Describe the basics of NREM and REM sleep, including the four NREM stages of sleep.

Question

Describe your own sleep cycle: How much sleep do you average per night?
How would you describe the quality of sleep that you usually experience?

Answer 1

Discussion should go toward NREM sleep consisting of stages 1 through 4 (discussed below). Each stage will occur in a series of cycles around every 90–100 minutes during the sleep period. Each of the four stages will typically last between 5 and 15 minutes. A complete sleep cycle consists of a progression from stages 1 through 4 before REM sleep occurs; then the cycle will begin again. Typically, a person will enter REM about 60–90 minutes after going to sleep, concurrent with NREM stages 1 through 4.The first period of REM typically lasts 10–30 minutes, with each recurring REM stage increasing in duration; the final one may last up to 60 minutes or so. Vivid or intense dreaming will typically occur during REM sleep as increased brain activity occurs. During some REM stages, the sleeper’s pulse rate and blood pressure will fluctuate, the larger muscle groups remain relaxed, but smaller muscles like toes and fingers may twitch, and the eyes move rapidly in different directions, hence the name rapid eye movement. As each cycle is repeated around every 90 minutes or so, less time may be spent in stages 3 and 4 and more time is in REM. The influence of anything that disrupts REM (stress, illness, alcohol, drugs, etc.) will result in sleep that is non-beneficial to the person. Generally, about 25 percent of the normal sleep cycle is spent in REM.

Open-ended individual answer

Open-ended individual answer