How to catch the best time to wake up. Sleep calculator: we will help you calculate the time to get enough sleep

Sleep is one of the most amazing states, during which organs - and especially the brain - work in a special mode.

From a physiological point of view, sleep is one of the manifestations of the body’s self-regulation, subordinate to life rhythms, a deep disconnection of a person’s consciousness from external environment necessary to restore activity nerve cells.

Thanks to good sleep memory is strengthened, concentration is maintained, cells are renewed, toxins are removed and fat cells, stress levels decrease, the psyche is unloaded, melatonin is produced - a sleep hormone, a regulator circadian rhythms, antioxidant and immune protector.

Sleep duration according to age

Sleep serves as protection against hypertension, obesity, division cancer cells and even damage to tooth enamel. If a person does not sleep for more than 2 days, his metabolism will not only slow down, but hallucinations may also begin. Lack of sleep for 8-10 days drives a person crazy.

IN at different ages People need different amounts of sleep:

Unborn children sleep the most in the womb: up to 17 hours a day.

• Newborn babies sleep about the same amount: 14-16 hours.
• Babies between 3 and 11 months of age require 12 to 15 hours of sleep.
• At the age of 1-2 years – 11-14 hours.
• Preschoolers (3-5 years old) sleep 10-13 hours.
• Primary schoolchildren (6-13 years old) – 9-11 hours.
• Teenagers need 8-10 hours of rest at night.
• Adults (from 18 to 65 years old) – 7-9 hours.
• Elderly people over 65 years old – 7-8 hours.

Old people often suffer from insomnia due to ailments and physical inactivity during the day, so they sleep 5-7 hours, which in turn does not have the best impact on their health.

The value of sleep by hour

The value of sleep also depends on the time you go to bed: you can get enough sleep in an hour like a night or not get enough sleep at all. The table shows the phases of a person’s sleep by time of sleep efficiency:

Our ancestors went to bed and got up according to the sun. Modern man goes to bed no earlier than one in the morning, the result is chronic fatigue, hypertension, oncology, neuroses.

With the actual value of sleep at least 8 hours, the body regained strength for the next day.

Some southern cultures have a tradition nap(siesta), and it is noted that the number of cases of stroke and heart attack there is significantly lower.

Features of awakening in each phase of sleep

Sleep is heterogeneous in its structure; it consists of several phases that have their own psychophysiological characteristics. Each phase is distinguished by specific manifestations of brain activity aimed at restoring different departments brain and body organs.

When it is better for a person to wake up according to the phases of sleep, how easy the awakening will be depends on the phase in which his sleep was interrupted.

During deep delta sleep, awakening is the most difficult due to incomplete neurochemical processes that occur during this stage. And here in phase REM sleep waking up is easy enough, despite the fact that during this period the most vivid, memorable and emotional dreams occur.

However constant shortage REM sleep can have a detrimental effect on mental health. It is this phase that is necessary to restore neural connections between consciousness and subconscious.

Phases of sleep in humans

Features of the brain and its changes electromagnetic waves were studied after the invention of the electroencephalograph. An encephalogram clearly shows how changes in brain rhythms reflect the behavior and state of a sleeping person.

The main stages of sleep - slow and fast. They are uneven in duration. During sleep, the phases alternate, forming 4-5 wave-like cycles from 1.5 to less than 2 hours.

Each cycle consists of 4 phases of slow-wave sleep, associated with a gradual decrease in a person’s activity and immersion in sleep, and one of rapid sleep.

NREM sleep predominates in the initial sleep cycles and gradually decreases, while the duration of REM sleep increases in each cycle. The threshold for a person’s awakening changes from cycle to cycle.

Duration of the cycle from the beginning of slow-wave sleep to the end of fast sleep healthy people is about 100 minutes.

• Stage 1 is about 10% of sleep,
• 2nd – about 50%,
• 3rd 20-25% and REM sleep - the remaining 15-20%.

Slow (deep) sleep

It is difficult to answer unambiguously how long deep sleep should last, because its duration depends on what sleep cycle a person is in, so in cycles 1-3, the duration of the deep sleep phase can be more than an hour, and with each next cycle The duration of deep sleep is greatly reduced.

The phase of slow, or orthodox, sleep is divided into 4 stages: drowsiness, sleep spindles, delta sleep, deep delta sleep.

Signs of slow wave sleep - loud and rare breathing, less deep than during wakefulness, general decline temperature, decreased muscle activity, smooth eye movements, freezing towards the end of the phase.

In this case, dreams are unemotional or absent; long and slow waves occupy an increasing place on the encephalogram.

It was previously believed that the brain rests at this time, but studies of its activity during sleep have refuted this theory.

Stages of slow-wave sleep

In the formation of slow-wave sleep, the leading role is played by such areas of the brain as the hypothalamus, raphe nuclei, nonspecific nuclei of the thalamus and the Moruzzi inhibitory center.

