This is considered the lightest sleep where eye and muscle movement slow down considerably. This is that moment where you find yourself drifting in and out of sleep, only semiconscious. It usually lasts around 10 minutes.
This is the stage where eye movement stops and the brain begins to produce very short periods of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity known as Sleep Spindles. Breathing and heart rate are regular, but body temperature drops and you become completely disengaged from your surroundings. It usually lasts around 20 mins.
The transitional period between light and very deep sleep. Slow brain waves, known as Delta Waves, begin to emerge in this stage, blood pressure drops but blood supply to muscles increases, and breathing slows down. Hormones are also released, helping to facilitate tissue growth and produce energy.
You’ll see some sites combining stages 3 and 4 into one, but we’ll separate it here for the differences. Referred to as Delta Sleep it is known as the deepest and most restorative sleep as many reparative processes take place in this stage. But being in such a deep state of sleep has its downsides - if sleepwalking and bedwetting are going to happen, they’ll happen at the end of Stage 4. It usually lasts about 30 minutes.
Whether you know it or not, you might be sabotaging your sleep quality by practicing poor sleep habits. Below, we’ve listed some of the common culprits of a poor night’s sleep.
1. Harmful Sleep Habits
If you’re wondering how to sleep better, you probably have more than a few poor sleep habits.
For instance, sleeping in is one of the worst ways to throw off your sleep schedule and confuse your body’s internal clock and circadian rhythm. To avoid grogginess throughout the day, wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Another unhealthy sleep habit is overexposing oneself to light before bed. At least one hour before bed, turn off as many lights as possible in your home to reduce the amount of light in your living space. This way, your brain can start to send signals to the body that it’s time to retire for the night.
2. Sleep Disorders
If you regularly wake up feeling groggy and restless, then you may be suffering from a common sleep disorder. We’ve listed some of the most commonly diagnosed sleep disorders below:
- Narcolepsy
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- Upper airway resistance syndrome
- Restless leg syndrome
- Insomnia
3. Not Keeping A Sleep Schedule
You should sleep and wake at the same time every day. Whether it’s a weekday or weekend, sleeping according to a routine will train your body to unwind and energize consistently at the same time throughout the week.
If you want to know how to get more deep sleep, keeping a sleep schedule might be your golden ticket.
4. Uncomfortable Sleeping Environment
You need a comfortable sleeping environment and mattress if you want to feel rested every morning. To sleep better, invest in a high-quality mattress that is designed to accommodate your body’s unique needs.
You can also think about switching up your pillow to give yourself a leg up in the sleeping game. Some people like to use a wedge pillow to take the pressure off their lower back. You can also use a cooling pillow to alter the temperature of your environment according to your comfort.
5. Regularly Not Getting Enough Sleep
If you want to know how to get a good night’s sleep, the solution isn’t complicated. For most of us, the answer is to sleep longer. Try adding an extra sleep cycle (60-90 minutes) on top of your regularly allotted sleep time and see what difference it makes.
You might think you don’t need a longer sleep, but sometimes, it can be as simple as that.
6. Blue Light Pollution
Electronic devices emit blue light that can trick the human brain into thinking that the sun is still up. To prevent the negative effects of blue light exposure, turn your electronic devices off at least one hour before you get ready for bed.
Definitely try to limit your social media scrolling or Wikipedia deep dives while lying in your bed.
- Sleep on a comfortable mattress (we recommend a custom mattress).
- Stick to a schedule, even on the weekends.
- Stay hydrated and avoiding large meals at night.
- Don’t go to bed either hungry or stuffed.
- Create a bedtime ritual - this helps let your body know that it’s time to sleep.
- Limit napping - especially long naps.
- Add exercise or physical activity to your daily routine.
- Try to block out as much light and noise as possible.
- Use a sleep mask and earplugs if necessary and avoid blue light close to bedtime.
- Keep your bedroom at the optimal sleep temperature - between 60° and 67° (ideally at 65°).
- Only use your bed for sleep.
- Avoid electronics before sleeping.
- Do yoga and/or meditate before bed to rev down.
- Take a bath or try aromatherapy if you have trouble relaxing before bed.
- Visualize sleep - just like in sports, if you visualize sleeping it will come easier to you.
- Keep a journal - it helps to destress you before bed.