This article explains “Stages of Sleep in Psychology and Types with Explanation“. In this section, I will describe how sleep stages work.

I would like to start by describing what sleep is? The sleeping process is a mode or condition of the body and mind during the night. The nervous system does not operate in this state in which eyes are closed, muscles are relaxed in sleeping positions, and awareness is drooping.

Stages of Sleep in Psychology:

Sleep consists of two stages:

  1. Non-Rapid Eye Movement (Non-REM).
  2. Rapid Eye Movement (REM).

NON-RAPID EYE MOVEMENT:

Additionally, it is called Non-REM.

The Non-REM process includes 3 steps, namely N1, N2, and N3.

N1:

Non-REM sleep is considered to be the first stage of sleep. N1 is a mixture of awareness and sleep, since it is the beginning and first stage of sleep.

Having our eyes closed in this state means our minds and brains are still functioning in this state as it is between sleep and awareness.

You are aware of the things going on around you in N1, but you aren’t capable of answering them because you are half-awake and in-between sleep and awareness.

The N1 also gives a glimpse of your entire day in one glance.

N2:

This is the second sleep stage. The second stage is called N2. In this phase, the individual is stepping out of a semi-sleepy state and entering a fully-sleeped one.

In N2, the person is fully sleepy when neither his or her mind nor muscles are working, causing them to be hard to wake up.

N3:

This is the final stage of Non-REM sleep. N3 looks like delta waves. It is incredibly difficult to wake up in N3 since it is almost like being dead. N3 also includes those who move or talk while asleep.

RAPID EYE MOVEMENT:

Your eyes begin to move more rapidly at this stage. It is also called paradoxical sleep.

A paradoxical scenario is one in which the mind is active, yet the body is paralyzed.

Here is an example that will help you understand this term.

As you sleep, picture yourself at the top of a mountain, imagine being pushed down from the hill, and being powerless to protect yourself since you are sleeping.

During this period, your body is paralyzed; therefore, you cannot respond physically, but you will continually move your eyes under your lids.

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading “Stages of Sleep in Psychology and types with Explanation“. Please comment below if you would like to start a discussion.

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Ruby has been a writer and author for a while, and her content appears all across the tech world, from within ReadWrite, BusinessMagazine, ThriveGlobal, etc.

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