Welcome to Day 15 of our October sleep challenge. We’re half way through the month and the challenge. How are you sleeping? Here at Pareto Guide we’ve experienced some challenges but overall, we’re sleeping better and feeling more energized. In short, this challenge is providing the boost we hoped for. Now we’re looking to 10x our performance by turning this new pattern of sleep into a habit.
Today we’re talking about sleep cycles. We’ve mentioned this subject several times already. It’s time to get specific. The bonus is that it’s not a difficult topic to understand. We’ll keep our discussion concise.
Sleep is divided into two main parts, non-REM and REM.
Non-REM
Stage 1: Can start in the first few minutes of falling asleep and lasts up to 7 minutes. Brain produces alpha and theta waves. When dad falls asleep at church, this is probably the stage he’s in.
Stage 2: Another stage of light sleep. Sudden increases in brain wave frequency occur. This is an ideal stage to wake up after if you’re going for a power nap.
Stage 3: The start of deep sleep. This is the most difficult stage from which to wake up. You’ll feel more disoriented if you do. The body repairs muscle and tissue, stimulates development and growth, boosts immunity, and builds energy.
REM
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep: Starts about 90 minutes after falling sleep. Multiple REM cycles can occur during sleep and each can last up to an hour. Adults average 5-6 cycles per night. The brain becomes more active and dreams occur in this stage. This stage helps learning and memory as your brain processes information and stores it in long-term memory.
That’s it. Those are the stages of sleep and define what we’ve been referring to as your sleep cycles. These stages often happen sequentially with the non-REM stages occurring earlier in the night. That’s why we often wake up from dreams. Think of this another way. Going to bed early is important to reach the most important stages of the sleep cycle. Stage 3 and REM sleep provide the most valuable benefits for your mind and body. Going to sleep early enough to maximize these stages will return the 10x benefits we’re after. If you want to heal faster, have more energy, resist illness, learn faster, and remember more, get your sleep! What else do you do that gives you all those benefits at the same time and with so little effort?
This is the gift and goal of the 10x10 Sleep Challenge this month. Go to bed by 10 PM and supercharge your life. Sleep well so you can live well. Those two acts are directly correlated. Consider it part of the design and best practice for the best version of you.