**our Cycles Of Sleep! Poem by RAJ NANDY

**OUR CYCLES OF SLEEP!

The Neurologists often speak, of five different
stages of sleep!
Sleep generally commences in a light state, -
When the brain triggers high amplitude
‘theta waves’!
And after some five to ten minutes, rapid bursts
of ‘sleep spindles’ flow, -
Which lasts for some twenty minutes or so!
Next we float on to a transitional phase, -
When the brain triggers ‘delta waves’, -
And we float between a light and deep sleep
phase!
Soon we get submerged into ‘delta sleep’, -
With Non-Rapid Eye Movements, - going
into deep sleep!
And with some people it has been seen, bed-
wetting, or sleepwalking, -
Often occurs during the end of this phase!
Finally comes the REM* stage when we dream, -
When increased respiration and brain activities
are seen!
But despite our active mind, our voluntary
muscles remain paralyzed!
This REM stage is said to increase, with the
progress of our night’s sleep!
And when the night grows dark and deep, -
These stages of our cycles of sleep, -
Breaks away from these sequential stages !
When after the fourth stage, comes the third
and second phases, -
Repeating themselves till the day breaks!
When finally after our REM dreaming state, -
We once more begin to gradually awake!
-Raj Nandy
10 Apr 09
(*REM= Rapid Eye Movement: dreaming phase!
Based on various articles.Prelude to my next
poem about sleepwalking!)