A healthy adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and sleeping less than this can reduce the number of REM sleep cycles. If you suffer from occasional sleeplessness, an over-the-counter sleep medication such asZzzQuil LiquidorZzzQuil LiquiCapscan help. Both contain diphenhydramine, an antih...
It’s important to schedule naps around sleep cycles to avoid waking up in a sleep stage that could cause grogginess. A well-planned nap is one in which you wake up in a lighter sleep to feel the most refreshed. Stage 1:Stage 1 of a sleep cycle10is part of Non-Rapid Eye Movement ...
Although we're usually not aware of it, we sleep in 90-minute cycles. During that time, you move through different stages of sleep: Stage I.Your brain and body are just starting to relax and drift off. This stage of light sleep usually lasts just 5-10 minutes. Stage II.Your breathing...
Sleep chronotypes may be new to you, but you’ve probably heard of circadian rhythms. The two are closely related but distinctly different. “The circadian rhythm is the ebb and flow of the hormones that regulate our sleep and wake cycles—cortisol (the alert hormone) and melatonin (the sle...
Bright light at night interrupts the body's normal day-night cycles, called circadian rhythms, and can trigger insomnia. In fact, circadian rhythms play a major role in health. Disrupted day-night cycles have even been linked to increased incidence of diseases like cancer, heart disease, obesity...
The word foreplay presumes that types of sex, like oral sex or using sex toys, are simply an introduction to the "main event." This implies that non-penetrative sex is somehow less important and, in doing so, devalues others’ experience of pleasure. Here at Natural Cycles, we celebrate...
Dreams and nightmares occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep is categorized into REM and non-REM stages, with most people experiencing four to five sleep cycles each night. Each cycle lasts for 90 to 100 minutes. REM sleep occurs more frequently during the second half of the nig...
Human endogenous circadian rhythms are coordinated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, with a day/night cycle of approximate 24 hours, which is synchronized to the environmental clues stimulated by the cycles of activity/rest, sleep/wake, and/or fasting/feeding.22 Delaying bedtime ...
With persistent vegetative state, there is breathing, circulation, and sleep-wake cycles. Medically induced. This type of a temporary coma, or deep state of unconsciousness, is used to protect the brain from swelling after an injury—and allow the body to heal. The patient receives a ...
Social rhythm therapyencourages the stability of sleep-wake cycles, to prevent or alleviate the sleep disturbances often associated with this disorder. From What is the prognosis of bipolar disorder? While the prognosis for bipolar disorder indicates that individuals with this disorder can expect to ex...