Sleep is a complex but interesting process.
Though there is still a lot that is not understood about sleep, we do know that it is essential to a healthy functioning body and mind. Though scientists and doctors don't yet know every detail about sleep, it is known that there are measurable differences in the type and level of brain activity that occurs in the waking and sleeping states. These differences account for the changes we feel between our waking and sleeping states.
Awake
When you are awake and alert, your brain produces beta wave patterns. With a frequency between 14 and 32 Hz, beta waves are the fastest waves that your brain produces. During this state, you are conscious and aware of your surroundings. Your eyes are open, you are alert and thinking and your memory should be functioning normally. This is the state of your normal, everyday consciousness.
Alpha Waves
Once you close your eyes and begin to relax, your brain enters an alpha wave state. Alpha waves have a lower frequency than do beta waves. During this state, you are still awake but your mental state is relaxed as opposed to the alertness that you feel during a beta wave state. Your anxiety and stress levels should be low, but you can still be easily aroused at this point.
Theta Waves
Your brain truly begins to fall asleep when your brain transitions from alpha waves to theta waves, which are even slower than alpha waves. This light or drowsy sleep occurs during Stage 1 of the sleep cycle, which is a state somewhere in between awake and asleep. Your awareness of your surroundings decreases, breathing slows down and your muscles become relaxed but paralyzed as your brain prepares for deeper stages of sleep.
Sleep
Your brain is officially asleep once it leaves the first stage and enters the second stage of sleep. At this point, you are effectively unconscious and have no awareness of your surroundings. From this point forward, if you are not awakened you will enter into the dreamless deep sleep stages 3 and 4 before continuing to the dream-producing REM, random eye movement, sleep state and then back through initial stages until you complete one cycle. As you transition back into the lighter stages of sleep, you can once again be easily awakened.
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