How much deep sleep do you need?

Deep sleep is one of the five sleep phases of the sleep cycle. Before we can tell you more about deep sleep, we explain how the sleep cycle works.

Sleep phase 1: falling asleep phase

In the falling asleep phase, you float for a few minutes between being awake and asleep. Brain activity decreases.

Sleep phase 2: light sleep

As the name suggests, you are not yet sleeping deeply but you no longer wake up from small sounds. This sleep phase lasts just under an hour.

Sleep phase 3: transition phase

In the transition phase from light to deep sleep, you sleep more soundly. Your breathing becomes regular, your heart rate drops, and your body relaxes. This phase lasts about 5 minutes.

Sleep phase 4: deep sleep

Deep sleep lasts about 20 minutes and is actually the most important phase because you rest well from it. Your deep sleep is also called delta sleep or slow-wave sleep. This phase of sleep causes large waves to form in the brain that create a delta pattern. These slow brain waves cause relaxation of our muscles and slower breathing. During a deep sleep phase, your body recovers optimally and builds up energy for the next day.

Sleep phase 5: REM sleep

REM sleep follows deep sleep and is also called dream sleep. Your heart rate and breathing are irregular, our muscles are completely relaxed, and our blood pressure rises. During REM sleep, information is processed and part of our experiences is stored in our long-term memory.

During the deep sleep phase – which you have about 3 to 6 times per night – the following happens:

• Growth hormone is produced
• Body tissues repair
• There is more blood flow to the muscles, allowing them to recover and grow
• The body's energy levels are replenished
• Blood pressure drops

On average, the entire sleep cycle, which lasts about an hour and a half, is completed about 3 to 6 times per night. The stage of deep sleep in which the body recovers lasts longest at the beginning of the night. With each repetition of the sleep cycle, the duration of this stage decreases. That is why the first 4.5 hours of your sleep cycle are the most important. It is an absolute minimum. Most people need more sleep.

When you sleep too little or have a disturbed sleep-wake rhythm, you can experience various consequences. You may suffer from mood and concentration problems, but it can also lead to eating problems, a disturbed biological clock, and psychiatric disorders such as psychosis or depression. In addition, the physical consequences of too little sleep should not be underestimated. Obesity is, for example, a common problem among people with too little sleep. As well as heart and vascular diseases, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and possibly even cancer.

As you can probably imagine by now, sleeping well and deeply is very important. Rest is necessary to give the brain the chance to process experiences and to allow the body to recover. It is therefore wise to promote and extend your deep sleep. There are three methods that can promote your deep sleep:

1. Do not eat too heavily and do not drink alcohol in the last hours before going to sleep.
2. Sleep in a well-darkened environment. The production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy, is inhibited by light.
3. Let your body relax well to improve your deep sleep.

Yes, a weighted blanket can improve your deep sleep. This is because a weighted blanket addresses tip three above: it helps your body relax better before and during your night's rest.

Our weighted blankets are made heavier with a filling of hypoallergenic glass sand. The extra weight of the weighted blanket feels like a comfortable hug. Due to this calming effect, your body receives the signal that it feels safe, the happiness chemicals serotonin and endorphins are produced, your nervous system relaxes, and you fall into a wonderfully deep sleep.