The Science of Sleep | Sleepopolis

The Science of Sleep

We all know how we feel when we sleep well and when we don’t sleep enough. We can feel the effects of sleep on our brains and bodies, but we may not understand why we sleep.

How Sleep Works

The specific reason why humans sleep remains one of the most lasting and intriguing mysteries in health science, despite decades of investigation. Experts examine how sleep works and what happens when we don’t get enough sleep to try to answer this question. Sleep is very complex, according to studies, and has an impact on nearly all physiological systems. The production of hormones and substances that govern sleep and wakefulness involves multiple areas of the brain.

How Sleep Affects The Body

Sleep may appear to be as simple as feeling tired, lying down, and nodding off. But the physiological state of sleep is created by a…

The Genetics of Sleep

Sleep is a universal physiological drive with similar processes and rhythms across the human species. Though sleep follows a recognizable pattern, there are numerous differences…

Sleep and The Brain

We all know how we feel after a long day. Our muscles are tired, our legs heavy, our eyelids ready to close. Though sleep may…

Why Do We Sleep?

We all know how we feel when we sleep well, and when we don’t sleep enough. When we sleep, we’re happier, we have more energy,…

Stages of Sleep

Each cycle progresses through each stage of sleep in the following order: wake, light sleep, deep sleep, REM, and repeat. Early-night cycles have a higher amount of deep sleep, while later-night cycles have a higher proportion of REM. Your body may decide to forego deep sleep entirely at the end of the cycle.

REM Sleep: Everything You Need To Know

Of all the sleep stages we cycle through hour after hour and night after night, REM sleep is probably the most “famous.” Most people know…

N3: Slow Wave Sleep

If you woke up this morning feeling refreshed and energized, chances are you had plenty of N3 sleep. N3 is the third stage of sleep,…

N2 Sleep: K Complexes and Sleep Spindles

If you’ve learned something new recently, chances are your newfound knowledge was committed to memory during the N2 stage of sleep. Memories are formed and learning…

N1: Non Rapid-Eye Movement Sleep, Stage 1

To some of us, the first few minutes we spend falling asleep don’t really feel like sleep. Our minds may feel active and we may…

Dreams

Our minds produce stories and visuals in our dreams while we sleep. They can be amusing, amusing, romantic, distressing, frightening, and odd at times.