your blood pressure rises, while your brain becomes neatly as alive as when you are awake. Muscles, too, become paralyzed in a state known as atonia, preventing you from acting out your dreams. One major benefit of deep sleep or the REM phase is its massive influence on memory. REM is so crucial because it's a time for your memory-linked b...