Page 16 - November 2020 Track N Times

HUMAN RESOURCES

Stages of Sleep and Why They Matter

Getting enough sleep is important - it slows
down the aging process, lowers anxiety lev-
els, boosts your mood, helps you maintain a
healthy weight and much more. And if you’re
not getting enough sleep, you may be missing
out on essential restorative time that helps
you look, feel and think better. Here’s what
your body is doing while you’re sleeping:
NREM (non -rapid eye move-
ment): Makes up about 75 percent of the
night and includes the below N1 – N3 stages
of sleep. NREM is when new and past episod-
ic memories (memories of specific events and
times) are integrated.
• N1 or “stage 1”: Somewhere between awake and asleep, the lightest stage of sleep, makes up 5 percent of
sleep time
• N2 or “stage 2”: Initial onset of sleep, makes up 40 to 50 percent of sleep time. Semantic memory (facts) is
stored.
• N3 or “stages 3 and 4”: Beginning stage of deep sleep, makes up about 20 percent of sleep time. This is the
most restorative stage – tissues grow and repair and energy is restored. Hormones are released that are crucial
for growth and development, including muscle development.
REM (rapid eye movement): Makes up about 25 percent of your night and begins about 90 minutes after you fall
asleep. The REM phase repeats about four to five times throughout the night.
• This is when most dreams are experienced. Most people have between 4 and 6 dreams per night, although you
usually won’t remember all of them.
• Episodic memory is retained in the REM stage.
• Semantic memory is stored here as well, and new motor skills are consolidated.
While you sleep, you progress through each stage and then repeat the cycle throughout the night.

If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you may have trouble concentrating, remembering things, and you may gain
weight. It even increases your risk of having an accident at the workplace, or at home.

Getting enough sleep is crucial. If you are looking for helpful tips on how to get a good night’s sleep, visit ShareCare
and search for “sleep tips”.

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