The main characteristic of slow-wave sleep (aka deep sleep) is anabolism: creation of new cells and cellular structures, tissue restoration; it occurs at rest, under the influence of anabolic hormones (steroids, growth hormone, insulin), proteins and amino acids. Anabolism leads to the accumulation of energy in the body as opposed to catabolism, which consumes it.

The anabolic processes of slow sleep begin at stage 2, when the body completely relaxes and recovery processes become possible.

It has been noticed, by the way, that active physical work during the day prolongs the deep sleep phase.

The onset of falling asleep is regulated by circadian rhythms, and they, in turn, depend on natural light. The approach of darkness serves as a biological signal to reduce daytime activity, and the time for rest begins.

Sleepiness itself precedes falling asleep: a decrease motor activity and level of consciousness, dry mucous membranes, sticking eyelids, yawning, absent-mindedness, decreased sensitivity of the senses, slow heart rate, an irresistible desire to lie down, momentary lapses into sleep. This is how the active production of melatonin manifests itself in the pineal gland.

At this stage, the rhythms of the brain change insignificantly and you can return to wakefulness in a matter of seconds. Subsequent stages of deep sleep demonstrate an increasing loss of consciousness.

1. Napping, or Non-REM(REM - from English rapid eye movement) - the 1st stage of falling asleep with half-asleep dreams and dream-like visions. Slow eye movements begin, body temperature decreases, and heartbeat, on the brain encephalogram, alpha rhythms that accompany wakefulness are replaced by theta rhythms (4-7 Hz), which indicate mental relaxation. In this state, a person often comes to a solution to a problem that he could not find during the day. A person can be brought out of slumber quite easily.
2. Sleepy spindles– of medium depth, when consciousness begins to switch off, but the reaction to calling one’s name or crying of one’s child remains. The sleeper's body temperature and pulse rate decrease, muscle activity decreases; against the background of theta rhythms, the encephalogram reflects the appearance of sigma rhythms (these are altered alpha rhythms with a frequency of 12-18 Hz). Graphically, they resemble spindles; with each phase they appear less frequently, become wider in amplitude, and fade away.
3. Delta– without dreams, in which the brain encephalogram shows deep and slow delta waves with a frequency of 1-3 Hz and a gradually decreasing number of spindles. The pulse quickens slightly, the breathing rate increases at a shallow depth, and decreases blood pressure, eye movements slow down even more. There is a blood flow to the muscles and active production of growth hormone, which indicates the restoration of energy costs.
4. Deep delta sleep- complete immersion of a person into sleep. The phase is characterized by a complete shutdown of consciousness and a slowdown in the rhythm of delta wave oscillations on the encephalogram (less than 1 Hz). There is even no sensitivity to smells. The sleeping person's breathing is rare, irregular and shallow, and there is almost no movement of the eyeballs. This is a phase during which it is very difficult to wake a person. At the same time, he wakes up broken, poorly oriented in the environment and does not remember dreams. It is extremely rare in this phase that a person experiences nightmares, but they do not leave an emotional trace. The last two phases are often combined into one, and together they take 30-40 minutes. The usefulness of this stage of sleep affects the ability to remember information.

Stages of REM sleep

From the 4th stage of sleep, the sleeper briefly returns to the 2nd stage, and then the state of rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep, or REM sleep) begins. In each subsequent cycle, the duration of REM sleep increases from 15 minutes to an hour, while sleep becomes less and less deep and the person approaches the threshold of awakening.

This phase is also called paradoxical, and here's why. The encephalogram again registers fast alpha waves with low amplitude, as during wakefulness, but at the same time the neurons of the spinal cord are completely switched off to prevent any movement: the human body becomes as relaxed as possible, muscle tone drops to zero, this is especially noticeable in the mouth and neck area .

Motor activity manifests itself only in the appearance of rapid eye movements(REM), during the period of REM sleep a person clearly notices the movement of the pupils under the eyelids, in addition, body temperature rises, activity intensifies of cardio-vascular system and adrenal cortex. Brain temperature also rises and may even slightly exceed its waking level. Breathing becomes either fast or slow, depending on the plot of the dream that the sleeper sees.

Dreams are usually vivid, with meaning and elements of fantasy. If a person is awakened in this phase of sleep, he will be able to remember and tell in detail what he dreamed.

People who are blind from birth do not have REM sleep, and their dreams consist not of visual, but of auditory and tactile sensations.

In this phase, the information received during the day is adjusted between the conscious and subconscious, and the process of distributing the energy accumulated in the slow, anabolic phase takes place.

Experiments on mice confirm that REM sleep is much more important than non-REM sleep. That is why awakening in this phase artificially is unfavorable.

Sequence of sleep stages

The sequence of sleep stages is the same in healthy adults. However, age and various sleep disorders can fundamentally change the picture.

Newborn sleep, for example, consists of more than 50% REM sleep., only by the age of 5 the duration and sequence of stages becomes the same as in adults, and remains in this form until old age.

In older years, the duration of the rapid phase decreases to 17-18%, and the phases of delta sleep may disappear: this is how age-related insomnia manifests itself.

