A Closer Look at Light Sleep

Further Dive into the Sleep Cycle

Continuing with our trend of explaining various parts of the sleep cycle, we will look at light sleep with help from an article called ‘What is Light Sleep? Everything You Need to Know’ by SleepScore Labs™. The article begins by mentioning that while individuals may believe light sleep is not as important to good sleep as the other stages of sleep, this is incorrect. The article also states that light sleep is the first (after Awake) of the other sleep stages (others being Deep and REM). Finally, the article notes that half of total sleep time is in this stage. Given the amount of time that is spent in this stage each night, it’s worth a closer look.

Function of Light Sleep

Speaking to what occurs during this stage, the article notes that “During light sleep, your heart and breathing rates are lower than they are when you are awake. There are bursts of electrical activity in your brain, which boost your brain’s communication system and your ability to learn and remember.” Considering how critical the ability to learn and remember is, this further emphasizes light sleep’s importance, even compared to the other sleep stages. In a difference from REM sleep, the article states that, “You dream during light sleep, but these dreams don’t form the same coherent, story-like narrative as dreams in REM sleep do.” As one more point of interest, SleepScore Labs™ mentions the obvious that waking is easier in this stage, but it’s interesting to have confirmed that “it may feel like you weren’t even sleeping at all.”

Light Sleep Wrap-Up

As discussed, light sleep does not lack in importance compared to the other stages of the sleep cycle. Key to learning and memory, getting quality amounts of light sleep is critical for daily functioning. If you ever wondered if it’s possible to sleep and wake up feeling like you never slept, if you were in light sleep, this can occur. Of course, for better overall sleep, look no further than Gamer Advantage glasses to block blue light and achieve this.

Source:

https://www.sleepscore.com/blog/about-light-sleep/

Photo by Matheus Vinicius on Unsplash