The Crazy Science of Sleep
Sleep. One-third of our life is spent sleeping. A third of our life that’s often seen as “wasted time”, but what’s really going on during this third of our life? Is it that important? Does it really matter? How can we make the most of it?
Sleep. One-third of our life is spent sleeping. A third of our life that’s often seen as “wasted time”, but what’s really going on during this third of our life? Is it that important? Does it really matter? How can we make the most of it?
Why do we need sleep?
Something I always ask myself is “Why do I even need sleep?” I mean sure, it’s relaxing and comforting. But when I have twenty things on my to-do list and I’m drained, it’s not the best. I’d rather stay up being productive, having fun, or having a nice bath.
So if you’re anything like me, and most Americans, you feel like sleep might be wasted time. Or time that could be spent hustling. In fact, according to the CDC, 1 in 3 Americans don’t get enough sleep.
What’s the scientific purpose for sleeping?
Sleep is just as essential as food and water. This is why we feel like crap when we don’t get enough of it. Sleeping forms or maintains pathways in the brain that help us learn things. Sleeping rests the brain so that we could concentrate and react to things quickly. These are some of the scientific purposes for sleeping, but its actual biological purpose remains a mystery to scientists.
According to the National Institutes of Health, “Research shows that a chronic lack of sleep, or getting poor quality sleep, increases the risk of disorders including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity.” Almost all adults need at least 7 hours of sleep. Children and teens need even more.
The stages of sleep
There are 4 different stages of sleep that you (hopefully) go through every night. Each one is important and has its purpose.
Stage 1
This stage is the shortest and typically lasts between 1-5 minutes. The brain begins to slow down, along with the rest of your body. Your heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements slow down. This part of sleep is important because you can easily be woken up. It’s key to have a comfortable environment. Getting rid of distractions or clearing your mind before sleep is a great idea.
Stage 2
Stage 2 is just a repeat of stage 1. The same things happen but they’re just more extreme. The brain slows down even more, along with your heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements. Your brain and body are preparing to go into even deeper stages of sleep. Stage 2 is repeated many times throughout the night and it can last from 10-60 minutes. Like stage 1, you’re susceptible to waking up during this time.
Stage 3
Brain waves are extremely slow during this stage. Your heartbeat and breathing are at their slowest in the whole night. The brain is working to prevent waking up. Your body’s muscles are extremely relaxed and it’s difficult to wake you up during this time.
Stage 4 - REM
This is where all the magic happens. Your brain activity picks up and your body is in a temporary paralysis. The only things moving are your eyes and breathing muscles. Intense dreaming happens during this time. This is also when a lot of people lucid dream. This stage is happening during the second half of the night.
This stage of sleep is essential for the brain. It enables memory and learning. As you grow older, you will spend less of your sleep cycle in REM sleep.
What else happens during sleep?
For kids and teens, muscles grow and develop during the night. This is why it’s important for them to get their 8-10 hours of rest every night. This is when height growth happens, as well.
Dreaming is something that many people look forward to at night. The REM stage of sleep disables your body from moving so that you don’t act out all of your crazy dreams. A recent surge of interest in lucid dreaming has taken off recently. Lucid dreaming is being conscious of the fact that you’re in a dream and basically, well, running the show. Lucid dreamers could control what they do in a dream.
Something worse that can happen is sleep paralysis. This happens when someone is about to fall asleep or upon waking up. Your body could be in the REM stage of sleep but you can still wake up. This means that you could be temporarily paralyzed for a few minutes, all while being wide awake. This is very frightening on its own, however nightmares could make it even worse. Nightmares happen in the same stage of sleep, so if you’re paralyzed, awake, and the monster from your nightmare is at your doorframe… you’re not going to have a fun time.
If you ever suffer from sleep paralysis in your life, just remember that common cures include better sleeping patterns, habits, and environments.
How to get better sleep
Getting better sleep is a difficult thing to accomplish. We wrote this article here on how to do it. Let’s review.
There are many methods to getting better sleep. Turning your phone off 30 minutes before bed is proven to help people fall asleep faster. You can drink warm milk before bed and read a book. Exposing yourself to more sunlight during the day is also very helpful. We all know that sleeping on a good mattress is important, but there’s one more thing that people don’t even consider: their blanket.
Heated blankets
Heated blankets are a great way to get better sleep. These blankets use an insulated wire or a heating element that’s inserted into the fabric. They need to be plugged into a wall, but the wire isn’t even noticeable. Controllers can adjust heat to the exact temperature you want. It’ll definitely help you out.
They make you feel like you’re being warmly hugged the whole night. They’re also very easy to use. First, you plug it into an outlet that’s near your bed. Then, you’re going to want to put the blanket on the bed or over your body. Lastly, you’re going to use the controller to find that perfect setting for the best sleep possible. Finally, you get to have that rest you deserve.
Cooling blankets
When people talk about blankets, we think about them being warm. That’s what blankets are supposed to be. But, there’s a group of people that you might fit into that doesn’t like warm blankets.
Everyone else is probably thinking, “What? Why would you want a blanket that isn’t warm?”
The same reason you turn your pillow at night. It feels fresh. This Rem-Fit study shows that keeping some parts of the body cool during the night regulates body temperature. Even during the summer (or an October night in California), using a blanket to keep us cool makes more sense than paying for expensive AC.
There are tons of cooling blanket options out there. Our favs are the ones over at Chilisleep.
Mattress pads
People take their mattresses seriously. Mattress pads are great if your mattress isn’t the best. They’re also good to use if you’re having problems with temperature. People like using mattress pads to keep them warm during the winter and cool through the summer.
Our favorite mattress pads are over on Chilisleep and EightSleep.
Tying it all together
Sleep is a crazy thing. We often overlook its importance but it’s great that you read this. Now you know why it’s important, what’s going on, and how to improve it. Shop for some great heated blankets here and optimize your rest.