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 will 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 in deep sleep but you are no longer awakened by 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 start to sleep more soundly. Your breathing becomes regular, your heart rate decreases, 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, as it allows you to rest well. Deep sleep is also known as delta sleep or slow-wave sleep. This phase of sleep creates large waves in the brain that form a delta pattern. These slow brain waves promote relaxation of our muscles and slower breathing. During a deep sleep phase, your body optimally recovers and builds 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 processing occurs 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:

• The growth hormone is produced
• The body tissues recover
• 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 one and a half hours, is completed about 3 to 6 times per night. The stage of deep sleep in which the body recovers lasts the longest at the beginning of the night. With each repetition of the sleep cycle, the duration of this stage decreases. Therefore, 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. For example, 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 who sleep too little. As well as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and possibly even cancer.

As you can now imagine, good and deep sleep is very important. Rest is necessary to give the brain a chance to process experiences and to allow the body to recover. It is advisable to promote and extend your deep sleep. There are three methods that can enhance your deep sleep:

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

Yes, a weighted blanket can improve your deep sleep. This is because a weighted blanket responds to tip three above: it allows your body to 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. This calming effect signals to your body that it feels safe, the happiness hormones serotonin and endorphin are produced, your nervous system relaxes, and you fall into a wonderfully deep sleep.