Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Deep Sleep?How to Sleep DeeperHow Much Do I Need?Health BenefitsDeep Sleep Tests
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Deep Sleep?
How to Sleep Deeper
How Much Do I Need?
Health Benefits
Deep Sleep Tests
This article reviews how to sleep deeper at night and why getting more deep sleep can benefit your overall physical and mental health.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Learn the 4 Stages of Sleep
Sleeping deep means getting more slow-wave sleep. This name comes from the slow brain waves, called delta waves, that the brain produces during this point in the sleep cycle.
Slow-wave sleep is the deepest sleep stage. It is also called NREM Stage 3 sleep. This stage happens more in the first third of the night. It is very hard to wake someone when they are in the deep stage of sleep.
What Are the Stages of Sleep?Sleep used to be divided into five stages and deep sleep was called stage 4. In 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) changed the categories for sleep stages to:NREM Stage 1NREM Stage 2NREM Stage 3REM Sleep
What Are the Stages of Sleep?
Sleep used to be divided into five stages and deep sleep was called stage 4. In 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) changed the categories for sleep stages to:NREM Stage 1NREM Stage 2NREM Stage 3REM Sleep
Sleep used to be divided into five stages and deep sleep was called stage 4. In 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) changed the categories for sleep stages to:
The 4 Stages of Sleep
What is shallow sleep syndrome?Also called nonrestorative sleep, shallow sleep syndrome occurs when you are able to sleep but you wake feeling unrefreshed. It is common in people with conditions such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
What is shallow sleep syndrome?
Also called nonrestorative sleep, shallow sleep syndrome occurs when you are able to sleep but you wake feeling unrefreshed. It is common in people with conditions such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Is Sleeping Naked Good for Your Body?
There are several reasons that you might not be getting enough deep sleep.
There are not that many ways to sleep deeper at night. That said, there are some strategies for getting deeper sleep that you can try.
Do You Need Less Sleep?
Sleep happens according to acircadianpattern, or your “internal clock.”
You get more deep sleep earlier in the night. Irregular sleep interferes with the timing and can cause you to get less deep sleep.
To avoid messing up the timing, try to keep a regular sleep and wake schedule—including on the weekends.
Getting morning sunlight as soon as you wake up can also help because natural light is a cue for yourcircadian rhythm.
Avoid Naps
If you nap during the day, it may interfere with your ability to sleep deeply at night. Being awake for a long time can enhance your homeostatic sleep drive (pressure for sleep). In other words, the longer you stay awake, the more you want to sleep. When you finally do sleep, you may sleep deeper.
This strategy is called sleep consolidation or sleep restriction. It’s been shown to be an effective way to treatinsomnia.
Sleep restriction is used as part ofcognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI)programs.Sleep deprivationcan lead to deeper periods of sleep.
The Best Time to Go to Bed Based on Your Age
Be Active During the Day
Exercise and daytime physical activity may help you sleep better. It’s not clear, however, when you should time physical activity if you want to sleep deeper.
Get Sunlight in the Morning
Research shows that exposure to bright morning light causes you to get sleepy earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning.
By timing your exposure to sunlight during certain hours of the day, you can train your body to fall asleep at your desired bedtime. The body is most sensitive to light in the morning and evening. So, in order to shift your bedtime about one hour earlier, you will need to wake up one hour earlier than you usually do to spend some time in the sun.
On the contrary, exposure to bright lights in the evening causes you to get sleepy later in the evening and wake up later in the morning.
How Getting Sunlight in the Morning Can Help You Sleep Better
Relax at Night
Some research has looked at how our nighttime behaviors and environments affect sleep in general, but we don’t know as much about how these factors could help with deep sleep, specifically.
For example, taking a warm bath or shower about 90 minutes before you go to bed and having acooler bedroom may improve deep sleep.Make sure your bedroom and bed are set up to help you relax. A supportive mattress and pillows can help make sure you sleep comfortably. Your room should be dark and quiet.
How to Make Your Bedroom Better for Sleep
Treat Sleep Disorders
If you are having trouble sleeping, it’s important to get an evaluation from a healthcare provider. You may have a sleep disorder. Treating your sleep disorder can help you return to a normal sleep pattern.
Some medications and substances can make you sleep deeper:
There are also some sleep aids that do not seem to impact deep sleep one way or another. These non-benzodiazepine sleep aids include:
Avoid Caffeine
Drinking or eating things that contain caffeine before bed can affect your ability to fall asleep or get deep sleep once you do. Sometimes increasing the amount of deep sleep you get may be as simple as cutting out caffeine at least three or four hours before you go to bed.
