Benefits of REM sleep on our Physical Health | NEWN

Benefits of REM sleep on our Physical Health

Ever come across your geek friends talking about REM sleep? Perhaps it is important for you too to know what it is and it might actually have a lot of benefits on your physical health. The human sleep cycle is divided into two stages; NREM (which is further divided into many stages) and the REM sleep stage.

The REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. A person will enter the REM sleep stage within the first two and hours of falling asleep. Although, the eyelids of the person are closed the eyeballs rapidly move from side to side. In this state, most of your bodily functions like heartbeat, blood pressure, and brain activity become elevated to levels when you are awake. Scientists consider this state of the sleep highly important as this is linked with many aspects of our physical and mental health.

Some of the benefits of REM area as follows:

Increased coping skills

Scientists have been studying REM sleep for a long time and they have found that animals which get adequate REM sleep have increased coping skills. Whereas, animals who lacked REM sleep were not able to cope as well in threatening situations. So researchers believe the same principle applies to human beings. Getting adequate REM sleep enables us to respond appropriately to stressful situations in daily life.  

Reduced Migraines

If you experience migraines quite regularly then this could be linked to your REM sleep. Researchers have found that people who get adequate REM sleep experience migraines less often. Migraines can be a sore point in one’s life. They take away the positivity and productivity one needs to thrive in life. Next time you find yourself with a headache and nausea, try to think how much sleep you have been getting lately.

Reduced Obesity

Many people find themselves quite large in size although their diet consists of all the healthy foods. Despite a normal calorie intake, they tend to put on a lot of weight. Well, don’t be surprised. This may also be linked to REM sleep. A study suggests that those individuals who have a shorter REM sleep tend to put on more weight which in turn can result to other health problems such as lethargy, reduced mobility and problems like diabetes, blood pressure, etc.

Decreased emotional impulsiveness

Researchers have also found that those people who do not get adequate sleep (inadequate sleep leads to inadequate REM sleep) become more emotionally impulsive and reactive to things. This means you can be cranky if you are not getting enough REM sleep. Not only will this improve your overall mood but will also affect your overall relationship with others. Whether it be your office or home a good mood will always bring out the best in you.

Keeps you away from Alzheimer’s disease and Depression

Interestingly, getting adequate REM sleep also keeps you away from Depression. If you continue to get inadequate REM sleep you could start experiencing symptoms of depression. There are studies which indicate however not a causal relationship between REM sleep and depression but they do show such trends. Lack of REM sleep is also associated with Alzheimer’s in the same article. Getting enough REM sleep at night will lower down your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease early on in life.

Supply of extra oxygen to break down lactic acid

During REM sleep the body is supplied with extra oxygen to break down the lactic acid that is accumulated in the body throughout the day. This helps repair the muscle and reduce pain which may arise in your muscles if the breakdown of lactic acid remains incomplete. If you are a bodybuilder or you have to use your body’s strength then getting enough REM sleep is a must for you or else you will feel fatigued the entire day. Stiff muscles whether in the back or in the arms, can become a sore point in your daily life.

A good night’s sleep is necessary to get adequate REM sleep. Many people who are aware and are conscious about their health sleep on surfaces which provide them with the most comfortable sleep. Sleeping is an essential component of our daily life and compromising on it yields nothing but problems.

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