What is REM sleep?

REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement sleep and is the phase of sleep during which dreaming occurs. REM sleep follows the 3 stages on Non-REM sleep and is also know as active sleep.

REM sleep happens about 90 minutes after falling alseep and initially lasts about 10 minutes. Each stage of REM sleep gets longer; the last one can last up to an hour. We can have from 4 to 6 sleep cycles a night meaning we can experience REM sleep 4 to 6 times every sleep.

During REM sleep the body repairs tissues, build bones, and strengthens the immune system.

Adults can spend about 20% of their sleep in REM whereas babies about 50%.

REM is sometimes called paradoxical sleep because oxygen consumption is also very high, often higher than when awake.

What is Non-REM sleep?

Our sleep is divided into 2 categories of sleep, REM and Non-REM sleep.

Non-REM sleep has 3 stages:

Stage 1 Drowsy sleep (N1)  is the stage between wakefulness and deep sleep. It lasts about 10 minutes or 5% of overall sleep time. The sleeper may be aware of sounds byt be unwilling to respond to them.

Stage 2(N2) proceeds as awareness of the outside world fades. Breathing and heart rate slow down. This stage takes about 45-50% of overall sleep time.

Stage 3 Slow-wave sleep (N3) occurs in larger periods during the first part of the night. Heart rate, blood pressure, temperature are lowest during Stage 3 with limited muscle activity. Information processing and memory consolidation mostly take place during this stage which covers about 15-20% of sleep time.  

What are our sleep cycles?

We have 2 types of sleep: Non-REM sleep (known as quiet sleep) and REM sleep (known as active sleep). Each cycle of sleep lasts about 90 minutes and repeats itself between 4-6 times a night. Non-REM sleep  has 3 stages (known as N1, N2, N3).

What is circadian rhythm?

Our circadian rhythm controls our 24 hour cycle or body clock, and regulates our sleep cycles.

Our body clock is contolled by the SCN (Suprachiasmatic Nucleas), which are a group of cells in the hypothalamus which respond to light and dark signals.

The rhythm can be disrupted by shift work, jet lag, or teenage hormonal change.

What is sleep inertia?

Sleep inertia is the groggy feeling which lasts about 30 minutes after waking up from a 30-60 minute nap. Waking up during REM sleep (deep sleep) results in this grogginess.

Sleep inertia is avoided  by taking a longer (90 min.) nap because an entire sleep cycle (including the REM sleep) is thus concluded.

Sleep inertia can also be avoided by taking shorter (10-20 min.)  naps, meaning waking up before hitting the REM phase of a sleep cycle.

What is the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) for Depression?

Studies are showing the healthy lifestyles can be just as effective as pharmaceuticals for the treatment of depression. The following six have been identified as being particularly useful for healing from depression. Depression is an illness of decreased motivation; so the challenge is how to sustain these lifestyle changes until depression is erased or reduced.

1) Social connection.
2) Enhanced sleep.
3) Sunlight exposure.
4) Physical exercise.
5) Engaging activity.
6) Omega-3 fatty acids.

What are 10 effects of sleep deprivation?

This is based on a research subject who stayed awake for 11 days without the use of coffee or any medication.  Sleep deprivation is often used as a torture technique. Here's why.

1) Tired brains have to work harder to pump energy into the prefrontal cortex.

2) Simple tasks like dialing a phone number become impossible because of short term memory loss.

3) Long term memory becomes impaired because the brains integrates/stores  memory as experience while sleeping.

4) A tired brain can't focus or keep attention on any one thing; a tired brain is a scattered brain.

5) A tired brain can't plan or make decisions.

6) Automatic systems (habits) become repetitive which is fine if your habits are all good ones, not so good if you are trying to quit smoking or eating junk food.

7) A sleep deprived person takes more risks because a tired brain does not remember consequences or make easy decisions (see # 5)

8) When mice were studied with prolonged sleep deprivation, it showed that they had lost up to 25% of their brain cells.

9) Sleep deprivation can cuase aggression, paranoia, hallucination, mania.

10) Driving while sleep deprived is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated; this is why professional drivers (bus drivers, etc) are banned from working if they have untreated sleep apnea).

What are 10 easy tricks to stop cravings for food?

These have all been tested in research:

1) Tap your forehead (distraction)

2) Change how you think (MRI scans show that people who think about the ill effects of poor eating, increase the activity in the part of the brain responsible for self-regulation.

3) Play a computer game for 3 minutes (based on Elaborated Intrusion Theory)

4) Imagine colours, smells, sounds which will ground you in present time.

5) Surround yourself with pictures of food (The Instagram Diet).

6) Go for a walk (or any physical activity).

7) Eat protein rich breakfasts.

8) Chew gum.

9) Sleep well (frontol lobes which help provide self-control are less active in the sleep deprived)

10) Pay attention to your emotions.

What is the best way to keep hunger hormones balanced?

Hunger hormones are leptin and grhelin. Permanent weight control involves maintaining balance between these two hormones. Here are the 7 ways to keep hunger hormones balanced:
1) Eat 3 meals a day
2) Space calories throughout the day; no food bingeing.
3) Pay attention to hunger.
4) Sleep 8 hours a night.
5) Exercise.
6) Ger treatment for stress, depression, pain, and substance abuse.
7) Never stop.