It’s another beautiful day here in St. Louis, and I’m still jacked-up from, what can only be described as, the greatest movie ever made…Top Gun: Maverick.
Okay, maybe it’s not the greatest movie ever made, but it was awesome! I want you to go in fresh, so I won’t say anything, other than you will NOT be disappointed.
And holy cow, does Tom Cruise ever age?
I remember reading an article in Time about sleep being the real fountain of youth. And it’s not hard to figure out why when you uncover what each stage of sleep does.
If you missed my emails the past few days, here are the stages of sleep:
- Light sleep
- Deep sleep
- REM Sleep
- Awake
Go back and read my last two emails if you need to catch up because today, we’re talking about the benefits of REM sleep. Not to be confused with REM, one of the great bands in the 80s and 90s – if I had to choose, Man on the Moon is my favorite jam of theirs.
So, if Deep Sleep is the “physically restorative” state of sleep, you can probably guess how Rapid Eye Movement Sleep helps us recover.
Yup, REM Sleep is the “mentally restorative” stage of sleep.
During REM, your brain converts short-term memories made during the day into long-term ones. It’s kinda like putting all the change in your pocket into a big glass jug at the end of the day.
Our brains are very active during REM, our heart rate increases, and our respiratory rate increases. It’s also when we have those really vivid dreams about…well, I won’t share what some of my dreams are about:) You know what I’m talking about.
For maximum performance, you’ll spend about 25% of your sleep in this stage (about half your sleep is light).
I know when I don’t get a good night’s sleep, and my REM suffers, I tend to forget some things that happened the previous day.
To use a more extreme example, think about when you have too much to drink and sleep like s***. Is the previous night a little fuzzy? Do you have to be reminded of some of the things that happened, then you remember? THAT is because your brain isn’t getting any REM sleep.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a few cold ones. All I’m doing is explaining the phenomenon. It’s always up to you how you treat your vessel.
Knowing is half the battle, GI Joe.
Alright, I’m on my way to KC for a member-guest at my buddies TJ’s club, so I’m going to get on the road. I know how these weekends go, so tomorrow morning maybe a little fuzzy:)
Your #1 Fan,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – I promise you will sleep better every night if you work out or exercise during the day. You don’t have to listen to me, it’s been proven time and time again in studies.
If you don’t have a go-to workout, and haven’t joined the 18STRONG Membership App yet, then I highly recommend you start your trial today by clicking the link above.
Your body and your brain will thank you.