Question

Name and describe the stages of sleep

Answer 1

Everyone goes through the five stages of sleep in a normal sleep cycle. Different waves are activated during each sleep and the depth of the sleep depends on the level of sleep. The first four stages are characterized by non-REM sleep cycle while the last stage is characterized by REM sleep.

Stage one is characterized by very light sleep and the person could be easily awoken. This lasts for nearly ten minutes. The heart beat and the breathing is regulated and theta waves occur during this stage.

The body becomes more relaxed during the second stage and theta wave is active during this cycle too. This cycle will last for nearly 20 minutes. This stage prepares the person for deep sleep.

During the third stage people exhibit certain characteristics such as walking, nightmares, talking and wetting their bed. This is characterized by saw tooth wave or delta waves that tend to be active. If one is awoken from this sleep stage, one will get disoriented.

Stage 4 is almost similar to the third stage and people will feel disorientation if awoken from this stage of sleep.

Stage 5 happens 90 minutes after the person had slept and it is the only REM sleep stage. This is when people experience strong and powerful dreams and the brain continuously produces delta wave during this cycle. Just like the previous stage, people will feel disoriented for few minutes as this is the deepest sleep cycle.