Have you ever noticed that at any given point during the night, you’re more or less prone to waking up? That’s because your sleep cycle is actually made up of four different stages; you don’t doze off into dreamland until the very last stage! When you’re in the lighter sleep stages, sounds, light, and interrupted breathing are more likely to bother you.
Being familiar with the four stages of sleep is important for understanding how obstructive sleep apnea impacts your health and wellness, so it’s time for some sleep talk! Keep reading, and you’ll learn more about your nightly sleep cycle.
Stage 1 and 2: Light Sleep
Stage one of your sleep cycle is when you’re just starting to nod off. Your body and mind are still pretty alert at this point, and you’re still aware of external stimulus. Your mind might even be fairly active as you mentally review your day or go over tomorrow’s to-do list.
Ideally, you’ll enter stage two within a matter of minutes. This is still considered light sleep, but your brain will switch to preparing you for true rest by releasing sleep spindles (special waves that help prevent early waking).
Stage 3: Deep Sleep
During the third stage of your sleep cycle, you’ll effectively be unconscious. This creates the perfect opportunity for your body to stop focusing on waking functions and start repairing muscles and tissue, boosting your immune system, and energizing cells. Stage three helps you recover from your day and prepare for the next morning!
Stage 4: REM Sleep
Finally, you’ll approach the fourth sleep stage: REM. REM stands for “rapid eye movement,” and describes how your eyes will move while you rest. If you dream, you’ll do so during REM, and your brain will also start “sorting” various information you’ve picked up over the course of your day. In other words, it will synthesize this information as memories.
The Impact of Sleep Apnea
When you have obstructive sleep apnea, blocked airways make it difficult for you to breathe while your body “powers down.” In response, your brain wakes you up to get more air. Obviously, it’s important that you breathe, but an unfortunate side-effect is that you spend less time in deep and REM sleep. As you might imagine, this can make it more difficult for your body to get the break it needs and for your mind to process your day. So, you start to experience fatigue, get sick more easily, and struggle with memory fog.
Overall, having your sleep cycle frequently interrupted by sleep apnea instances impacts how you experience the day. You might notice yourself becoming irritable, melancholic, nervous, or feeling just plain “blah.” Treating your sleep apnea can help you get the quality rest you need to function at your best and enjoy your mornings!
About the Practice
Dr. Amanda Hyland and Dr. Carly Hempen both earned their dental degrees from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. They love being able to help patients improve their quality of life – and quality of sleep! To schedule a sleep apnea consultation with their office, please call 507-387-3249.