       Peaceful Sleep Promotion Program: When you sleep, you may believe nothing is occurring. During sleep, though, some parts of your brain are quite active. And getting enough sleep (or not getting enough) has an impact on your physical and mental health. Your body gets a chance to relax and restore energy when you sleep. A good night’s sleep may aid in stress management, problem-solving, and recovery from sickness. Sleep deprivation may result in a variety of physical issues, as well as a change in how you think and feel.
What happens in the brain during sleep?
Our sleep cycle is known to be heavily influenced by brain chemicals. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow nerves to communicate with one another. Depending on which neurons (nerve cells) they operate on, they determine whether we are awake or asleep:
- Serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmitters are produced by neurons in the brainstem (where the brain and spinal cord connect).
- Neurons at the base of the brain are responsible for us falling asleep; these chemicals keep our brains functioning while we’re awake. These neurons, it seems, switch off the signals that keep us awake.
You cycle between two types of sleep throughout the night:
- Non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep
- Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
Your brain and body act differently during these different phases.
What are the stages of sleep?
Your brain goes through regular activity cycles while you sleep. Sleep is divided into four stages, each of which is divided into two phases:
• Non-REM sleep: the first stage of sleep is non-REM sleep, which is divided into three stages. When you are in the final two stages of non-REM sleep, you are sleeping deeply. It isn’t easy to get out of this stage of sleep.
• REM sleep: About an hour to an hour and a half after falling asleep, you’ll experience REM sleep. When you’re sleeping in REM, you’re more likely to experience vivid dreams.
Your body alternates between non-REM and REM sleep as you sleep. Non-REM sleep is typically the first stage of the sleep cycle. You go through the other phases of non-REM sleep before entering REM sleep for a brief time. The cycle then starts again at stage 1.
It takes 90 to 110 minutes to complete an entire sleep cycle. The initial part of your REM sleep is brief. You’ll experience more REM sleep and less deep sleep as the night goes.
What is non-REM sleep?
Three stages make up non-REM sleep.
Stage 1:
This stage of light sleeping lasts for five to 10 minutes.
- Everything starts to slow down, including your eye movement and muscle activity.
- Your eyes stay closed. You may feel as if you haven’t slept at all if you are awakened from stage 1 sleep. You may recall pieces of images.
- You may feel as though you are about to fall and then experience a quick muscular contraction. This motion is referred to as hypnic myoclonic or hypnic jerk by healthcare experts. Hypnic jerks are frequent and not something to be worried about since their occurrence is unlikely to produce any problems or side effects.
Stage 2:
- This period of light sleep features periods of muscle tone (muscles partially contracting) mixed with periods of muscle relaxation.
- Your eye movement stops, heart rate slows and body temperature decreases.
- Brain waves become slower. You may sometimes experience a burst of fast waves known as sleep spindles.
- Your body prepares to enter deep sleep.
Stages 3
- This stage is deep sleep.
- During this stage, your brain produces delta waves, very slow brain waves.
- It’s hard for someone to wake you up during this stage.
- You have no eye movement or muscle activity.
- If you’re woken up, you may feel groggy and disoriented for a few minutes.
What happens during non-REM sleep?
During non-REM stages, your body:
- Builds bone and muscle.
- Repairs and regenerates tissues.
- Strengthens the immune system.
As you age, you get less non-REM sleep. Older people sleep less deeply than younger ones.
What is REM sleep?
When you enter REM sleep, your brain activity rises again, indicating that your sleep is not as deep. The activity levels are comparable to when you are awake. As a result, REM sleep is the period during which you will experience intense dreams.
At the same time, you are unable to move critical muscles that you usually control (such as arms and legs). They are temporarily paralyzed as a result.
REM sleep usually occurs around an hour and a half after you go to sleep. The initial REM cycle lasts approximately ten minutes. Each REM stage becomes longer and longer.
The quantity of REM sleep you get varies as you get older. The proportion of REM sleep:
- Is highest during infancy and early childhood.
- Declines during adolescence and young adulthood.
- Declines even more as you get older.
What else happens to the body in REM sleep?
In addition to increased brain activity and muscular relaxation, your body undergoes a number of changes during REM sleep. Among the changes are:
- Faster breathing.
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure.
- Penile erections.
- Rapid eye movement.
Sleep Disorders
A sleep disorder is a medical issue that interferes with your capacity to obtain adequate quality sleep, leaving you tired or sleepy throughout the day. The most common sleep disorders include:
- Insomia
- Sleep apnea
- Nacrolepsy
- Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
- And circadian rhythm sleep disorders often triggered by shift work or jet lag.