There are people who, as a result of a head or spinal cord injury, cannot sleep fully (their sleep is similar to light and brief oblivion or half-asleep without dreams) or go without sleep at all.

Some people experience numerous and prolonged awakenings, due to which a person is completely sure that he did not sleep a wink during the night. Moreover, each of them can wake up not only during the REM sleep phase.

Narcolepsy and apnia are diseases that demonstrate atypical progression of sleep stages.

In the case of narcolepsy, the patient suddenly enters the REM phase and can fall asleep anywhere and at any time, which can be fatal for him and those around him.

Apnia is characterized by sudden stop breathing in sleep. Among the reasons are a delay in the respiratory impulse coming from the brain to the diaphragm, or excessive relaxation of the muscles of the larynx. A decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood provokes a sharp release of hormones into the blood, and this forces the sleeper to wake up.

There can be up to 100 such attacks per night, and they are not always recognized by the person, but in general the patient does not receive proper rest due to the absence or insufficiency of certain phases of sleep.

If you have apnea, it is very dangerous to use sleeping pills; they can cause death from sleep apnea.

Also, the duration and sequence of sleep stages can be influenced by emotional predisposition. People with “thin skin” and those who are temporarily experiencing difficulties in life have an extended REM phase. And when manic states the REM stage is reduced to 15-20 minutes throughout the night.

Rules for healthy sleep

Adequate sleep means health, strong nerves, good immunity and an optimistic outlook on life. You should not think that time passes in a dream uselessly. Lack of sleep can not only have a detrimental effect on your health, but also cause tragedy..

There are several healthy sleep rules that ensure a sound night's sleep and, as a result, - excellent health and high performance during the day:

1. Stick to a bedtime and wake-up schedule. It is best to go to bed no later than 11 pm, and all sleep should take at least 8, ideally 9 hours.
2. Sleep must necessarily cover the period from midnight to five in the morning, during these hours it produces maximum amount melatonin – the hormone of longevity.
3. You should not eat food 2 hours before bedtime, V as a last resort, drink a glass warm milk. It is best to avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evening.
4. An evening walk will help you fall asleep faster.
5. If you have difficulty falling asleep, it is advisable to take a warm bath before bed with an infusion of soothing herbs (motherwort, oregano, chamomile, lemon balm) and sea salt.
6. Be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed. You can sleep with the window slightly open and closed door, or open the window in the next room (or in the kitchen) and the door. To avoid catching a cold, it is better to sleep in socks. The temperature in the bedroom should not fall below +18 C.
7. It is healthier to sleep on a flat and hard surface, and use a bolster instead of a pillow.
8. Stomach position is the worst position for sleeping, the position on your back is most beneficial.
9. After waking up, a little physical activity is advisable: exercise or jogging, and, if possible, swimming.

While we sleep, various processes occur in our body, our brain is active, and sleep can be divided into stages: REM sleep and slow sleep. During sleep, such stages are repeated sequentially; on average, 4-5 cycles of rapid and slow sleep occur per night.
The brain works differently at each stage, in some the limbs may move, while in others the body remains motionless.

REM sleep phase. During this phase, brain activity increases, the muscles are in a relaxed state, a sign of this phase is the rapid movement of the eyeballs. The first episode of REM sleep occurs 70-90 minutes after falling asleep and lasts 5-10 minutes. The duration of each subsequent phase increases.
This phase lasts on average 90-120 minutes per sleep cycle.
It is believed that the dreams that we remember occur precisely during the slow-wave sleep phase, during the last cycles. REM sleep is hypothesized to provide functions psychological protection, processing of information, its exchange between consciousness and subconscious.

NREM sleep phase. The stage of deepest sleep lasts 80-90 minutes. Occurs immediately after falling asleep.
Within the slow-wave sleep phase there are 4 subphases or periods:

1. Beginning of sleep or drowsiness. During this phase, as you fall asleep, you may feel cramps in your limbs and a feeling of falling. During this phase, our brain continues to analyze the information received during the day, during this period there may be an awareness of how to solve problems or bursts of creativity.
2. Light sleep, taking up almost half the time. During this phase, small bursts of brain activity occur, the “sleep spindles” switch off consciousness during pauses between spindles (and they occur approximately 2-5 times per minute), and the person is easy to wake up.
3. The third stage of slow-wave sleep is intermediate; it does not have any significant differences from the others. It is difficult to wake a person during this stage, but if he wakes up, he feels disoriented for some time.
4. Stage of sound sleep, deep sleep. At this stage, attacks of sleepwalking, talking, and enuresis in children most often occur. It is during this stage that it is most difficult to wake up; you will feel tired and overwhelmed.

