Why do we sleep?
We all love to sleep, don’t we? Good sleep leads to feeling fresh in the morning.
All of us get tired after studying or working the whole day. We sleep at night to recharge and get ready for the next day.
This might surprise some, but there are two kinds of sleep: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep.
What are REM and NREM?
During REM sleep, our eyes move rapidly in different directions. During NREM sleep, they don’t move and stay still.
While sleeping, we go through both NREM and REM sleep. In the first ninety minutes, we are in NREM sleep. After ninety minutes pass, we enter REM sleep and stay there for ten minutes. Throughout the night we keep juggling between REM and NREM sleep. We also mostly dream when we are in REM sleep. This is because our brain is active during REM sleep. Since our brain is active, dreams can sometimes wake us up in the middle of the night!
What are the benefits of REM and NREM sleep?
NREM sleep boosts our immune system, bones, etc. On the other hand, REM sleep can strengthen our learning and memory power. In a recent study, scientists found that REM sleep also makes us happier.
What else does the study say about REM sleep?
The study showed scientists the positive effects of REM sleep, such as reducing stress.
In a lab, these scientists kept some mice in a stressful environment. When the mice went to sleep, the scientists noted how much REM sleep each mouse had gotten. The mice with more REM sleep were relaxed (not stressed) the next day.
Since sleep is similar in all mammals, the study's findings also benefit humans.
Is it possible to increase the duration of REM sleep?
Not yet! So… will sleeping more give you more REM sleep? That’s a negative, unfortunately.
Kids your age should ideally sleep between eight to ten hours. This way, you’ll feel fresh after waking up. So, sleep well, and stay healthy!
