Question

After a long day at work, Jeremy went home and took a nap. After falling asleep, Jeremy was awakened after his wife had accidentally dropped a stack of plates in the kitchen, but he slept through his wife calling his name. What stage of sleep was Jeremy likely in when he was woken up?

Answer 1

Jeremy was likely in a deep sleep or slow-wave sleep when the plates woke him up, as this stage of non-REM sleep is characterized by less responsiveness to external stimuli.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Jeremy was awakened by the sound of plates crashing but did not wake up at the sound of his wife calling his name, he was likely in the deep sleep stage of his sleep cycle. This is known as slow-wave sleep or stages 3 and 4 of non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. During these stages, the sleeper is less responsive to external stimuli and harder to awaken, which explains why louder sounds like plates crashing may wake someone up, but softer sounds like a name being called may not. These stages of sleep are associated with the body's restoration and healing process.