Four stages of sleep

“I have insomnia. What should I do? How to deal with it? — I am asked such questions more and more often, regardless of what problem the client comes to me with. Ever since I got engaged at university, I have been interested in the topic of sleep and insomnia. I continue to study this topic, especially as insomnia becomes literally an epidemic and more and more clients are seeking help. Exactly what the functions of sleep are for the body and the human brain is still a matter of debate among scientists who have not come to a single and definitive answer. I can say from the experience of my clients who come to me with the issue of insomnia that lack of sleep can have serious consequences. Clients who suffer from insomnia report a decreased ability to cope with daily tasks, not to mention a decreased sense of well-being.

Sleep follows a “wave” pattern with four stages of sleep depth. At the moment of falling asleep we enter phase 1 , this is a kind of bridge of transition from wakefulness to sleep. The phase is characterized by a low level of nervous system excitation. It has a very short duration, about five minutes, and quickly leads to phase 2 , which lasts 10 to 15 minutes and corresponds to the time when people say “fell asleep.” Thus, phase 1 represents the preparatory phase, while phase 2 is the moment when the “switching off” of consciousness typical of sleep is perceived.

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