1. sleepfoundation.org www.sleepdex.org www.sleepassociation.org
Sleep Awareness
sleepfoundation.org

2. Stages of Sleep
Stage 1- Light sleep, meaning you are easily awakened. Your body is slowing down and some individuals may experience muscle twitches during this stage.
Stage 2- Eye movements come to a halt and brain waves slow dramatically. Although, your brain will still experience short bouts of rapid brain waves during this stage.
Stage 3- In this stage your brain waves slow to what are called delta waves. These are then mixed with smaller faster waves.
Stage 4- Consist of almost completely delta waves. Stages 3&4 are what is considered to be “deep sleep”.
Stage 5- REM sleep, or rapid eye movement, stage is when most individuals experience dreams. Most adults spend about 20% of their sleep in this zone.

3. How Much Sleep Do We Need?
Infants- 16hrs of sleep
Teens- 9hrs of sleep
Adults- 6-9hrs of sleep

4. Benefits of Sleep
Learning happens during sleep, ex. memories are stored.
Adequate sleep allows for better mental creativity.
A good night’s sleep equals a happier self.
Muscles rest during sleep, including the heart.

5. Lack of Sleep Causes.. Our bodies more stress
Can lead to being overweight
Your immune system to weaken
Mental health declines

6. How Sleep Effects the Immune System
Neurons that control sleep have a strong connection to our immune system.
When we are sick we feel sleepy due to cytokines which help fight infections but are also powerful sleep inducing chemicals in our brain.
Sleeping helps strengthen the immune system by conserving energy our body needs to fight infections.
The more sleep you get, the more likely your body can successfully fight off infectious diseases.

7. How To Improve Our Quality of Sleep
Make sure your mattress is comfortable.
Maintain a regular sleep schedule by waking up and going to sleep at the same time each night.
Avoid napping during the day.
Avoid electronics while laying in bed.
Exercise regularly before 2pm.

8. Why You Should Avoid Napping
Napping reduces our “sleep debt” that we need in order to easily fall asleep at night.
Taking naps decreases the amount of sleep we need the next night.
Napping can lead to fragmented sleep, which reduces the amount of “deep sleep” we actually get.

9. How To Pick the Perfect Mattress for You
Does the mattress have good support?
Make sure the mattress isn’t too hard or too soft.
Your mattress must be comfortable.
An uncomfortable mattress may cause disrupted sleep.
Does your mattress have motion separation?
Meaning when your partner rolls over, are you able to feel their movements.
Mattress temperature must not be too hot or too cold.
A good mattress will have thermoneutrality.
Does your mattress have edge support?
You do not want to feel like you are going to fall off the bed when you get close to the edge. Beds with foam encasement is preferred over a steel rod.

10. How Can Physical Activity Help You Sleep?
150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity have been linked to a better nights rest.
Physical activity gives us more energy during the day.
Physical activity improves our quality of sleep.
Those who are physically active experience less leg cramps during sleep.

11. Sources:
sleepfoundation.org