Drink Alcohol in Moderation
Furthermore, alcohol consumption is associated with snoring, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, all of which are known to reduce sleep quality.
To improve sleep quality and sleep duration, and avoid waking up throughout the night, it’s important to only drink in moderation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, moderate drinking is having two or less drinks per day for men, and one drink or less per day for women.
Check Other Medications
Certain medications may make it difficult for you to sleep. Some of these include:
If you’re taking a new medication and are having trouble sleeping, talk to your healthcare provider. They may be able to adjust your dose or switch you to a different medication.
Explore Technology
Some researchers are looking at whether devices that give off electrical patterns, vibrations, sounds, or light could enhance deep sleep.
Can Marijuana Help You Sleep?
Do I Really Need to Sleep Deeper at Night?
If you feel like you want to sleep deeper, you may not know where to start or how much more deep sleep you should try to get.
People of different agesspend different amounts of time in deep sleep. For example:
Studies have found people spend less time in deep sleep as they get older. However, men tend to have a much sharper decrease in deep sleep as they get older compared to women.
Reasons You’re Tired All the Time
Benefits of Deep Sleep
Getting enough sleep, including deep sleep, benefits your mind and your body. Adequate sleep is key for both your physical and mental wellness.
Growth and Muscle Repair
When you sleep deeper at night, your body can release growth hormone—the chemical that helps build and repair tissues.
Growth hormone is needed for normal growth in childhood 410, but it also matters to the health and function of adult bodies.
For example, it helps build muscle after exercise and limits the effects of normal wear and tear on the body. The increased blood flow to the muscles that happens during deep sleep helps these processes.
Brain Function
Getting deep sleep is also important for clearing waste from the brain, including a protein calledbeta-amyloidthat has been found in abnormal amounts in thebrains of people with Alzheimer’s 410.
Removing this waste helps your brain process and store memories.
How Much Sleep Do You Need For a Healthy Heart?
Pain
If you aren’t getting deep sleep it may make chronic pain worse. A lack of deep sleep has been linked to a condition calledfibromyalgia, which causes pain, depression, and fatigue.
When you’re able to sleep deeper, you may feel less pain.
Impaired Growth
Sometimes, not being able to sleep deeper at night can cause growth problems for kids.
For example,children with untreated sleep disorders(like sleep apnea) will get less deep sleep. Not getting enough deep sleep interferes with the release of growth hormone which can lead to slower-than-normal growth.
Fortunately, most children will catch up on growth once they receive treatment for a sleep disorder and are able to sleep deeper.
Immune Function and Chronic Diseases
Not sleeping deeply can also affect your immune system.If you are not able to sleep deeper, you may find that you frequently get common illnesses likecolds or influenza(flu).
A lack of deep sleep may also increase your risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease orcancer.
Can You Die From Not Sleeping Enough?
Check How Much Deep Sleep You Get
If you’re looking for ways to sleep deeper at night, you are probably well aware that you are not getting the amount of deep sleep that your body needs.
You may have frequentarousalsduring the night or make too many transitions from deep to light sleep. You may also wake up completely throughout the night. When you get up in the morning, youmight still feel tired. Throughout the day, you might feel sleepy or fatigued.
There is no easy, accurate way to measure sleep stages, so it’s hard to know for sure how much deep sleep you are getting each night.
The gold standard test for diagnosing sleep problems is apolysomnogram.It’s a formal study done at a sleep center that measures:
There are some limitations to a polysomnogram test:
How to Get Ready for a Sleep Study
Wearables and fitness trackersuse a few different measurements to track your sleep, including:
Wearable devices can give you an overview of your sleep patterns but thesemeasurementsdo not give you an accurate picture of your deep sleep.
As more research is done and the designs are improved, wearable devices may become more accurate and useful for helping people understand their sleep patterns.
Summary
Finding ways to sleep deeper at night can benefit your overall health.
Deep sleep, also called NREM Stage 3 sleep, is important for repairing the body and clearing waste from the brain. Not getting enough deep sleep can affect your immune system, and may increase your risk for dementia and chronic diseases like cancer.
A weakened sleep drive, sleep disorders, and medication or substance use can all make it harder to sleep deeper at night.
