How To Get More Deep Sleep & Why It's Important, According To Experts

Every night while we sleep, we cycle through four sleep stages: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and the REM stage.

Each stage has a different function, and getting enough Stage 3 (also known as slow-wave sleep, deep sleep, and delta sleep), is essential if you want to wake up feeling restored.

Here's what happens while you're in deep sleep, plus how to make sure you're spending enough time in this stage nightly.

One of the best things you can do for your overall sleep hygiene is to maintain a consistent sleep/wake schedule—that is, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

As Kinnunen says, "Keeping your wake-up time consistent ensures that about 16 hours thereafter, you're sending your body the same, strong signal: 'this is the right time to power down.'" (Check out our guide on how to get your sleep schedule back on track for more tips!)

If you feel like you need an extra hand when it comes to getting deep sleep (and falling asleep in the first place), consider incorporating a sleep supplement into your routine.*

mindbodygreen's sleep support+ supplement, for example, pairs easily absorbable magnesium with jujube fruit extract and PharmaGABA® to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.*

One way to target deep sleep specifically, according to Darley, is to stay active and get sufficient exercise.

This is backed by research, she notes, which has shown exercising can promote deep sleep, particularly as we get older.

In fact, in one analysis of existing exercise and sleep studies1, researchers write, "Exercise promoted increased sleep efficiency and duration regardless of the mode and intensity of activity" in middle-aged and elderly adults.

"Continuing to get exercise will promote deep sleep, which promotes growth hormone, which promotes physical repair," Darley adds.

As professor of psychiatry and sleep expert Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D., previously told mbg, we'll feel our best (and least groggy) when we wake up during light sleep, which occurs at the end of each 90-minute sleep cycle.

Knowing this, try to set your alarm for 7.5 or 9 hours after you fall asleep (accounting for the roughly 15 minutes it takes most people to fall asleep).

This can help ensure you don't wake up in the middle of your last deep sleep stage for the night, so you don't lose out on those all-important minutes.

Last but not least, your nighttime rituals. These are all the habits and steps you take prior to bed that get you in a relaxed mood. Avoid large meals and alcohol before bed, as both can inhibit sleep, and make sure you're giving yourself enough time to wind down. Many people enjoy creating a zen-like atmosphere by dimming the lights, putting away tech, lighting a candle, and using a linen mist. These rituals can all be part of a healthy, consistent nighttime routine—and therefore set you up for success.

RELATED: 15 Things To Do Right Now If You Can't Fall Asleep

Deep sleep is the third stage of sleep, and it follows two stages of light sleep. About 20 to 25% of our time asleep is spent in this stage.

During deep sleep, muscle and tissue growth are promoted, as is cellular repair.

This is also the stage in which delta brain waves—slow waves that signal relaxation—start to occur.

As Hannu Kinnunen, chief science officer at sleep tracker Oura, previously explained to mbg, "Stage 3 sleep falls into the category known as 'deep sleep,' which focuses on restoring your body."

He adds that in this stage, your blood pressure drops and your brain flushes out waste2. On top of that, blood flow increases to your muscles, and growth hormone is released, he says.

"Deep sleep is really important for growth hormone," naturopathic sleep doctor Catherine Darley, N.D., explains, adding it's when roughly 75% (and up to 85%) of our total growth hormone in a day is secreted.

To understand why deep sleep is so important, you'll want to know what happens in all the other sleep stages:

Stage 1 sleep is when you just begin to doze off. You're still somewhat conscious and more aware of your external environment as your body starts to relax.

Stage 2 sleep is the stage we spend most of the night in—roughly 50%. This stage is all about setting yourself up for deep sleep and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep: It's when your heart rate and breathing rate begin to slow down, your temperature drops, and your brain starts producing "sleep spindles3," which are bursts of brain activity that regulate sleep.

As aforementioned, Stage 3 sleep, or deep sleep, is the stage involved in muscle and tissue growth, cellular repair, and "flushing" waste from the brain.

REM sleep is the primary sleep stage in which we dream, and it's also when memories are consolidated and our brains "recharge."

In REM, our breath and heart rate goes up, the brain becomes more active, and the human body effectively stops moving. An adequate amount of REM sleep is required for the continuation of sleep cycles4. The older we get, the less time we spend in REM sleep5 each night.

All the stages of sleep work together to help you restore your body and mind and wake up feeling rested. In the case of deep sleep, in particular, Kinnunen previously noted, "There's evidence that the 'flushing' that occurs during this stage is necessary for 'cleaning the brain6' and making way for building new connections moving forward."

In other words, if you don't get enough deep sleep, you don't give your body a chance to properly recover from the day—which brings us to our next point.

RELATED: How This Functional M.D. Is Getting More Deep Sleep

According to Darley, figuring out whether you "got enough" deep sleep can be challenging without an official sleep study (at a clinic) or the help of high-quality sleep-tracking technology.

However, Kinnunen adds, one way to tell if you're getting enough deep sleep is to check in with how you feel.

"As you get to know your body, you'll learn what amount of deep sleep helps you feel your best," he says, adding, "Getting enough deep sleep helps you awaken alert and ready to face the day."

But as Darley adds, the other sleep stages are at play here, too. "Each of the different stages does a part in making that energized feeling," she explains, "so we think of it more in terms of total sleep."

The best thing you can do to support deep sleep—and sleep more generally—is set aside plenty of time for it (7.5 to 9 hours) and stay on top of your sleep hygiene routine. The following tips should help and check out these culprits, too.

Deep sleep is essential to repairing the body and helping us wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day.

When we don't get enough, we'll definitely feel it, but with good sleep hygiene and a consistent sleep schedule, you can clock your 20% of deep sleep every night and wake up ready to go.