The Sleep Cycles and Dreaming

As a Dream Interpretation expert you are becoming an expert about yourself through dreams.

But do you know how often we have dreams each night? Did you know that there is a specific stage of sleep during which dreams occur?

Find out what happens during our sleep!

• Sleep cycles are prompted by the brain's natural cycles of activity which are divided into 2 states: NREM (Non Rapid Eye Movement) which consists of Stages 1 through 4 and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) which is stage 5. The types of brain waves present will determine the stage of sleep. During the stages of NREM the body repairs itself, regenerating tissues, building bones and muscles and strengthens the immune system. Interestingly, as you get older you sleep more lightly, therefore getting less deep sleep/rejuvenating time.
• The sleep stages progress cyclically from 1 through to 5 (REM) and then begin again with stage 1. Each complete sleep cycle Stages 1 to 5 (REM) lasts about 90 to 100 minutes. On average, a person will experience between4 to 7 complete sleep cycles. From this information, you can see how a person can end up having several dreams in one night! Most people tend to only remember their dreams that occur just before waking in the morning.
• Dreams occur during all stages of sleep, but the most vivid dreams occur during the REM stage. The most profound discernible characteristic of REM sleep is the bursts of rapid eye movement while dreaming. Lucid dreams in particular occur in the REM stage of sleep.
• During sleep, the body cycles between non-REM and REM sleep with the first sleep cycles during the night having relatively short REM sleeps and long periods of deep sleep. As the night progresses it switches up with shorter periods of deep sleep and the REM periods lengthening. The first period of REM typically will last 10 minutes and the final one as long as 1 hour. Typically, people begin the sleep cycle with a period of non-REM sleep followed by a very short period of REM sleep. Dreams generally occur in the REM stage of sleep.

Dream Dictionary Symbols in REM Sleep!

Stage 1

Stage 1 is the transition between waking and sleeping. It is a light sleep where a person may drift in and out of sleep and be awakened easily. The eyes are closed and muscles activity has slowed down. Many people will experience sudden muscle contractions during stage 1 which may be accompanied by the sensation that they are falling.

Stage 2

This stage is a light period of sleep where eye movement stops and brain waves slow down with only occasional bursts of rapid brain waves. Stage 2 is considered the baseline of sleep and begins the 90-100 minute sleep cycles. At this point the body prepares to enter into a deep sleep.

Stage 3 and 4

During stages 3 and 4 the brain waves slow down extremely and include smaller and faster waves. These are deep sleep stages with 4 being the deepest, and it is hard to wake someone up during this phase. These stages are also known as Delta sleep and is the most restorative. It is during the delta sleep period that most children will experience bedwetting, sleepwalking or night terrors. If someone is aroused from sleep during stage 3 or 4 they may feel disoriented for a few minutes. While in these deep sleep stages there is no eye movement or muscle activity.

Stage 5 or REM

During the REM period a person's breathing and heart rate quicken. The eyes jerk rapidly as well and we experience a temporary paralysis. Brain waves increase, similar to those experienced while awake and blood pressure also rises. It is during this REM stage that most dreams will tend to occur and are usually more vivid. If someone is awakened during this period they will have a good chance at remembering their dreams.

*Now you know all about what happens during our sleep cycles and have a better understanding of when and how dreams occur.
After your next dream, check out our Dream Dictionary to discover what your dream symbols mean today!