So how can we put into practice knowledge about the physiological patterns of our body, what time should we go to bed in order to feel light and rested in the morning? Calculating your sleep phase will help you be more alert in the morning!
Sleep phases can be calculated based on their duration and brain activity during these periods.
The slow-wave sleep phase lasts an average of 2 hours, and the REM sleep phase lasts 20 minutes. As mentioned above, the greatest activity of the brain occurs during the REM sleep phase; this state of the brain is similar to the state of wakefulness.
That is, every 2 hours 20 minutes you can wake up quite easily. Average duration sleep, so that the body can restore its strength, is 6-8 hours, you, based on the patterns of sleep phases, can easily count 4-5 intervals of 2 hours 20 minutes and set the alarm for the right time.
However, there are certain nuances. This timing assumes precision. There is no guarantee that you will be able to fall asleep immediately; if you are very tired physically, then the time you spend in the slow-wave sleep phase increases.

Rest refers to a necessary phenomenon through which processes are carried out: replenishment of energy and physiological costs. Scientists distinguish 2 phases of sleep - slow and fast.

Due to individual characteristics and excessive workload at work, it has become necessary to calculate an acceptable time to wake up in the morning. With correct calculations with the sunrise, a person will have a paradoxical result: high spirits, improved performance in any area. In addition, they will not develop concomitant diseases, such as insomnia.

The value and functions of sleep

An acceptable and recommended sleep period for adults is considered to be up to 12 am. Only at this moment is the human body able to restore the energy and physiological activity required for full performance.

The table shows valuable hours for a specific time period.

Based on the above data, you can clearly see how important it is to go to bed on time. This affects the performance of the whole organism, and therefore shapes the further mood and well-being of a person.

Several main functions have been identified through which it becomes possible to form an idea of ​​​​the benefits:

1. Internal organs and muscle At night they are in a relaxed state, gaining strength.
2. During the day, a person expends a lot of energy for full-fledged activities, but only during sleep are the reserves replenished.
3. During rest, many necessary processes occur, dictated by the brain. This is the removal of waste and toxins, rebooting the central nervous system, cleansing the brain center.
4. Also, during sleep, long-term memory is formed, which includes accumulated information. This includes understanding what you see and consolidating new skills.
5. The main component is state analysis internal organs, if violations are identified, they should be corrected. As a result, immunity improves, because new cells are formed during sleep.

Sleep is a necessary component in the life of every person. Without it it is impossible to live to the fullest. A necessary requirement is that you need to fall asleep at the recommended interval, because this can increase efficiency and prevent the development of certain diseases.

Cycle duration

Sleep is a state of consciousness of all living things, which includes 5 stages. They replace each other during the night's rest. The occurrence is explained by the activation of brain centers.

For an adult who does not have serious health problems, falling asleep begins with a nap. It doesn't take much time - only 10 minutes. After this, stage 2 enters. Lasts a little longer - 20 minutes. The remaining two stages take at least 45-50 minutes.

Once the initial 4-stage process has passed, stage 2 action occurs again. At this moment, the first episode of REM sleep appears. But it doesn’t last long – 5 minutes. Such sequential processes are formed into cycles. The first one takes 1.5 hours or a little longer. Afterwards the cyclicity resumes, but slow sleep fades away. This is because REM sleep comes into play. Sometimes it takes 60 minutes.

Important! At good rest presumably 5 cycles. The sequence and duration vary slightly, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.

Most studies confirm that fast and slow phase characterized by different durations in a ratio of 1:4. In this case, the first spends 85% of the rest time, but the second accounts for 15%. One cycle lasts 1.5 hours. It is important for a person to sleep 6-8 hours. Based on this, the cycles can be repeated 6 times. But the meanings are variable, depending on the specific case.

In young children, the process takes place in a slightly different sequence. REM sleep predominates, which is gradually replaced. Initially, it accounts for 50%, and as the baby develops, this figure decreases to 25%.

In an adult, the stages should tend to repeat in equal sequence. However, due to age characteristics And serious pathologies It is possible to observe some disturbances in normal sleep. Elderly people often face problems of insomnia, because the fast phase makes up no more than 18%, and the slow phase is completely absent.

However, there are other reasons for poor quality rest: diseases of the brain or spinal cord. In this case, it is impossible to sleep normally; there is superficial sleep. It is rare, but it is observed that a person does without rest at all, even short.

Slow phase

Certain brain centers are involved in the formation of slow-wave sleep: the hypothalamus, thalamic nuclei, and the inhibitory department of the moruzzi.

Important! The main feature of slow sleep is the formation of new cells and structures, tissue restoration. This process must occur at rest with the participation of certain hormones, amino acids and proteins.

The end result of anabolic processes is considered to be the replenishment of energy that is lost during performance during the day. Their activity begins from stage 2, because at this moment the complete relaxation. Therefore, such a period is considered favorable for restoring lost energy and physiological reserves.

Important! It has been proven that moderate physical activity per day helps prolong stage 4 of the slow phase.

When falling asleep, certain rhythms appear, which depend on good lighting in the room. sun rays. The onset of dusk signals a decrease in some activity. At this moment, the first sleep triggers are observed: yawning and weakness.