How Much Sleep Adults Need on Average
19 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.What is deep sleep?Tharion E.“Sleep stages” in physiology teaching: A wakeup call!Adv Physiol Educ. 2023;47(3):499-500. doi:10.1152/advan.00058.2023Tinajero R, Williams PG, Cribbet MR, Rau HK, Bride DL, Suchy Y.Nonrestorative sleep in healthy, young adults without insomnia: Associations with executive functioning, fatigue, and pre-sleep arousal.Sleep Health. 2018;4(3):284-291. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2018.02.006Breus, M.Deep sleep: How much do you need?Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm.Stanford Medicine.Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI): Sleep restriction.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.NIOSH training for nurses on shift work and long work hours.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Melatonin for sleep: Does it work?.Harvard Health Publishing.Are drugstore sleep aids safe?.Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015 Nov;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About moderate alcohol use.Ann Van Gastel MD.Drug-induced insomnia and excessive sleepiness. In:15 years of the Sleep Medicine Clinics Part 2: Medication and treatment effect on sleep disorders, An Issue of Sleep Medicine Clinics. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2022:471-84.Lustenberger C, Ferster ML, Huwiler S, et al.Auditory deep sleep stimulation in older adults at home: a randomized crossover trial.Commun Med. 2022;2(1). doi:10.1038/s43856-022-00096-6De Fazio R, Mattei V, Al-Naami B, De Vittorio M, Visconti P.Methodologies and wearable devices to monitor biophysical parameters related to sleep dysfunctions: An overview.Micromachines (Basel). 202;13(8):1335. doi:10.3390/mi13081335Ohayon M, Wickwire EM, Hirshkowitz M, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: First report.Sleep Health. 2017;3(1):6-19. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2016.11.006Moraes W, Piovezan R, Poyares D, Bittencourt LR, Santos-Silva R, Tufik S.Effects of aging on sleep structure throughout adulthood: A population-based study.Sleep Med. 2014;15(4):401-409. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.11.791Rundo JV, Downey R.Polysomnography.Handb Clin Neurol. 2019;160:381-392. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64032-1.00025-4National Library of Medicine.Sleep study.de Zambotti M, Cellini N, Goldstone A, Colrain IM, Baker FC.Wearable sleep technology in clinical and research settings.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(7):1538-1557. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001947
19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.What is deep sleep?Tharion E.“Sleep stages” in physiology teaching: A wakeup call!Adv Physiol Educ. 2023;47(3):499-500. doi:10.1152/advan.00058.2023Tinajero R, Williams PG, Cribbet MR, Rau HK, Bride DL, Suchy Y.Nonrestorative sleep in healthy, young adults without insomnia: Associations with executive functioning, fatigue, and pre-sleep arousal.Sleep Health. 2018;4(3):284-291. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2018.02.006Breus, M.Deep sleep: How much do you need?Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm.Stanford Medicine.Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI): Sleep restriction.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.NIOSH training for nurses on shift work and long work hours.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Melatonin for sleep: Does it work?.Harvard Health Publishing.Are drugstore sleep aids safe?.Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015 Nov;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About moderate alcohol use.Ann Van Gastel MD.Drug-induced insomnia and excessive sleepiness. In:15 years of the Sleep Medicine Clinics Part 2: Medication and treatment effect on sleep disorders, An Issue of Sleep Medicine Clinics. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2022:471-84.Lustenberger C, Ferster ML, Huwiler S, et al.Auditory deep sleep stimulation in older adults at home: a randomized crossover trial.Commun Med. 2022;2(1). doi:10.1038/s43856-022-00096-6De Fazio R, Mattei V, Al-Naami B, De Vittorio M, Visconti P.Methodologies and wearable devices to monitor biophysical parameters related to sleep dysfunctions: An overview.Micromachines (Basel). 202;13(8):1335. doi:10.3390/mi13081335Ohayon M, Wickwire EM, Hirshkowitz M, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: First report.Sleep Health. 2017;3(1):6-19. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2016.11.006Moraes W, Piovezan R, Poyares D, Bittencourt LR, Santos-Silva R, Tufik S.Effects of aging on sleep structure throughout adulthood: A population-based study.Sleep Med. 2014;15(4):401-409. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.11.791Rundo JV, Downey R.Polysomnography.Handb Clin Neurol. 2019;160:381-392. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64032-1.00025-4National Library of Medicine.Sleep study.de Zambotti M, Cellini N, Goldstone A, Colrain IM, Baker FC.Wearable sleep technology in clinical and research settings.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(7):1538-1557. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001947