When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s tempting to reach for a sleeping pill or an over-the-counter sleep aid. However, sleep medicine will not fix the issue or treat the underlying symptoms. It may frequently worsen sleep difficulties in the long run. Even if prescription medication is required for your sleep problem, doctors suggest combining it with treatment and healthy lifestyle modifications.
Biofeedback is a training method that transmits information about a patient’s physiological processes that are generally thought to be beyond conscious control. EMG biofeedback, for example, gives information regarding muscle activity. Biofeedback is often used in combination with relaxation training or other behavioral methods to treat insomnia. The aim is to assist patients to become more conscious of their physiological processes so that they may acquire control over them. Biofeedback, for example, may assist individuals in recognizing when they are experiencing an excessive physical stress reaction and what they are reacting to. Eventually, this is believed to help individuals regulate and limit their stress reactions, leading to better sleep.
Frequencies for better sleep
(Peaceful Sleep Promotion Program)
Binaural beats
Binaural beats are rhythms that are produced by the brain.
When you hear two tones in each ear that vary slightly, your brain generates a rhythm based on the frequency difference. This is known as a binaural beat. Binaural beats are said to produce the same mental state as a meditation practice but much faster.
In general:
- Binaural beats in the delta (1 to 4 Hz) frequency range have been linked to deep sleep and calm. (Peer-reviewed journal published by Wiley)
- Theta (4 to 8 Hz) binaural beats have been related to REM sleep, decreased anxiety, relaxation, as well as contemplative and creative states. (Peer-reviewed journal published by Wiley)
Music: particularly at the 432 Hz frequency, has been found to have some potential effects on the electroencephalographic activity of the brain during daytime sleep. Although not statistically significant, the decrease in latency and the statistically significant increase in energy of alpha frequency indicate that 432 music Hz frequency music has some significant relaxing effect on the sleeping brain and equivocal impact on sleep latency, particularly among individuals with delayed sleep latency. (National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, United States)
Sleep Music 528Hz
(Peaceful Sleep Promotion Program)
– Meditative Sleep Music with the Solfeggio Frequencies of 528Hz and 1.5Hz Delta Waves (Binaural Beats). They are designed to help you fall asleep quickly and wake up refreshed and rejuvenated. 528Hz is an ancient solfeggio frequency known as “The Love Frequency” because of its strong and good therapeutic properties. 528Hz has been linked to DNA regeneration and has a unique relationship with Nature. Using a tuning fork at 528Hz and other soothing ambient noises.
How Can Herbs Help You Sleep?
Some natural herbs are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that improves serotonin production. Serotonin is a chemical that enables nerve impulses to pass from one cell to the next. Increasing serotonin levels corrects the chemical imbalance that causes insomnia, the most prevalent sleep problem. Insomnia makes it difficult to fall or remain asleep for 7 to 9 hours at a time.
In such situations, natural herbs may be beneficial. Some may promote sleep by lowering anxiety or supporting physiological changes, and physiological changes like relaxing muscles and decreasing heart rate improve sleep.
Hops, magnolia wood, lavender, lemon balm, valerian, passionflower, chamomile, arena Sativa (oats), American skullcap, California poppy, chaste tree berry, and holy basil are some herbs that may aid promote sleep.
The Amino Acids:
(Peaceful Sleep Promotion Program)
When we consume meals containing L-tryptophan, this amino acid enters the bloodstream from the digestive system and then goes to the brain. The brain subsequently converts the L-tryptophan into another molecule known as serotonin (say: sare-uh-toh-nin). Serotonin relaxes us and aids with our sleep.
L-theanine, which is traditionally present in tea, is an amino acid that has been shown to promote relaxation in the body and aid in better sleep.
Vitamins:
Tryptophan is required to produce niacin, a B vitamin required for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids in the production of good sleep patterns.
Hormones:
Melatonin is the sleep hormone. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain that causes you to feel drowsy at night or awake throughout the day. Melatonin is progressively produced when it gets dark, signaling to your body that it is time to sleep.
Minerals:
For example, magnesium controls neurotransmitters, which are messengers that convey messages throughout the nervous system and brain. It also controls the hormone melatonin, which directs your body’s sleep-wake cycles. This is why being exposed to too much bright light before bed may disrupt our sleep by preventing melatonin production.
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