5/5/2023 0 Comments Rem sleep vs deep sleep![]() Non-REM: Does not have rapid eye movement and is primarily slower wave activity.REM sleep: REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement and is the time when we experience most of our dreams.(10) Sleep stages are separated into two categories: These impulses show patterns of frequency that relate to our sleep stages and can be defined as N1, N2, N3 & N4, and REM. It takes about 90 minutes to complete one full sleep cycle (consisting of these five stages) and we usually have several cycles a night.Ī common practice to measure sleep is through EEG (electroencephalogram) where researchers can detect electrical impulses in the brain. Mathew Walker, author of “Why We Sleep” explains that we travel through 5 different and distinct stages of sleep. Sleep is like a scrub for your brain- sleep helps the brain clean out many toxic by-products, and a chemical called beta-amyloid which can cause Alzheimer’s if allowed to build-up. No amount of meditating can completely replace our body’s need for sleep- it’s a tool, not an alternative. Theta waves fire when we’re dreaming-but they also occur when we’re in a state of deep meditation, or when we have relaxed attention.Sound familiar? Yes, just like when we’re meditating, but also when we’re about to fall asleep. Alpha waves occur when the eyes are closed and the mind is relaxed.Slow Wave Activity: 0.5 – 2 Hz in frontal regions of the brainĭifferent waves represent different types of brain activity, but what we’re most interested in are alpha and theta waves. ![]() “ Brainwaves ” exist at 6 different frequencies. These wave cycles, also called frequencies, are measured as Hz, or hertz. The neurons in your brain create electrical pulses that are visualized in EEG form as repetitive waves. Melatonin production is mostly affected by the amount of natural light your body absorbs, but also certain foods. It can even help you sleep: in some studies, meditation practices have shown to increase melatonin levels – a hormone made in the brain that controls our sleep cycles. Meditation can help reduce stress and can reduce the effects of memory loss. We’ve all had an experience of trying to ‘force’ ourselves to sleep, but it just doesn’t work- we ‘fall’ asleep, we don’t ‘jump’ asleep. Needless to say, sleep is a complex system that we continue to research. Studies suggest that while you are dozing off, the brain is hard at work re-sculpting our synaptic landscape -organizing our memories and influencing our behaviour. On the contrary, many neurophysical changes occur while you sleep. Focused meditation is active and alert.(1)ĭuring sleep our conscious mind takes a break, but that doesn’t mean the brain isn’t at work. When meditating, we focus our mind on any number of things: our breathing, compassion, stress-reduction, critical thinking, or visualizing our goals. The key difference between meditation and sleep is the mind’s alertness. The Difference Between Meditation and Sleep Here’s a more in-depth look at what happens to the brain during sleep vs a meditative state. Admit it, sometimes when you’re meditating you think to yourself, “Why don’t I just go to sleep instead?” There’s no shame in that! In fact, that’s part of the point of meditation-to rest and relax the mind-but sleep and meditation don’t affect the mind in the same way.
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