Why Salvador Dali sought inspiration in sleep?
Today I answer questions that I get asked most frequently.
Is your smartwatch serving you numbers each morning—Deep Sleep 1 hr 42 min, REM 2 hr 13 min—and you wonder which one deserves the trophy? Today I answer a question that I get asked most frequently by anyone who has a sleep tracker of some kind(Fitbit, Apple watch, Oura ring…).
Q. Should I be getting more Deep Sleep or REM Sleep?
Sleep is a journey across 4 different stages of consciousness and there is more to it than Deep & REM Sleep.
Light sleep or NREM (Non Rapid Eye Movement) Stage 1.
This is you falling asleep. Your body temperature and heart rate begin to drop and so does your alertness. This fleeting transition between wakefulness and deeper sleep, is a creative sweet spot. Your are able to make abstract associations and problem-solve. Artist Salvador Dali, purposefully guided himself into this state of consciousness to find inspiration for his work. Rumours go that he called it throwing himself a micro party!
© 2025 Rahford does art.
Bridge between light and deep sleep or NREM Stage 2.
You go a little deeper. Your body’s temperature continues to drop, heart rate slows down further and eye movements cease. At this stage your brain is sorting through and reviewing the sensory impressions and information you were exposed to during the day.Deep sleep or NREM Stage 3.
This is when sensory impressions you have received during the day become long term memory. This is also when your body restores itself from everyday wear and tear, your body tissues repair and your immune system strengths.REM (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep). Your entire body is paralysed with the exception of our eyes. Memory forming continues. This is when you process emotions. As a consequence you dream.
Do you see how valuable every stage is and how no stage is more important than the other?
The 4 stages of sleep make up one sleep cycle. In the course of one night you go through 4 to 5 non identical sleep cycles—light sleep, deep sleep, REM and repeat. Cycles earlier in the night tend to have more deep sleep while later cycles have a higher proportion of REM.
Upto 2 hours in Deep Sleep and 2 hours in REM sleep is what a sound night looks like for a healthy adult.
Bonus: What is “good sleep” and how do you know you are getting it?
3 indicators to watch:
You fall asleep with ease.
You take up to 15 minutes to fall asleep from the time you close your eyes.You stay asleep.
Brief wakeful moments during the night are common—we often don’t even notice them. If you go back to sleep with ease, there’s no cause for concern.You wake up feeling rested.
You know you got your share of rest and repair when you wake up energised, are able to focus on rigorous work in the morning and have no significant mid morning or mid afternoon dips in energy levels.
Ayurveda—a holistic healing system—teaches us that sleep needs vary based on age, your physiological + psychological constitution and even the seasons.
Do you notice that you need more sleep in winter than in summer? Perfectly normal!What pressing questions do you have about sleep? Comment on this post to let me know. I promise to answer them.
With Love,
Gayatri
I am a Sleep & Holistic Health Coach. I help you reclaim restful sleep, vitality and focus.
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