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What is Restorative Sleep?
Good quality of sleep is considered one of life’s simple pleasures. We often hear about the health benefits it provides. Who does not want the feeling of being well-rested?
When sleep facilitates the restoration of impaired cells, muscles, tissues, and the brain, the process is said to be restorative sleep. The restorative theory of sleep supposes that the primary purpose of sleep is to restore our bodies and brains and store our memory for the following day.
Waking up from a relaxed sleep influences how your day will go. It is crucial to be consciously aware of your sleeping habits and work on them further.
Two Types of Sleep
There are two primary types of sleep in a sleep cycle: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM).
The body moves through five stages of sleep. Four of them are non-REM sleep stages, while the fifth stage is REM sleep. During REM, your heartbeat and breathing begin to slow. Your body is starting to restore damaged tissues and muscles, boosting immune function and producing energy for the next day.
The fifth sleep stage is REM sleep, approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. Most dreaming occurs during this phase, and your eye movement and brain activity resemble wakefulness.
Non-rapid eye movement (non-REM)
The first cycle is called NREM. NREM sleep is a resting state wherein your brain transitions from consciousness to deep sleep and where the restorative process begins.
Rapid eye movement (REM)
The second cycle is REM. It is a period of sleep marked by brain activity. Brain waves are fast and desynchronized at this stage, similar to a waking state. Breathing becomes faster, irregular, and shallow; eyes move rapidly in various directions, and limb muscles become momentarily paralyzed. Your heart rate increases and blood pressure rises. This stage is wherein most dreams occur. Contrary to popular belief that the mind is at rest during sleep, it is the brain's prime time to do what needs to be accomplished.
The Brain During Sleep
During NREM, neural stimulation takes place. It is a stage of sleep wherein "slow waves" occur. The brain becomes less responsive to external stimuli because of low-frequency delta waves.
REM happens to be the deepest and most restorative phase of sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement since eyes quickly move in various directions while your eyes are closed. As you continue to experience deep sleep, the brain becomes even more active.
Detrimental Effects of Sleep Deprivation
While everyone knows that sleep is needed, most people overlook this need and have underestimated the harmful effects of sleep deprivation. Below are just a few of the reasons why you should prioritize getting restorative sleep.
Weight Gain
By not getting the right amount of sleep, you are risking your peace of mind and your physique and figure as well. People who sleep less than 6 hours daily are 30 percent more prone to obesity than those who sleep 7 to 9 hours a day. Since you are sleep-deprived, you are more likely to crave high-fat and high carbohydrate food. As a result, most will suffer from a slow metabolism.
Memory Loss
Three stages of memory exist. First, it must be acquired through learning or experience. After such memory is consolidated, it stays and becomes stable in the brain. Lastly, the recall stage allows one to access their memories in the future. Both the first and last stage occur during the hours of wakefulness, but the consolidation happens while you are asleep.
If you are sleep-deprived, it will be harder for you to store these memories that you need to remember. From dinner plans to doing chores and other related tasks, this can affect all memories. If you continue to practice poor sleeping and are learning something new such as sport, a book, or an instrument, it will take time to absorb it as your memories will be more difficult to store.
Lost Sense of Own Performance
You may fall victim to the trick that your own body plays. Some people get accustomed to sleeping less than 6 hours every night and have felt they are okay with it. They are used to working under-slept and can perform just fine. This scenario can be called the "sleep deprivation trap," making one a poor judge of their own performance. Studies show that sleep-deprived people also often scored lower on their performance tests.
Bad Skin
When you lack sleep, your body releases a stress hormone called "cortisol" which can break your skin collagen. This collagen is the protein that keeps your skin smooth. A night of insufficient sleep also causes your body to release only a few human growth hormones. Not sleeping on the proper schedule can give you puffy eyes, dark circles, and wrinkles.
Heightened Cancer Risk
Studies that link poor sleep with the risk of cancer are increasing. Researchers cite that there is an inverse relationship when it comes to the hormone produced while sleeping, the melatonin.
Restorative Sleep Benefits
When your body gets the quality sleep it needs, your immune cells get ample rest to fight off whatever comes their way. Whenever you have a critical presentation meeting the following day, simply get a good night’s sleep and see how your creativity spurs the next morning. This strategy works because an adequate and restorative sleep can enhance or trigger your creativity center. Say goodbye to health issues and increase your sleep benefits by aiming for restorative sleep.
Bryte is the leading Restorative Sleep Technology™ platform backed by sleep science and powered by AI. Bryte's turn-key hardware, software and services platform is available for consumers, licensing to select mattress manufacturing, and hospitality partners.
Bryte’s Restorative Sleep Technology is purpose-designed to actively nurture natural, more restorative sleep. Bryte RebalancingTM sensor monitor for pressure imbalances as you shift throughout the night and relieve any pressure points to eliminate wake events and foster more restorative, unbroken sleep. An embedded sensory network within the mattress detects biometrics such as heart rate and breathing patterns to identify when a sleeper enters the first stage of sleep. Bryte’s climate system then triggers cooling features to lower the body's core temperature and gently guide sleepers through an optimal balance of sleep stages.
The Restorative Bed™ uses science-backed technology to help you achieve restorative sleep by helping you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling more restored. Bryte’s purpose-built software can help you analyze your sleep quality as well. Check out our mattresses and get the sleep you deserve every night. For more information, visit Bryte.com.
