As William Shakespeare once described sleep as, ‘the main course in life’s feast, and the most nourishing.’
The man wasn’t wrong – sleep is vital to our mental and physical well-being, the deeper the better.
Yet, many of us can struggle to get a good night’s sleep, often waking up in the early hours of the morning or struggling to find that perfect sleeping position.
How much deep sleep should we be getting and what tips are there for a deeper sleep?
How much deep sleep should you get?
Deep sleep is particularly important as it’s when your body performs many of its most vital functions, including detoxifying your organs, your kidneys filter your blood, wounds heal quicker in this time, and your body builds muscle tissues.
Sleep expert Neil Stanley previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘Individual sleep need is like height – we are all different and it is to a large degree genetically determined.’
Mr Stanley from the Sleep Consultancy said that the average person needs around 7.5 to 9 hours per night.
Out of this figure, 1.5 to 1.8 hours of it should be deep sleep.
How is deep sleep different to light sleep?
Light sleep is known as non-REM sleep.
REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement – and the less deep your sleep, the less your eyes will move around.
Once you reach deep sleep, or REM sleep, your eyes move quickly in all directions.
For an average sleeping pattern, you will enter non-REM sleep a little after 10 minutes of your first light sleep. Your body temperature and heart rate will decrease as you fall into a deeper sleep.
You will then enter your deep sleep stage, where it’s harder to wake you up.
Once you’re in deep sleep, your brain becomes much more active. Yes, it might the more asleep you are, the more alert your brain is. This is where your vivid dreams will happen – at your deepest phase of sleep.
Tips for a better deep sleep
If you’re someone who struggles to get shut-eye, sleep experts previously gave Metro.co.uk some tips and tricks to aid a more restful night.
These include:
- Reverse psychology – if you try to stay awake, your body can paradoxically start to shut down
- Eat sleep-boosting foods – enjoy magnesium-rich foods such as dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains, dark chocolate, fatty fish, nuts, bananas and avocados
- Invest in good bedding – Bedding that is 100% cotton that is breathable and soft is ideal
- Work on your breathing – Slow breathing at six breaths per minute is proven to be the most effective breathing technique to sleep well
- Calm your mind – essential oils and the smell of lavender can help to promote restful sleep
You can find more sleeping tips here.
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