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SLEEP PATTERNS INFO..FYI

Posted , 5 users are following.

christine26761
christine26761

While the quantity of sleep can be important, whats much more important is the quality. Our bodies go through two distinct stages of sleep starting with non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and then into REM and cycling between the two throughout the night.

When we first fall asleep we drop into the non-REM cycle and this can be further broken down into three stages which move closer towards a deeper sleep. It's during the last stage where our bodies repair and heal and rebuild themselves. Non-REM sleep typically lasts up to 60-90 minutes with the majority of that time devoted to a deep sleep.

After this our bodies cycle into REM sleep. The main characteristic of this cycle is the eye movements that take place and before there were EEGs and ways of measuring muscle activity it was thought that our brains simply shut-off during sleep, this was far from the truth. During REM sleep our brains are quite active and this is the time when dreams occur, if you wake up and vividly remember a dream you were probably in the middle of REM sleep. It is also thought that REM sleep enhances our memory and contributes to our mental and emotional health. It's possible that during these two cycles of sleep we go through periods of maintaining our bodies and our minds.

Adults typically need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep a night and during this time our bodies will move through one cycle to the next and back several times. There are also a lucky few of us who seem to be able to function on less sleep...cheesygrin

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Bee70
    Bee70 christine26761

    Posted

    Hi Christine

    I have heard of this and also researched online. I am one of few people in my family only manages about 4hrs sleep. wink x

  • Maggers
    Maggers christine26761

    Posted

    What I would give to have 7.5 hours of sleep - it's something I can only dream oflol!!       Still one plus of not sleeping is the amount of reading I can get through thanks to all the free kindle books.
    • christine26761
      christine26761 Maggers

      Posted

      Yay..luv those free kindle books, I like laying down and putting the kindle under my pillow, on speach..bit of a computerised voice..but ok for free..:-) xx
  • Meg53
    Meg53 christine26761

    Posted

    Thank you Christine,for explaining our sleep patterns, it is so interesting and so relevant. I now understand why I wake up some mornings feeling not at all refreshed. I can  vaguely remember those days in the dim past when 8-9 hours sleep was the norm. Broken sleep pattern seems to be the norm these day, such are the joys of our condition, SIGH-------

    🌜Meg

     

    • christine26761
      christine26761 Meg53

      Posted

      Such joys hey,...I sleep about 9 hours,...but it's only the Amitriptilyne...without that I just can't sleep for long at all...:-) xxxx
  • anne90395
    anne90395 christine26761

    Posted

    Hello Christine,

    Thanx for that info about dreams, I found it very interesting. It is my understanding that non-restorative sleep is one of the problems Fibro warriors face, so I wanted to know what this was! At the moment I seem able to function better on about 12hours sleep!

    Take care, Anne

    • christine26761
      christine26761 anne90395

      Posted

      I'm a bit the same actually..I sleep at least 9 hours because of my meds, (Amitriptilyne 25 mg) but I'm ok sleeping 12 hours too...my husband has to wake me every morning...if ever he is away..I'd sleep till tea time..lol..but I always function well after a good sleep 9 hours or more ...have a lovely day..be blessed..:-) xxx
  • woodbon
    woodbon christine26761

    Posted

    My husband says I'm very restless at night and move about a lot talking and sometimes even shouting and if he tries to wake me I hit out and push him away.  I have no memory of this.  Also now I wake very early in the morning and wait for the clock to go off, but when it does, I feel tired and drained and don't want to get up. I wonder if this could be due to fibro and the drugs I take, tramadol and amatriptyline 40mg.
    • christine26761
      christine26761 woodbon

      Posted

      I sleep great on Amitriptilyne 25 mg per  night, but I do have restless legs with it ...only in bed throughout the night... but once I'm asleep, I don't feel it...poor husband does but ....mmm..:-) xxx
  • Meg53
    Meg53 christine26761

    Posted

    Yes Christine, joys is a great term for it. I so wish I could take Amitriptilyn however it had a contrary effect on me and kept me awake. We all have different body chemistry, such is life. Some people seem to cope with less sleep, my husband is case in point and his father, and brother are the same, 6 hours sleep is a good night for them. In the words of Monty Python, 'we are all individuals'.
    • christine26761
      christine26761 Meg53

      Posted

      My husband is like that too....he recons I'm knocked out sleeping and he hardly gets any sleep...considering he does absolutely everything..bar cooking. although he always cooks breakki.....he just thrives on it....:-) xxx
    • Meg53
      Meg53 christine26761

      Posted

      What would we do with out them? I try to cook on good days, but he certainly does more than his fair share of household duties.

      All the Best

      😄Meg

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