What is the SWS stage?

Definition. Slow-wave sleep (SWS) refers to phase 3 sleep, which is the deepest phase of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and is characterized by delta waves (measured by EEG). Dreaming and sleepwalking can occur during SWS. SWS is thought to be important for memory consolidation.

Does SWS decrease with age?

(B) With age, the decrease in SWS and slow oscillations combined with anatomical and functional changes in memory-related brain areas and neurochemical changes (acetylcholine, cortisol) are likely to explain that sleep-dependent memory consolidation is impaired in older adults.

What age does slow-wave sleep occur?

Results: The mean (SEM) percentage of deep slow wave sleep decreased from 18.9% (1.3%) during early adulthood (age 16-25 years) to 3.4% (1.0%) during midlife (age 36-50 years) and was replaced by lighter sleep (stages 1 and 2) without significant increases in sleep fragmentation or decreases in rapid eye movement (REM) …

What is SWS in males?

Summary. Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a rare vascular disorder characterized by the association of a facial birthmark called a port-wine birthmark, abnormal blood vessels in the brain, and eye abnormalities such as glaucoma.

Is SWS a sleep pattern?

Slow-wave sleep (SWS), often referred to as deep sleep, consists of stage three of non-rapid eye movement sleep. Initially, SWS consisted of both Stage 3, which has 20–50 percent delta wave activity, and Stage 4, which has more than 50 percent delta wave activity.

What is the role of SWS?

Together, NREM sleep stages 3 and 4 are often known as slow wave sleep (SWS). SWS is thought, by some investigators, to play an important role in cerebral restoration and recovery in humans10,11 and to be involved in the maintenance and consolidation of sleep.

Why does slow-wave sleep decrease with age?

Brain atrophy with aging disproportionately affects frontal cortex and may represent one mechanism by which slow wave sleep diminishes with age. Our observation that relative frontal slow wave activity correlates with medial prefrontal cortical volume is consistent with this theory.

How much SWS deep sleep should I get?

Scientists agree that sleep is essential to health, and while stages 1 to 4 and REM sleep are all important, deep sleep is the most essential of all for feeling rested and staying healthy. The average healthy adult gets roughly 1 to 2 hours of deep sleep per 8 hours of nightly sleep.

What happens in SWS?

Slow Wave Sleep (SWS), also known as deep sleep, is the time when your muscles repair and grow. During this stage the body produces 95% of its daily supply of growth hormones. As an athlete, training sessions break down muscle tissue so that it can rebuild and grow during slow wave sleep.

How much SWS is normal?

In the young adult, stages 1 and 2 account for approximately 4–9% and 45–60% of total sleep time, respectively, while normal subjects spend between 10 and 25% of their total sleep time in SWS.