We know that sleep is essential for our bodies to recover from the day's stresses, but how does it affect our brains? Science has shown that sleep deprivation affects our mood, ability to focus, and memory function in a negative way. Unfortunately, most people aren’t aware of how important sleep is to brain health and overall well-being.
Do you want to supplement your sleep with clinically tested ingredients? Discover what Neuriva Sleep has to offer and place an order today.
Why is Sleep Important for Brain Health
Sleep is vital to several brain functions including:
Decision-making
There’s a reason we’re told to ‘sleep on it’ before making big decisions. Studies have shown that poor sleep can potentially lead to risky decisions. That's because lack of sleep affects the risk vs. reward part of your brain. Getting the proper amount of sleep can help us make better decisions.
Learning new things
Your brain goes through a few sleep cycles during sleep, which is essential to storing memories and processing information from your waking hours. So, sleep makes learning and processing new information easier. However, when you don’t get enough sleep, you might face challenges recalling information from the day before.
Staying Mentally Alert
Quality sleep helps you stay focused during the day. If you don’t get good sleep, you may become less alert during the day. A lack of sleep makes it harder to focus, finish tasks, and correct mistakes, but it is possible to improve your mental performance by getting plenty of quality sleep.
Creativity
Our brain is divided into two halves - left and right. They are responsible for different functions and right brain is more related to creativity. Getting a good sleep is important to help maintain healthy brain functions including our creativity.How Much Sleep Do I Need?
How much sleep you need depends on many factors, especially your age. Newborns and children typically need more sleep to aid in their development. For healthy adults 18 and over, you’ll typically need seven-to-nine hours of sleep a day.
For those age 60 or older, nighttime sleep tends to be more interrupted and therefore potentially shorter.
Getting quality sleep can be challenging. Supplements like Neuriva Sleep can help support healthier night’s rest*. All Neuriva Sleep supplements contain Shoden® Ashwagandha, a plant extract clinically tested and shown to help you fall asleep faster, sleep better and longer, and waking up less often during the night*.
What are the Stages of Sleep?
There are four stages of sleep, and your body cycles through each several times during a night’s rest. A single sleep cycle includes three non-REM (NREM) sleep stages followed by one REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage. On a nightly basis, and depending on the individual, you may go through the sleep cycle four-to-five times.
Sleep cycle stages include:
- NREM Stage 1
- NREM Stage 2
- NREM Stage 3
- REM Sleep
NREM Stage 1
The switch between wakefulness and sleep is called NREM Stage 1. Called the ‘gateway to sleep,’ it is the lightest of all sleep cycle stages. This NREM stage is typically very short, where your body movements and breathing begin to slow down. As you drift into this stage of sleep, you may experience sudden jolts or even feel like you’re falling, all of which is completely normal—your brain transitions from wakefulness patterns to sleep patterns.
This NREM stage is the transition between feeling awake and light sleep and usually lasts five minutes. Sleep in this stage is usually very light, and the slightest disturbances can wake you.
NREM Stage 2
You start to experience slightly deeper sleep during NREM Stage 2. Your brain activity slows down even more, and your temperature decreases. Your eye movements stop, and your breathing, muscles, and heartbeat slow down even more.
NREM Stage 2 usually lasts 10-25 minutes, and we spend half of our sleep in this stage.
NREM Stage 3
NREM Stage 3 is the deepest stage of sleep. Your brain waves are their longest and slowest. With your muscles completely relaxed, your heartbeat and breathing are at their lowest. When we say someone is in a deep sleep, we usually refer to NREM Stage 3. Deep sleep is important for our body’s restoration. It is harder to wake a person up during this stage; interestingly, sleepwalk happens during this stage too.
We spend around 20-40 minutes in deep sleep when the night starts, but it reduces in the second half of sleep.
REM Stage of Sleep
REM sleep is when most dreams occur. REM stands for rapid eye movement, and our eyes move the most rapidly and in different directions during this sleep stage. Your brain is usually very active during this stage despite being asleep, mimicking waking levels. Your body movements also begin to pick up speed. Your heart rate increases to almost the rate it would if you were awake. Your arms and legs become temporarily immobile to prevent you from acting out your dreams. REM has been suggested to be essential for healthy cognitive functions.
Because we dream during this stage, some people often confuse REM with deep sleep. However, in reality, REM is light, and it’s easy to wake a person up during this stage.
REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after you first fall asleep. We go into the REM cycle more as the night progresses, so we get the most REM sleep through the end of the night/early morning. We spend up to 25% of sleep in REM sleep.
What can I do to sleep better?
If you’re like many people, you may occasionally struggle to get a good night sleep. Here are a few lifestyle changes you can try that might help you sleep better.
- Pay attention to what and when you eat.
Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime.
- Train your body with a sleep routine.
Go to sleep at a set time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, evenon weekdays or weekends.
- Create a comfortable sleep environment.
Avoid sleep disruptors before bed, such as light, noise, and electronics.
- Take a sleep supplement.
Look for supplements with ingredients like melatonin or ashwagandha to help you sleep better. For example, Neuriva’s brand of sleep supplements include both melatonin and melatonin-free options that may help improve your sleep quality.*
Where can I order Neuriva sleep supplements?
Restorative sleep is essential for your body to function well. Sleep marks the beginning of the day, not the end. Neuriva Sleep contains Shoden® Ashwagandha, a clinically tested ingredient that may support your quality of sleep.*
You can find all Neuriva supplements in our online store and have them delivered to your home or office. Neuriva supplements are also found at most local grocery stores, pharmacies, or retailers.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease