Have you noticed how sometimes even the slightest noise can jerk you out of sleep, and other times even the loudest of sounds doesn't seem to disturb their snooze time. It still remains unexplained why this happens but maybe sleep science can help us find some answer.
Researchers claim that lifestyle, genes and sleep disorders can play a key role in determining why some people are deep sleepers, and others light sleepers.
Did you know when you are asleep, your body alternates between two sleep cycles - REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement). These cycles occur every 90 minutes. NREM sleep is the relaxation stage that comprise of 75 per cent of your night time sleep.

The first stage of sleep, which is between being awake and asleep is the light sleep phase. The next stage is the deep sleep when your breathing and heart beat regularises and the body temperature falls down. The next stage is the most restorative part of the sleep, when your muscles relax, breathing slows down and your body tissues repair and grow.

The REM is the phase of sleep when your eyes are moving rapidly. In this phase, you dream and your brain activity increases along with the heart rate and blood pressure. This is quite close to your state when you are awake.

We all know that quality sleep is important for overall well being, yet disturbed sleep is highly prevalent in our society. While this fractured sleep varies from person to person. according to a study published in NCBI, the difference in how people respond to noise in their sleep is somehow linked to levels of brain activity, termed sleep spindles. The brains of people who produce high-frequency sleep spindles are capable of sleeping through loud noises. However, there definitely needs to be more research to confirm the results.

If you think you are a light sleeper and rarely feel rested after a night sleep, you should look at other factors that may be making you inept to get a deep sleep. Start by resolving your poor lifestyle habits and if still you don't see any change, get yourself tested for sleep apnea or any other disorder.

Source: indiatimes.com