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sleep Foundation.What is deep sleep?Tharion E.“Sleep stages” in physiology teaching: A wakeup call!Adv Physiol Educ. 2023;47(3):499-500. doi:10.1152/advan.00058.2023Tinajero R, Williams PG, Cribbet MR, Rau HK, Bride DL, Suchy Y.Nonrestorative sleep in healthy, young adults without insomnia: Associations with executive functioning, fatigue, and pre-sleep arousal.Sleep Health. 2018;4(3):284-291. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2018.02.006Breus, M.Deep sleep: How much do you need?Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm.Stanford Medicine.Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI): Sleep restriction.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.NIOSH training for nurses on shift work and long work hours.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Melatonin for sleep: Does it work?.Harvard Health Publishing.Are drugstore sleep aids safe?.Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015 Nov;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About moderate alcohol use.Ann Van Gastel MD.Drug-induced insomnia and excessive sleepiness. In:15 years of the Sleep Medicine Clinics Part 2: Medication and treatment effect on sleep disorders, An Issue of Sleep Medicine Clinics. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2022:471-84.Lustenberger C, Ferster ML, Huwiler S, et al.Auditory deep sleep stimulation in older adults at home: a randomized crossover trial.Commun Med. 2022;2(1). doi:10.1038/s43856-022-00096-6De Fazio R, Mattei V, Al-Naami B, De Vittorio M, Visconti P.Methodologies and wearable devices to monitor biophysical parameters related to sleep dysfunctions: An overview.Micromachines (Basel). 202;13(8):1335. doi:10.3390/mi13081335Ohayon M, Wickwire EM, Hirshkowitz M, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: First report.Sleep Health. 2017;3(1):6-19. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2016.11.006Moraes W, Piovezan R, Poyares D, Bittencourt LR, Santos-Silva R, Tufik S.Effects of aging on sleep structure throughout adulthood: A population-based study.Sleep Med. 2014;15(4):401-409. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.11.791Rundo JV, Downey R.Polysomnography.Handb Clin Neurol. 2019;160:381-392. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64032-1.00025-4National Library of Medicine.Sleep study.de Zambotti M, Cellini N, Goldstone A, Colrain IM, Baker FC.Wearable sleep technology in clinical and research settings.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(7):1538-1557. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001947
Sleep Foundation.What is deep sleep?
Tharion E.“Sleep stages” in physiology teaching: A wakeup call!Adv Physiol Educ. 2023;47(3):499-500. doi:10.1152/advan.00058.2023
Tinajero R, Williams PG, Cribbet MR, Rau HK, Bride DL, Suchy Y.Nonrestorative sleep in healthy, young adults without insomnia: Associations with executive functioning, fatigue, and pre-sleep arousal.Sleep Health. 2018;4(3):284-291. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2018.02.006
Breus, M.Deep sleep: How much do you need?
Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm.
Stanford Medicine.Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI): Sleep restriction.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.NIOSH training for nurses on shift work and long work hours.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Melatonin for sleep: Does it work?.
Harvard Health Publishing.Are drugstore sleep aids safe?.
Park SY, Oh MK, Lee BS, et al.The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep.Korean J Fam Med. 2015 Nov;36(6):294-299. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About moderate alcohol use.
Ann Van Gastel MD.Drug-induced insomnia and excessive sleepiness. In:15 years of the Sleep Medicine Clinics Part 2: Medication and treatment effect on sleep disorders, An Issue of Sleep Medicine Clinics. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2022:471-84.
Lustenberger C, Ferster ML, Huwiler S, et al.Auditory deep sleep stimulation in older adults at home: a randomized crossover trial.Commun Med. 2022;2(1). doi:10.1038/s43856-022-00096-6
De Fazio R, Mattei V, Al-Naami B, De Vittorio M, Visconti P.Methodologies and wearable devices to monitor biophysical parameters related to sleep dysfunctions: An overview.Micromachines (Basel). 202;13(8):1335. doi:10.3390/mi13081335
Ohayon M, Wickwire EM, Hirshkowitz M, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: First report.Sleep Health. 2017;3(1):6-19. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2016.11.006
Moraes W, Piovezan R, Poyares D, Bittencourt LR, Santos-Silva R, Tufik S.Effects of aging on sleep structure throughout adulthood: A population-based study.Sleep Med. 2014;15(4):401-409. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.11.791
Rundo JV, Downey R.Polysomnography.Handb Clin Neurol. 2019;160:381-392. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64032-1.00025-4
National Library of Medicine.Sleep study.
de Zambotti M, Cellini N, Goldstone A, Colrain IM, Baker FC.Wearable sleep technology in clinical and research settings.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(7):1538-1557. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001947
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