Each stage has a specific time interval. So, 8% is spent on the third, and 15% of the entire period spent on sleep is spent on the fourth. Many attribute the slow phase to the restoration of energy resources. Only it is fundamental in understanding actions and memories.

The main signs of this stage of sleep are considered to be loud breathing, which gradually becomes rarer and less deep than during wakefulness. There is a decrease general temperature, activities muscular system and eye movements. During the slow phase of sleep, a person can see minor dreams; on the encephalogram, slow and long waves begin to predominate.

The first stage is drowsiness

It refers to stage 1 of falling asleep. In this state, the sleeper is able to see phenomena and actions that bother him while awake. In addition, this has a clear characteristic:

• heartbeat weakens;
• breathing slows down;
• the temperature drops;
• you can catch the slow movements of the eyeball.

Also, an altered state is recorded in a brain hologram, accompanied by surges in mental activity. At the same time, it is recorded that a solution comes difficult situation, which was difficult to resolve in the process of life. Main fact: awakening a person from stage 1 slow-wave sleep is not difficult.

Stage two - light sleep

During shallow sleep, the consciousness of reality gradually begins to turn off, but it is still possible to react to voices or sounds. At the same time, certain processes occur in a sleeping person: a decrease in temperature, any activity weakens, and pressure drops. With repeated studies, the sequence of stages of the slow phase is comparative (with the spindle), because over time all actions decay. Ultimately - immersion in a deep state.

Stage three - slow-wave sleep

A somewhat different state develops at this stage, since all movements come to naught. This can be verified through brain research. At the same time, the pulsation is weak, sighs become more frequent, the pressure level drops, and the pupils practically do not move. Blood flow to muscles and tissues is also manifested, and growth hormone is formed. All this characterizes the process that has begun in the body to replenish energy.

Stage four - deep sleep

The last stage is responsible for complete immersion in sleep. The phase is accompanied by a blackout of consciousness; it is impossible to even feel, feel or hear anything. That is why there are no special unexpected manifestations from the body: breathing is difficult to observe, extraneous movements of the eyeballs or body parts are not observed.

In the state of the deep phase, it is almost impossible to raise a sleeping person to his feet. If this is done, poor orientation in space, slower reactions, bad feeling, it is not possible to catch the ghostly thing. Sometimes people wake up in good mood, occurs in nightmares. But this stage is not felt upon awakening.

Basically, stages 3 and 4 are classified as one, in which case their duration is about 40 minutes. High-quality and timely rest creates activity for work for the coming day. If the deep sleep stage is complete, it is possible to remember some information after waking up.

Fast phase

When rest is reorganized into a fast phase, unusable knowledge and skills are cleared in the emotional and intellectual areas. At this time, active activities take place:

• To restore nerve cells. There is an opinion that this is impossible, but these are unreliable assumptions.
• By understanding the information received during the day.
• At first preparatory actions for mental activity.

Due to the existence of a single stage of the fast phase, its duration increases, which is 15%. Its main goal is to process the received information with the possibility of its further application. In addition, this phase is mandatory, because it is required for the complete restoration of the nervous system.

Significant changes were revealed during REM and slow-wave sleep. This manifests itself in characteristic actions and movements, some of which can be observed visually:

• Difficulty breathing when exhaling deeply.
• Deviations from the normal heartbeat.
• Muscle tone weakens, which can be more clearly observed in the neck of the mouth.
• The pupils perform unconscious movements at an accelerated pace.

In this phase, dreams are the most emotional. They may be dominated by bright and significant moments from life or various situations transferred the previous day.

If a sleeper is awakened in the REM phase, he will clearly and clearly reproduce the dream. Awakening in this phase is easy because no discomfort is felt. On the contrary, your mood lifts and your well-being improves.

Through alternating phases, some changes are revealed with their effect on the body. The next morning, the likelihood of waking up in the fast phase increases, but the slow phase decreases. If it is impossible to go to bed at the conventional time, the fast phases will be shortened, but the slow phases will not be in danger.

Features of awakening in each phase of sleep

Sleeping is characterized by heterogeneity, and several phases have been identified that particularly affect the body. Each of them has specific phenomena of the brain system. The main task is to replenish energy and physiological resources.

If we talk about the correctness of phase awakenings, then you need to have information about each one. First, it is worth highlighting at what stage the interruption occurred. Problems will arise in the slow phase, because the most significant processes are being restored.

Awakening in the fast phase is facilitated, regardless of the colorful and vivid moments that can be seen in dreams. But the absence of this phase for a long time can negatively affect a person’s well-being, undermining the psychological background. She is the link between consciousness and subconscious.

How to calculate the optimal time to wake up

All stages of sleep play an important role for humans. This will allow the body to restore strength and energy. The best decision- this is compliance with the regime without violation. It is good if the cycles are completed by 4:00, since slow-wave sleep gradually declines after midnight. It is not necessary to do this, perhaps sleep more. It allows the nerves to recover at this very time when the fast phase begins.

To ensure quality rest that has beneficial effects, it is important to go to bed early. This will help maintain the duration of the phases.

