It’s scientifically agreed upon that sleep is important, but we still have much to learn as to exactly why. Evolutionary speaking, the benefits of sleep must be great to justify spending so much time unconscious. While sleep research is on-going, a few facts have started to emerge.

Sleep comes in waves, and different phases of sleep have different functions. One of these phases is called the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycle. REM sleep occurs approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep and cycles throughout the night with each REM phase increasing in duration. REM sleep is also known as paradoxical sleep because the body is both in a relaxed state but shares more similarities with wakened states than other phases of sleep.

REM sleep is the phase in which vivid dreams occur, and it is believed to benefit learning, memory, and mood. It is also thought to contribute to brain development in infants. A lack of REM sleep may have adverse implications for physical and emotional health, such as reduced coping skills, migraines, and weight gain. REM sleep seems to be so important, that after being deprived of REM sleep, the body undergoes “REM rebound” in an attempt to regain the REM sleep it lost.

Equilibrium LMT Casey Cardoso has been trying out different ways to improve their sleep quality, and stumbled upon the below deep sleep meditation. After a few days she said she felt significant sleep improvement and muscle tension melting. She’s raved about it so much, we knew we had to pass it along. If you’re having trouble sleeping, check out our previous blog with tips for how to improve your sleep quality and snooze your way to better health!