FAQ’s about Sleep
Is it true that there are five stages of sleep?
Yes, that is true.
The sleep cycle progresses through stages 1 to 4, and the deepest stage of sleep and relaxation is known as REM sleep (rapid eye movement), where the most vivid dreams occur. The cycle repeats itself after REM sleep has passed. Almost half our sleep is spent in stage 2, with about 20% in REM sleep and 30% in all the other stages combined. Infants spend about 50% of their sleep time in REM sleep.
What is sleep hygiene?
Sleep hygiene – are the practices that promote regular and restful sleep.
Components of sleep hygiene can include going to bed and having a routine with regular hours every day, making the bedroom relaxing and inviting, using the bed only for sleeping, and removing personal electronic devices and TVs from the bedroom.
What happens if we don’t get enough sleep?
Sleep deprivation is a serious problem and can negatively affect your daily life. Sleep is important for our nervous system to work properly. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can suffer memory and concentration lost, fatigue and headaches. If you can’t sleep the necessary amount of hours per night, read our article about sleep disorders here and find out more about it.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that leads to a breathing that repeatedly stops and re-starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night of sleep, you might suffer from sleep apnea.
How much sleep do we really need?
Your age and health condition influence the number of hours you need to sleep. Normally, healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Children and teenagers need more hours.
- Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
- Infants (4-11 months):12-15 hours
- Toddlers (1-2 years):11-14 hours
- Preschoolers (3-5):10-13 hours
- School-age children (6-13):9-11 hours
- Teenagers (14-17):8-10 hours
- Younger adults (18-25):7-9 hours
- Adults (26-64):7-9 hours
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Older adults (65+):7-8 hours
Source: National Sleep Foundation