It was the EED or the electroencephalograph invention that enables the brain scientists to research the different stages of sleep that were not possible lately. Way back in the year of 1950s, Eugene Aserinsky, a graduate student who started using an instrument in discovering the stages of sleep, which is now called as the REM or rapid eye movement of sleep. Additional studies about stages of human sleep confirmed that the sleep of a person would improve through different stages wherein there is a display of various patterns of brain wave.
REM or the rapid eye movement and the NREM or the non-rapid eye movement are the two major kinds of stages of sleep. The first stage, which is the REM stage, is also considered as the paradoxical sleep or the active sleep. While the second one, which is the NREM stage, is considered as the quiet stage of sleep.
At the moment of the most primitive stages of sleep, your body and mind are both alert and awake. Your mind typically creates waves, which are called beta waves that are fast and small. As your brain starts to feel calm and relax, it will produce alpha waves, which are much slower compared to beta waves. And at this moment, you can experience extreme and vivid thoughts, which are called as “hypnagogic hallucinations.” Some of the examples of this scenario are the feeling of hearing a scream and falling from a bridge or a building.
Myoclonic jerk is one of the popular events that usually occur during this time. If you start to feel surprised suddenly because of nothing, then you already feel the phenomena of a myoclonic jerk. And some people think that this is an unusual phenomenon, myoclonic jerk is a common situation.
The first stage of the sleep is the lightest sleep stage. The NREM Stage 1 is considered as the time of conversion between being awake and falling asleep. In the first stage, your mind can create high amplitude theta waves, which are the types of brain waves that are very gentle. This stage will only last for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes. If you were disturbed by someone and awaken, you might think that you didn’t take a short nap.
At the time of NREM Stage 2 of sleep includes:
• The heart rate and breathing of a person will turn out to be more consistent.
• The body temperature of a person will drop.
• A person at his or her NREM Stage 2 sleep will be less aware of the area and the environment.
The NREM Stage 2 of sleep will only last within the duration of 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Your memory will start to create rhythmic and rapid brain wave activities that are called “sleep spindles.” The temperature of your body will start to reduce as well as your heart rate. And as stated by the American Sleep Foundation, most of the people usually spend almost 50% of their time at this stage of sleep.
At the time of NREM Stage 3 sleep includes:
• The time when the sleep of a person is at the deepest stage
• Both the breathing and blood pressure rate of a person will drop
• The muscles of the person’s body will feel more relax and calm
During the REM Sleep stage includes:
• The eyes of a person will move rapidly
• The dreams will occur and can be recalled vividly
• The entire body of the person will feel more immobilized and relaxed
• The memory of the person will become more awake, thus giving the person to have vivid dreams
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