Sleep apnea affects over twenty million Americans. If you are someone who struggles with it, then you are likely waking up with the familiar feeling that you just didn’t get the sleep you needed the night before. Regardless of how early you go to bed or how long you allow yourself to sleep in, the amount of actual rest your body receives is dependent upon whether or not you were able to cycle through all four stages of sleep. Keep reading to learn about each stage and how sleep apnea in Stephens City can affect them.
Why Each Stage of Sleep is So Important
If you’re like many people, you may not have ever put a whole lot of thought into the act of sleeping, however, there is quite a lot that goes into it. Here are the four stages of sleep that are negatively affected by sleep apnea and why they are so important.
Stage 1: Light Sleep
This is the very beginning of the sleeping process when your body becomes still and your eye movements begin to slow down. Most people only remain in this stage for a few short minutes, depending on the degree of tiredness. Because your body can still be awakened extremely easily in this stage, it is very important that you be as comfortable and in the most ideal sleep situation as possible in order to advance to further stages of the cycle.
Stage 2: Sleep Spindle Release
Much like the first stage, this is considered a “lighter sleep” time-period during which your body can still easily awaken. The primary difference is that your brain starts to go to work in this stage to help you enter into the next one. It releases oscillating waves called sleep spindles, that can act as guards against outside influences that may awaken you before the next stage.
Stage 3: Deep Sleep
As you can imagine, in this stage, it is harder for you to be awakened than in stages 1 and 2. It is an extremely important part of the sleep cycle because this is when your body makes muscle repairs and starts any self-healing processes that need to happen. Believe it or not, sleeping actually strengthens your immune system, and it is in this stage that cells begin to rebuild and restore your energy.
Stage 4: REM (Rapid Eye Movement)
The final, and deepest, level of sleep is called the REM stage, or Rapid Eye Movement. It got its name due to the physical action that your eyes take by jerking rapidly in various directions. During this time, your brain will begin to collect and store any information you learned the day before, meaning this stage is crucial to long-term memory. It is usually a shorter stage when most dreaming occurs.
Throughout a full night of sleep, your body will cycle through all four stages several times. It’s important that your body is able to do this successfully in order to heal, grow, and retain memory. For those who struggle with sleep apnea, they’re unable to reach the deeper and more restorative stages of sleep. If you think you may be losing out on much needed rest because of sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about a sleep study and receiving treatment.
About the Author
Dr. Thomas A. Gromling has been improving the quality of life for patients suffering from sleep apnea for several decades now. He has built his practice on integrity and loves the long-lasting relationships he has been able to create with everyone he cares for. He has completed extensive training and continuing education courses focused on sleep apnea therapy. Are you ready for a good night’s sleep? Schedule a consultation online or call (540) 869-4733.