Why is getting sufficient sleep so important?
Proper sleep offers tremendous physical and mental advantages, and getting enough enables you to go through the necessary natural sleep cycles. The average person spends between six and nine hours of sleep each night. A restful night includes four or five distinct sleep cycles-each of which last approximately 90 minutes. Each of these sleep cycles in turn has five stages, which include drowsiness, light sleep, two stages of deep sleep, and REM sleep. The sleep pattern of a healthy adult includes about 25% deep sleep, 50% light sleep, and 25% REM. REM sleep which stands for rapid eye movement is the essential sleep cycle when dreaming occurs. A healthy young adult has about two hours of REM sleep per night, which occurs mainly during the second half of the sleep period. The REM sleep cycle which occurs between light and deep sleep is essential for your well-being. Insufficient REM may leave you feeling irritable, vague and easily fatigued. You may have experienced functioning less effec