Most people are curious if there is special technique, with the help of which it would be possible to calculate best time to wake up on your own. So that at the same time a surge of strength is felt, with a further desire for mental and physical labor. Dymaxion is a common technique that involves sleeping for 30 minutes 4 times a day.

Using the slow and fast phases of sleep, how to get enough sleep? If awakening occurs in the slow phase, then fatigue is guaranteed. Therefore, it is better to do it in a quick phase. Careful calculations will allow you to track the correct time. This is easy to do; you just need to build a graph. But you are also allowed to use a calculator.

Based on somnological studies, it is known that sleep cycles take 2 hours, with fast sleep only 20 minutes. Using this data, it becomes possible to calculate an acceptable time to wake up.

However, full recovery requires 6-8 hours. After making the calculations, you should set the resulting value on the alarm clock face.

To figure out positive influence when waking up in the fast phase, you can only do it yourself, for this you need to try it. But this does not mean that you will be able to fall asleep right away. Therefore, when making calculations, it is important to leave a little time in reserve.

Human sleep phases by time table

In a dream, a person arrives at one stage: fast or slow. The special features of each of them can be found in the table below:

The table describes the phases of human sleep by time and characterizes the stages occurring in a specific phase. With the completion of all stages, the end of the first cycle comes. Sleep should be cyclical, so for quality rest the body must go through 5 cycles. The stages replace each other gradually. Doctors recommend getting at least 8 hours of sleep. If you constantly violate the recommendations, you can develop a disease - a mental disorder.

Sleep takes place in 2 phases: slow and fast. In young children, the fast phase predominates, which differs from adults. At the moment of sleep, it is possible to see the movements of the eyeball, while the baby has colorful dreams. Muscle tone weakens, but this does not affect the nasopharynx and eyes. Movements are limited.

It is known that during the growth and development of a child, the need for sleep is paramount. But everyone decides for themselves how much sleep they need. This is dictated by the body, namely individual characteristics: physiological, mental.

The norm for a child is determined depending on age guidelines:

• 1-2 months - 18 hours;
• 3-4 months - 17-18 hours;
• 5-6 months - 16 hours;
• 7-9 months - 15 hours;
• 10-12 months - 13 hours;
• 1-2 years - 13 hours;
• 2-3 years - 12 hours;
• 3-5 years - 10-13 hours;
• 6-13 years – 9-11 hours;
• teenagers 8-10 hours.

Over time, children spend fewer hours resting in order to get a good night's sleep. This is dictated by changing needs and increased load on the brain. The most active ones need little time at all to gain strength for a productive day.

Deep healthy sleep- one of the most important conditions normal human well-being. If he goes to bed every day different time or does not sleep enough, all sorts of disorders and disorders appear (up to chronic insomnia). But sometimes even the optimal amount of sleep does not help us get enough sleep and, when we wake up, we feel exhausted. Why is this happening?

IN in this case Experts recommend paying attention to sleep phases (stages), which have certain characteristics and perform narrow, specific tasks. In what phase of sleep is it better to wake up and how to correctly determine the time to get up? About this and more we'll talk below.

Stages of slow-wave sleep

In order to properly understand the nuances and characteristics of human sleep, you should know that it is divided into two phases - slow and fast. Slow, in turn, is divided into 4 subphases. So, the first subphase lasts on average about 15 minutes. We all know it well as napping. What happens at this stage:

It is at this time that the brain searches for solutions to the problems facing us. Some people specifically fall asleep for 15 minutes to find a way out of a particular situation. During the process of dozing, very clear auditory hallucinations, as if someone is speaking entire sentences right above our ear.

The second stage of slow-wave sleep takes about 20 minutes in total. The brain gradually reduces the intensity of its work, the pulse slows down, breathing evens out, and the muscles relax. Despite the slowdown in brain activity, hearing is still sensitive. Therefore, even a slight rustle or sudden noise can make a person wake up. Therefore, the main conditions for falling asleep in this subphase are absolute silence with the absence of any extraneous sounds.

As for the third stage, it already refers to deep and sleep soundly. At this time, it is quite difficult to wake up the sleeping person (even by loud extraneous sounds).

And finally, the last one is the fourth subphase. Its duration is from 30 to 45 minutes. It is this that allows the body to get enough sleep and rest, and is the most important for its recovery. At this moment, it is quite difficult to wake a person. In the fourth subphase, the following phenomena appear (if the sleeper is prone to them): sleepwalking (sleepwalking), talking in sleep, dreams.

This is the moment when regeneration mechanisms are launched. Active cell renewal occurs. The body restores muscle and bone tissue, works to strengthen immune forces.

Rapid eye movement phase

IN in good condition This phase accounts for about 20 percent of the total time. Despite the relaxation of the body, the brain gradually begins to work, thinking about pressing matters. Physiological features sleeping in this moment such:

• arrhythmic heartbeat;
• uneven and intermittent breathing;
• decreased muscle tone;
• rapid movement of the eyeballs under closed eyelids;
• Convulsive movements of the legs or arms are possible.

Closer to the morning, the fast phase gradually replaces the slow phase. If for one reason or another you limit the amount of night rest, then first of all the duration of REM sleep, rather than slow sleep, will decrease (its time will practically not change).

We have all often noticed that even on a day off we wake up quite easily without an alarm clock (but only if there was no oversleeping). At the same time, our body feels great - it is completely rested and full of strength. This happens because we begin to be awake in the initial stages of slow-wave sleep. It is during this period that we have not yet entered the stage of REM sleep, but the brain is rested and ready to be awake.

If you are woken up by an alarm clock during slow-wave sleep, you will feel groggy. It will be incredibly difficult to wake up. According to experts, the best time to start the day is the first or second phase of slow-wave sleep. During this period, you will wake up surprisingly easily.

Optimal time to wake up

In order for a person to get a good night's sleep and feel refreshed, he needs all phases of sleep without exception. It is desirable that the rest consist of four full (completed) cycles of the slow and fast phases. In this case, it is best that they finally end before 4 am. The fact is that after this time the slow-wave sleep phase will no longer appear.

But this does not mean that you need to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning. This sleep time is extremely beneficial for the normal functioning of our body. It is during this sleepy period that the nervous system’s reserves and strength are actively restored. To get a good night's sleep, keep these helpful tips in mind:

Pay attention to the stages of sleep. After all, your well-being will depend entirely on which one you woke up in. One cycle lasts about 2 hours. In this case, the fast phase takes no more than 20 minutes.

Take a watch and calculate the optimal time to wake up yourself. We need to sleep at least 6-8 hours. Count down several time intervals of 2 hours and set an alarm. But don't forget to take into account the factor physical fatigue. The more tired a person is, the longer the slow phase of his sleep will be.

Assistant devices

As you can see, not only the slow phase, but also the fast phase is important for normal well-being. Do you want to avoid making mistakes when calculating the optimal amount of sleep? Then use special trackers - programs or fitness bracelets.

They will not only calculate the optimal physical activity, but will also help you decide on the time of awakening. Moreover, some models are able to take into account external and internal factors and based on them give valuable recommendations on how to improve your sleep quality.

People have always been interested in the nature of sleep, because a person gives to a given physiological state a third of your life. This is a cyclical phenomenon. During 7-8 hours of rest, 4-5 cycles pass, including two phases of sleep: fast and slow, each of which can be calculated. How long does each stage last, and what value does it bring to the human body, let's try to figure it out.

What are sleep phases

For many centuries, researchers have been studying the physiology of sleep. In the last century, scientists were able to record bioelectrical oscillations that occur in the cerebral cortex during sleep. They learned that this is a cyclical process that has different phases, replacing each other. An electroencephalogram is taken using special sensors attached to a person’s head. When the subject is sleeping, the devices first record slow oscillations, which subsequently become frequent, then slow down again: there is a change in the phases of the dream: fast and slow.

Fast phase

Sleep cycles follow one after another. During the night's rest, the fast phase follows the slow phase. At this time, heart rate and body temperature increase, the eyeballs move sharply and quickly, and breathing becomes frequent. The brain works very actively, so a person sees a lot of dreams. The REM sleep phase activates the work of all internal organs and relaxes muscles. If a person is awakened, he will be able to tell the dream in detail, because during this period the brain processes the information received during the day, and an exchange occurs between the subconscious and consciousness.

Slow phase

Fluctuations in the slow rhythm electroencephalogram are divided into 3 stages:

1. Nap. Breathing and other reactions slow down, consciousness floats away, different images appear, but the person still reacts to the surrounding reality. At this stage, solutions to problems often come, insights and ideas appear.
2. Shallow sleep. There is a blackout of consciousness. Heart rate and body temperature decrease. During this period, the dreamer is easy to wake up.
3. Deep dream. At this stage, it is difficult to wake a person. The body actively produces growth hormone, regulates the functioning of internal organs, and tissue regeneration occurs. At this stage, a person may experience nightmares.

Sequence of sleep phases

In a healthy adult, the stages of dreaming always occur in the same sequence: 1 slow phase (drowsiness), then 2, 3 and 4, then the reverse order, 4, 3 and 2, and then REM sleep. Together they form one cycle, repeating 4-5 times in one night. The duration of the two dream stages may vary. In the first cycle, the deep sleep phase is very short, and last stage it may not exist at all. The sequence and duration of stages can be influenced by the emotional factor.

Deep dream

Unlike REM sleep, the deep phase has a longer duration. It is also called orthodox or slow wave. Scientists suggest that this condition is responsible for restoring energy expenditure and strengthening the body's defense functions. Research has shown that the onset of the slow wave phase divides the brain into active and passive areas.

In the absence of dreams, the areas responsible for conscious actions, perception, and thinking are switched off. Although during the deep phase, heart rate and brain activity decrease, catabolism slows down, but memory replays already learned actions, as evidenced by external signs:

• twitching of limbs;
• special breathing order;
• playing different sounds.

