There are 4 stages of sleep. 3 stages of non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) Sleep and a 4th stage of REM (Rapid eye movement) sleep. The 3 stages of non-REM sleep are called wake, light sleep and deep sleep.

While all stages are important, REM sleep is the most crucial to get the needed rejuvenation to stay healthy.

Wake time is the time spent in bed before you fall asleep. It is also normal to wake a few times throughout the night, being conscious or unconsciously aware of it. It is when you wake up tired or not fully rested in the morning that this needs further investigation.

Light sleep is the second phase of sleep which is also know as light sleep. About half your sleeping time is done in this phase. It is also a crucial time for health benefits. In this phase, your brain waves slow down, your heart rate slows done and your muscles relax.

Deep sleep occurs within the hour of falling asleep.

During deep sleep, your body slows right down and most of the bodies repair and regeneration occurs. Heart rate and breathing are at their lowest, however blood flow is increased to promote muscle repairing, tissues cells undergo regeneration and growth hormones are released.

In this phase, it is quite difficult to be woken up, however if you are, you may feel quite woozy.

REM sleep is where your eyes are moving rapidly behind your closed eyelids. This normally occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. This is an important phase for healthy brain development, emotional health and memory.

This is also the phase where dreams are remembered, however the body goes into a state of immobilisation, so that your muscles cannot mimick or take part in your dreams.

The amount of sleep we need depends on your age.

EACH STAGE IS IMPORTANT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. IF YOU ARE NOT SPENDING ADEQUATE TIME IN EACH PHASE, THIS CAN CREATE MANY DIFFERENT HEALTH ISSUES.