Calculating your sleep cycle is an essential thing. Studies indicate that sleeping for a few hours a day can result in some diseases. Therefore there is a need to ensure you get enough sleep each day. Enough sleep is good for improved health. That is because, during sleep, the body can perform its functions well. Things such as enhanced brain function, enhanced metabolism rate, and managing weight can get influenced by your sleep cycle. In this article, we have researched for you the best guide on how to calculate your sleep cycle. Since many people have a specific time that they need to wake up, then it is essential to ensure the time you sleep reaches the recommended duration.
A child should sleep for about 17 hours while an adult should sleep for about 7and a half hours a day. That is, according to the National sleep foundation report. Therefore to be more precise, there are sleep guidelines that one needs to know. The sleep guideline indicates the age and the number of hours one needs to sleep. For instance, a kid below three months should sleep for 14-17 hours in a day, 4 -11 months get 12-15 hours 18 -64 have 7 to 9 hours.
How to calculate your sleep cycle?
To calculate your sleep cycle, you need to know some things, such as sleep time and wakeup time. For instance, if you need to sleep for seven and a half hours and wake up by 4 a.m., you can choose to sleep from 8:15. When counting, you should include 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you usually take longer than 15 minutes to fall asleep, then you can consider sleeping earlier. Therefore depending on your wakeup time, you can be able to determine the best time to sleep.
The different sleep stages you need to know
There are various stages that one undergoes during sleep. In total, there are four different stages of sleep. Each of these stages has different behaviours. Some of those stages are;
Stage 1
Stage 1 is also known as the N1 state. During this stage, the person is already in bed, but he/she is still active. Phase one is between falling asleep and being awake. In this stage, the person knows the things going on around the environment.
Stage 2
During stage two, the person becomes inactive. That is because the onset of the sleep starts at this stage. The N2 stage is the other name for stage two. During this stage, the person becomes unaware of the things going on around his/her environment. Heart rate and breathing stabilization occur at this step since the body is relaxed. Also, the body temperature reduces slightly in this stage.
Stage 3
Stage 3 is the second last deepest stage of sleep. Various things happen at this stage. Some of those things are such as a drop in the rate of breathing, the level of blood pressure reduces, and there is extensive muscle relaxation, hormone production, massive body healing, and many more actives. This stage of sleep gives the body a lot of energy for day to day functions.
REM
The rem stage is the last stage of sleep. The rem stage takes about 25 % of the total sleep cycle. Dreams occur at this stage since the brain is very active. Things such as eye movement happen. This stage gives you both mental and physical energy that you can when you are awake.
Therefore to complete all those cycles successfully, you need to sleep for at least 7.5 hours. That is because each cycle needs about 1.5 hours. Studies show that people who wake up before each of the four stages listed above are over seem to be dull as compared to others who wake up after all the cycles.
Therefore having known the different types of stages that occur during sleep, it is crucial to have enough sleep each day. That is because your body benefits a lot from quality sleep.
What are some of the benefits of good sleep?
• Helps to regulate the release of hormones
For improved body performance, enough sleep is essential. That is because, during sleep, that is when the body function at its optimal state. By not having enough sleep, the regulation of hormones that control healing, growth, metabolism, and much more will reduce. That makes your body to be at high risk of getting some conditions such as cardiovascular disease because of the excess weight gain.
• Improves performance
Studies show that having enough sleep can improve both physical and emotional energy. Therefore you will be able to improve endurance. For instance, having enough sleep, you increase the reaction time speed and performance.
• Reduces the risk of depression
During sleep cycles, your mind switches from many daily stresses and help you to relax. Thinking about your day to day challenges for a long time can lead you to a high risk of depression. Therefore sleeping helps you to lower the risk of depression.
• Improves the immunity
After subjecting your body to a lot of stress, you need to have some time to rest. By failing to sleep, you force your body to continue working. That can lead your body to reduced immunity. That is because the body does not have enough time to repair and improve energy levels.
Some of the other benefits of having enough sleep include;
• Helps to lose weight
• Reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Boost concentration, productivity, focus, and other brain functions.
Tips to improve sleep quality
There are some essential things you can do to improve your sleep health. Some of those things are such as;
• Frequent exercises
Doing some regular exercises such as yoga and others before bedtime can improve your sleep quality. For the best sleep health, you need to exercise a few hours before bedtime. That is because exercising too close to bedtime can lead to some sleep interruptions.
• Ensure you wake up the same time every day
• Avoid sleeping for a long time during the day
• Get enough sunlight
• Limit the alcohol intake before going to bed
• Prepare the bedroom thirty minutes earlier
• Turn off the light
• Clear all the sleep distractors such as TVs, radio, mobile phones and many more
By considering the above-discussed information about how to calculate your sleep cycle, you will be able to know the best time to sleep, how to improve sleep quality, benefits of sleep, and much more.