Most of our customers experience a clear difference in their sleeping patterns at height. That's right! There are a number of differences in the way we do sleep and dream in a low-oxygen environment.
Sleep phases
During sleep, scientists have determined different sleep phases based on our brain activity and eye movements. When sleeping, our sleep state changes a number of times between deep sleep and light sleep. It has been established at height that people spend more time during the light sleep phase while sleeping.
Why?
The reason why we sleep lighter at height has to do with our breathing frequency. This is a very complex story, which you can read in the article 'sleep at high altitude', but the breathing is more restless at height and brings us back to the light sleeping zone more often.
Effects?
Actually this is not bad at all or harmful. You will find that you can remember your dreams more often. Dreams that you can still remember are dreams that you dreamed during the light sleep phase.
In addition, you may need an extra hour of sleep to wake up rested.
Conclusion:
Most dreams are cheating but not while sleeping in an AltitudeDream altitude tent 😉
800m runner Jan Van Den Broeck (5th at World Indoor Championships 2012) also sleeps in a high altitude tent.
We asked Jan in the video below if his dreams are different in the height tent.
