NREM Sleep

NREM sleep (Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep) consists of four stages. The first two are lighter sleeps and the second two are deeper ones. Lack of sleep in the latter stages of NREM sleep is the most common cause of sleep deprivation. It is easy to wake someone from the first two stages of this cycle, but inceasingly harder in the later two stages. The deep sleep that occurs in the latter stages is the part of our sleep that allows us to re-build our immune systems, our brains to switch off, muscles to repair, and to rejuvenate our energy ready for the next day. Therefore, it is vital our bodies are allowed to enter into these stages of sleep, and if you suffer from sleep depriavtion, you are encouraged to make sure you can sleep at some point during the day for a long period of time so as to enter into the deep sleep stage. Read REM Sleep.