The deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep is the type that makes you feel refreshed when you awake. If this doesn’t sound like the kind of morning you’re used to you, here are some methods to help you improve your sleep quality that you should try:
Change the time that you get to sleep
Set a sleep schedule when you have done
Make adjustments to your lifestyle and the environment
Utilize prescription medications according to the recommendations of your physician
This article explains how you can get more restful sleep at night and the reasons why deeper sleep is beneficial to your overall mental and physical well-being.
How Is Deep Sleep?
The deeper you sleep, the more sleep with slow waves. This term comes from slower brain waves referred to as delta waves, which the brain generates at this stage of the cycle of sleep.
Slow-wave sleep is considered to be the deepest sleep stage. It is also known as the NREM Stage 3 sleep. This stage is more prevalent during the first third of the night. It’s extremely difficult to get someone to awaken when they are at a deep sleep stage.
What are the Stages of Sleep?
Sleep was separated into five stages. The deep sleep was referred to as stage 4. In 2007 The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) changed the classifications for stages of sleep to:
NREM Stage 1
NREM Stage 2
NREM Stage 3
Sleep Sleep
How to get more deep Nights
There aren’t a lot of methods to get a better night’s sleep in the night. There are, however, certain strategies to help you sleep deeper and get more restful sleep that you could test.
Enhance Your Sleep Drive
Being awake for an extended duration can boost your sleep-inducing homeostatic hormones. In other words, the more you are awake the more you’ll would like to go to go to bed. If you do finally fall asleep you might be able to sleep longer.
This method is known as sleeping consolidation, or restraint. It’s been proven to be an effective in treating insomnia.
Sleep restriction is utilized as part of cognitive behavior treatment in insomnia (CBTI) programs. Lack of sleep can result in more sleepy nights.
Keep Track of Your Internal Clock
Sleep is governed by the circadian rhythm, also known as it is your “internal timer.”
You can get more restful sleep later in the night. Sleep disturbances can disrupt the time of your sleep, and could result in less sleep.
To ensure that you don’t mess your timing, you should ensure that you adhere to a regular wake and sleep schedule, even on weekends.
Achieving morning sunshine when you first wake up could also be beneficial since natural light signals of you to be in a circadian rhythm.
Change your behavior and Environment
Certain studies have examined the ways that our habits and surroundings influence sleep but we’re still not sure the full extent to which these elements can aid in deep sleep specifically.
We know that physical exercise and daily activities can help us get better sleep however, we’re not certain regarding the time of physical activity in order to rest more deeply.
Other habits can aid us in sleeping better in the night. For instance, having the shower or bath about 90 minutes prior to going to bed and having a cool bedroom can help improve your deep sleep.
However lights, noise and even warmer temperatures can cause sleep problems longer.
Researchers are exploring the possibility that devices emitting electronic patterns and vibrations, sound or light might help promote the quality of sleep.5
One headband and application that is available promises to help you sleep better by altering your brain’s activity. While it’s been used in the study funded by NASA to study sleeping patterns in astronauts, further research is required to prove that it is effective.
Contact Your Provider about Treatments
Certain medications and substances may cause you to sleep more This includes:
Desyrel (trazodone) is an old antidepressant, which is commonly employed as a sleep aid. It may be in contact with the compounds produced by reaction to allergens (histamines) which can increase the amount of sleep you get.
Marijuana could also help improve sleep patterns that are slow-wave.
Lithobid (lithium) is a treatment for bipolar disorder, could produce the same effect. It is often used to treat insomnia.
Do any sleep medications not affect deep sleep?
There are other sleep aids that don’t appear to affect deep sleep in any way or the other. These sleep aids that are not benzodiazepine comprise:
Ambien, Zolpimist, Edluar (zolpidem)
Lunesta (eszopiclone)
Sonata (zaleplon)
Do I really need to get a better night’s sleep?
If you’re feeling like you’d like to sleep longer but aren’t sure which direction to take or what kind of deeper sleep you can achieve.
People of various ages have different durations sleeping deep. Examples:
Teens and school-aged children require 20 to 25% or more of time in deep sleep.
Adults must devote anywhere between 16% and 20 percent of their sleep in deep sleep.
Research has shown that people have less time to sleep as they grow older. However, males are likely to experience a greater reduction in their deep sleep when they age, as compared to women.
Why can’t I sleep better at the night?
There are a variety of reasons why you may not be sleeping enough.
A weak sleep drive. A few naps or long hours in bed can affect you sleep. You could lose some of the ability to rest normally. As the result, you might have less restful sleep.
Sleep disorders. Certain sleep disorders can impact your ability to rest more in the night. For instance, those suffering from sleep apnea are often unable to breathe when they sleep, and people who experience frequent limb movements during sleep (PLMS) will involuntarily move their legs when they sleep. These disturbances can disrupt deep sleep, however treating them can help restore normal sleep.
What are the health benefits from Deep Sleep?
Insisting on getting enough sleep, which includes deep sleep, will benefit both your body and your mind. Sleeping well is essential to both physical and mental well-being.
Muscle Repair and Growth
When you’re sleeping more deeply in the late at night, you body will release growth hormone, a chemical that aids in the growth and repair of tissues.
Growth hormone is essential to regulate growth during childhood However, it is also important for the health and functioning of adult bodies.
It helps, for instance, to build muscle after exercising and minimizes the effect of damage to the body. The increased flow of blood to muscles during sleep can aid the process.
Brain Function
Deep sleep is crucial for eliminating out brain waste and removing a protein known as beta-amyloid, which has been discovered in high levels in the brains of those suffering from Alzheimer’s.
The removal of this waste aids in the brain process information and store memories.
Immunity
If you are able to sleep longer it aids in the functioning of your immune system better and re-injects energy to the cells of your body.