Duration

Each person has an individual norm of delta sleep (deep phase). Some people need 4 hours of rest, while others need 10 to feel normal. In an adult, the deep phase takes up 75 to 80% of all sleep time. With the onset of old age, this duration decreases. The less delta sleep, the faster the body aging. To increase its duration, you must:

• create a more effective wake/rest schedule;
• before a night's rest, give the body physical activity a couple of hours;
• do not drink coffee, alcohol, energy drinks, do not smoke or overeat shortly before the end of wakefulness;
• sleep in a ventilated room in the absence of light and extraneous sounds.

Stages

Sleep structure in deep phase is heterogeneous and consists of four non-rem phases:

1. The first episode involves remembering and understanding the difficulties that occurred during the day. At the stage of drowsiness, the brain seeks solutions to problems that arose during wakefulness.
2. The second phase is also called “sleep spindles.” Muscle movements, breathing and heart rate slow down. Brain activity gradually fades, but there may be brief moments special hearing acuity.
3. Delta sleep, in which the superficial stage changes to a very deep one. Lasts only 10-15 minutes.
4. Strong deep delta sleep. It is considered the most significant because throughout the entire period the brain reconstructs its ability to work. The fourth phase is distinguished by the fact that it is very difficult to wake up a sleeping person.

REM sleep

REM (rapid eye movement) - phase or from English rem-sleep differs in increased work cerebral hemispheres. The biggest difference is the rapid rotation of the eyeballs. Other characteristics of the fast phase:

• continuous movement of organs visual system;
• vivid dreams are brightly colored and filled with movement;
• independent awakening is favorable, gives wellness, energy;
• body temperature rises due to vigorous metabolism and high tide blood.

Duration

After falling asleep, a person spends most of the time in the slow phase, and REM sleep lasts from 5 to 10 minutes. In the morning the ratio of stages changes. The periods of deep breathing become longer, and deep periods become shorter, after which the person wakes up. Fast stage much more important, so if you interrupt it artificially, then this will adversely affect emotional state. The person will be drowsy throughout the day.

Stages

Fast phase, which is also called paradoxical dream, is the fifth stage of dreaming. Although the person is completely immobile due to complete absence muscle activity, the state resembles wakefulness. Eyeballs periodically make quick movements under closed eyelids. From stage 4 of slow-wave sleep, a person returns to the second, after which the REM phase begins, which ends the cycle.

The value of sleep by hour - table

It is impossible to say exactly how much sleep a person needs. This indicator depends on individual characteristics, age, sleep disturbance and daily routine. A baby may need 10 hours to restore the body, and a schoolchild – 7. The average duration of sleep, according to experts, varies from 8 to 10 hours. When a person correctly alternates between fast and slow-wave sleep, even in a short period every cell in the body is restored. Optimal time for rest is the period until midnight. Let's look at sleep efficiency by hour in the table:

Best time to wake up

If you look at the table of dream values, you can see that less benefit time for relaxation is from 4 to 6 am. This period is the best for awakening. At this time, the sun rises, the body is filled with energy, the mind is as clean and clear as possible. If you constantly wake up with the dawn, then fatigue and illness will not be a problem, and you can do much more in a day than after waking up late.

What phase is best to wake up in?

The physiology of sleep is such that all stages of rest are important to a person. It is advisable that 4-5 complete cycles of 1.5-2 hours pass per night. The best time to get up varies from person to person. For example, it is better for owls to wake up between 8 and 10 am, and larks get up at 5-6 am. As for the dream stage, everything is ambiguous here too. From the point of view of the structure and classification of phases, the best time to wake up is those couple of minutes that occur at the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.

How to wake up during REM sleep

As the cycles repeat and the duration of the slow phase increases to 70% of the night's rest, it is desirable to catch the end of the REM stage to awaken. It is difficult to calculate this time, but to make your life easier, it is advisable to find the motivation to get up early in the morning. To do this, you need to learn, immediately after waking up, not to lie idle in bed, but to spend breathing exercises. It will saturate the brain with oxygen, activate metabolism, and give a charge of positive energy for the whole day.

How to calculate sleep phases

Self-calculation is difficult. You can find circadian rhythm calculators on the Internet, but this method also has a drawback. This innovation is based on average indicators and does not take into account the individual characteristics of the body. Most reliable method calculation - contact specialized centers and laboratories, where doctors, by connecting devices to the head, will determine accurate data on signals and oscillations of the brain.

You can independently calculate the stages of a person’s sleep something like this. Duration (average) slow stage– 120 minutes, and fast – 20 minutes. From the moment you go to bed, count 3-4 such periods and set the alarm clock so that the time you wake up falls on specified interval time. If you go to bed at the beginning of the night, for example at 22:00, then safely plan to wake up between 04:40 and 05:00. If this is too early for you, then next stage for proper ascent will be in the time interval from 07:00 to 07:20.

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