Different stages of sleep anyone help?

[KatiePink]

I have heard of REM sleep ect but really can't make sense of it all and what it means,
for the past 12 weeks i have had really crappy nights sleep, waking 3-4 times for the loo(pregnancy related) and each time it taking me a while to nod off again.

In total i am getting around 6 hours, but interrupted by all the toilet breaks. I don't think it's enough as i am constantly tired and feel terrible when i get up in the morning, plus my anxiety seems to be worse now and i am avoiding going to bed because of the hassle of it all

If i am not having a full uninterrupted sleep what sleep stage is it i am missing out on and can this make feelings of anxiety worse?

[ServerError]

I'm no expert on sleep, but what I would say is that no amount of knowledge about sleep is necessarily going to change anything.

What I mean by this is that you're having difficulty staying asleep, and knowing what the stages of sleep are called won't change this.

Honestly, aside from seeing your doctor about sleep issues, the best thing you can do is just practice the art of acceptance.

[KatiePink]

I'm no expert on sleep, but what I would say is that no amount of knowledge about sleep is necessarily going to change anything.

What I mean by this is that you're having difficulty staying asleep, and knowing what the stages of sleep are called won't change this.

Honestly, aside from seeing your doctor about sleep issues, the best thing you can do is just practice the art of acceptance.

That's true! I'm an information junkie and always feel like I need to know what and why lol I suppose it ties in with being able to link things together and endlessly researching for the answer I want

Sleep problems are a bitch though, I best get used to it.

[Melonpony]

It's REM you're missing, the deep stage that really helps the body to get rid of the cortisol etc. You're right that lack of that will heighten your anxiety.
I think this is why - plus hormones and the nonstop workload- new mothers can get postpartum anxiety or depression. The lack of sleep does degrade our physical and mental health.


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[MyNameIsTerry]

Spotted this useful guide whilst looking for something else:

What are the different stages of sleep?

Stage 1 Non-REM sleep

Drowsiness - this stage lasts 5 or 10 minutes. Your eyes move slowly under your eyelids, your muscles begin to relax and you are easy to wake up.
Stage 2 Non-REM sleep

Light sleep - your eye movements stop, your heart rate slows, and your body cools down.
Stage 3 Non-REM sleep

Deep sleep - it's not easy to wake you during these stages of sleep. If you do wake, you will be groggy and not quite with it for a few minutes. This kind of sleep allows your brain to rest and restores your energy. Your immune system is helped by deep sleep.
REM sleep

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep - about 70 to 90 minutes into your sleep cycle, you enter REM sleep. You usually have 3 – 5 episodes of REM sleep each night. This stage is associated with processing your emotions, filing your memories and relieving your stress.

I remember reading an interesting article about sleep and how if we wake up during these REM cycles we can feel seriously grotty. The doctor said if we wake early and interupt a cycle or late and interupt one, we will feel dog rough. He recommended getting into sunlight as soon as possible. Light does stimulate certain brain chemicals (blue light, I think).

[Carnation]

Spot on Terry.

I believe that it is important to enter this REM cycle. (The 90 minute stage).
Waking up through the night is not so damaging as long as we reach that 90 minute phase. As you say, this can happen many times throughout a night.
So, if you wake up after an hour, you will not feel any benefit?

I personally find it more exhausting lying awake in bed for an hour or two trying to get to sleep, than getting up a couple of time to go to the loo.
Probably because I have entered the 90 minute REM several times.

Terry, when does the 'dream state' come in to play? Do you know?

[MyNameIsTerry]

This is a useful article on it all, Carnation:

https://www.howsleepworks.com/types_rem.html

REM is the dreaming sleep. The most vivid are in REM. It's interesting that breathing becomes more rapid too. When I wake from vivid dreams I can feel quite amped up.

If you wake before 70 minutes then you would have been in one of the other states, most likely light or deep sleep. Deep sleep still helps.

[Carnation]

Thanks Terry. x

[KatiePink]

Oh interesting I pretty much always dream so maybe I am getting REM sleep, but I always feel like I wake up in the middle of a dream and feel awful not relaxed.