There are four different stages of sleep; each is important and each is unique. These are Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3, and REM sleep. This sleep cycle doesn’t occur just once, but actually repeats itself as you sleep throughout the night. If you get a full night of sleep, you will go through each stage up to five times. Deep Sleep aka "Delta Sleep" is Stage 3 and is the most restorative stage of sleep. It happens in the first quarter of the night between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am for most people.
Deep Sleep & Recovery
Remember, while you slumber your body is hard at work. It's during the Deep Sleep phase of sleep that our blood pressure drops, our breathing slows, and our muscles relax. This is happening because all of the damage you’ve done throughout the day is being restored. No wonder it is so important! In fact, research shows us that as much as 75 percent of the human growth hormone (HGH) is released during Deep Sleep.
HGH and It's Impact on Sleep
HGH is an essential component of our well-being. It is a naturally-produced substance that promotes healthy muscle and bone mass while working to regulate metabolism. If you follow sports, you’ve probably heard of HGH before. This hormone aids in building lean muscle, burns fat and protects our muscles from breaking down, as well as gives us energy. This is why athletes want as much of it as possible!
Founder of Sleep Science Academy, Devin Burke, tells us that he has tried many things to increase the amount of Deep Sleep he gets and what he has discovered is that body temperature makes a massive difference! Yet during the summer months, it's really hard to keep your bedroom cool enough no matter what you set the thermostat to. That’s why it may be necessary to outfit your bedroom with some cooling and temperature regulating items.
Temperature-Regulating Mattress Options
City Mattress carries several options for temperature regulating mattresses. The Tempur-Pedic brand is well known for this ability. A Tempur-Pedic LuxeBreeze mattress keeps you up to eight degrees cooler throughout the night! Maximum airflow is provided from the Tempur CM Comfort layer. The support layer has Ventilated Tempur-APR, a new breakthrough technology. The SmartClimate Max Dual Cover System is a zippered, removable and washable cover that is double cool to the touch. This mattress has four levels of Breeze Technology enabling you to sleep cooler and spend time in Deep Sleep, no matter what the temperature is outside.
Another recommended option is a mattress in the PranaSleep flagship collection. PranaSleep Collection mattresses allow you to get a profoundly deep sleep with the help of a natural thermostat. This includes the Outlast Smart Fabric. The unique phase changing Outlast Smart Fabric seamlessly absorbs excess body heat and releases it back as needed. Originally developed by NASA, this unique fabric helps to facilitate the body’s cooling process, enabling Deep Sleep. As well, these mattresses also have an UltraQuilt Layer. This quilted top layer provides a breathable, cushioning layer between you and the latex that makes your mattress so supportive and comfortable. Woven with the latest space-age technology, NASA-developed Outlast microcapsules are applied to threads coupled with high-density foams to create a phase-changing material that regulates your body’s temperature.
Cooling Pillows & Cooling Pads
Beyond buying a new mattress, you can also look into a cooling pillow and a chilling pad. The Tempur-Pedic Adapt Pro Cooling Pillow was specially engineered to quickly move heat away from the body. The TMI Remarkable Ice Silk Pillow is a memory foam pillow that was designed to dissipate heat away from the pillow, keeping your head cool throughout the night. Both of these are great additions to a temperature-regulating mattress.
For healthy adults, sleep is a key time for the release of HGH. The biggest and most significant production of HGH happens during the Deep Sleep stage. Serious sleep disruptions, like waking up too often because you’re hot, can interfere with your body’s normal process for releasing HGH into the bloodstream. If anything is stopping you from getting the good night of sleep you need to stay healthy and happy, visit your nearest City Mattress location or shop online and get help learning about the products you need to solve the problem.