Catchin’ Zzz 9/14/2004

Sleep tight, good night

It’s about that time – time for bed. But your favorite TV show is about to come on. Before you give up an hour of sleep for a television show, think about this: You need your sleep. Overnight, your body will release growth hormones – the stuff that makes you taller.

"When they say you grow overnight, it’s true," said Jill Gryzwinski, who works at the Monroe Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists and the Mercy Memorial Hospital Sleep Clinic with people who have trouble sleeping. She knows all about sleep because she uses polysomnography – a test that monitors your breathing, eye movement, heart rate and other things your body does when you sleep.She said it’s best not to stay up too late if you want to get a good night’s sleep. You should also avoid pop too close to bedtime. That can keep you up or make sleeping more difficult.

So can reading or watching TV in bed. And for a good night’s sleep, try not to eat or exercise five hours or less before bed."Sleep is so important so that you have a fresh start for a new day," Mrs. Gryzwinski said.

While you were sleeping- The five stages

There are five stages of sleep. Each stage is part of a cycle that repeats about five times throughout a full night’s sleep.First, the body goes into a stage called "waking," in which the body prepares for sleep by relaxing.

Stage 1 - This is a stage called drowsiness, your eyes are closed. This will last five to 10 minutes.

Stage 2 - This is a period of light sleep. Your heart rate slows down and your body temperature gets a little lower while preparing for deep sleep.

Stages 3 and 4 - Your body is sleeping deeply in this stage, also known as slow-wave or delta sleep.

Stage 5 - This stage is called REM, or rapid eye movement. Your heart rate and breathing speed up and become uneven. Your face, fingers and legs might even twitch. At the same time, your voluntary muscles like your legs and arms, neck and chin cannot move. This is when you dream. Your first REM will last about 10 minutes, but each time your reach this stage in a cycle, it will get longer. Your last REM stage of the night might last up to one hour.

Some sleep cycle facts - The older you get the less deeply you sleep.

Armadillos, a small animal covered in a hard bony plate that lives in parts of the southern United States like Texas and parts of South America, has the most REM of any animal.