When it’s time for bed, you likely count sheep, then feel like no time has passed when morning arrives. Maybe you dream or feel like you need several hours more to be completely rested. However, if you have sleep apnea, then you may not be able to relax as much as you need to. This condition can affect the stages of sleep, harming your health in the long run. Here’s what you need to know and why you should get the treatment you deserve.
Stage 1 & 2: Light Sleep
This first stage is when a person drifts off into sleep initially. It only lasts between one and seven minutes, but your body hasn’t fully relaxed yet. It and your brain will start to slow down. However, stimuli can still easily wake you up.
If you are left undisturbed, then you’ll drift off into stage 2, fairly light sleep. Here, you become less aware of your surroundings, and your body temperature will drop. Your heart and breathing rate will become more regular, but your brain starts producing special waves called sleep spindles. These help protect you against being woken up. It’s reported that people spend about half of their sleep in stage 2.
Stage 3: Deep Sleep
As you progress into deep sleep, your muscle tone, pulse, and breathing rate decrease further. At this point, it’s harder to wake you up from your slumber. Your brain is also producing slower waves, known as delta waves. This gives your body the chance it needs to repair muscles and tissues, along with other needed processes. You spend most of the first half of the night on this stage.
Stage 4: REM Sleep
During REM sleep, your brain activity starts to pick up, getting close to the levels that are present when you’re awake. However, at the same time, you experience atonia. This is a temporary paralysis of the muscles, except for the eyes and the ones that control breathing. You do rapid eye movements (REM), which is how this stage gets its name! It’s also the time when you dream the most.
So, How Does My Sleep Apnea Affect the Stages of Sleep?
With all that being said, you may wonder how sleep apnea can affect these stages. This condition wakes you up during the night, so you won’t be spending much time in the latter half of the cycle. These later portions are essential for your physical and mental health, so not being in them as much as you’re meant to be can cause issues like weaker immunity, mood changes, and high blood pressure, to name a few.
If you have sleep apnea, then getting it treated with the right solution can help you toward the undisturbed rest you deserve.
About the Author
Dr. Edward Sall earned his dental degree from the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery. He then became board-certified in sleep medicine, allowing him to help people in the Greensboro community with their sleep apnea. By helping you get a diagnosis, you can then get the treatment you deserve to get peaceful nights once again. If you have any questions, schedule an appointment or call Dr. Sall’s office at (336) 907-7773.