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Sleep impacts many other crucial areas of activity, such as energy, mood, appetite, concentration, efficiency, etc. Understanding our sleep cycle helps us know how our sleep patterns function and also points out potential causes of sleep disturbances.

 

To achieve a good night’s sleep, it is crucial to sleep early. Learn here: how to sleep early.

 

An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep on average. However, 6 to 10 hours also seems appropriate. But, consistently receiving less than 6 hours every night can harm one’s health. On the other hand, consistently getting more than 9 hours every night causes excessive exhaustion and lethargy.

 

Most people only focus on the amount of sleep they get, but understanding your sleep cycle is just as important. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the different stages of sleep and how to get the most out of your slumber. Are you ready to learn more? Read on!

The Sleep Cycle

The Sleep cycle includes two types or phases of sleep we experience every night. One is NERM sleep, and another is REM sleep.

• First comes NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, which has three stages – light sleep, restful sleep, and deep sleep. You fall asleep intensely during the final two NREM stages.

• REM sleep begins an hour to an hour and a half after falling asleep. It is the stage of sleep when our bodies and brains are restored, including cognitive functions like memory, learning, and creativity. When you are in REM sleep, you often have vivid dreams.

 

Every night we go through NERM (stages 1, 2, 3) and REM (stage 4). Our body alternates between the two sleep phases when we are in sleep. Typically, stage 1 of NREM sleep is where the sleep cycle begins. Next, we move through the remaining NREM stages before entering a brief REM cycle. The sleep cycle then restarts at step 1.

 

An entire sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes on average. The initial REM sleep is brief. After that, we experience more REM sleep and less deep sleep as the night wears on.

What happens during a sleep cycle?

As mentioned above, a sleep cycle has two types – NREM and REM – consists of four distinct stages.

• In stage 1, we are in a state of transition between awake and sleep. We claim or feel that we weren’t sleeping when woken up at this stage because the sleep is very light.

• Stage 2 is the period of light sleep. Again, a slowing of brain waves identifies it. After that, the body gets ready to enter a night of deep sleep.

• It’s stage 3 and also the last stage of NERM sleep. We go through a deep sleep in this stage, during which sleepwalking or nightmares can occur. The brain produces prolonged waves called delta waves. We may find ourselves stumped and disoriented when woken up at this stage.

• It’s known as the REM sleep stage, the final one. Sleep is not as deep when you enter this one since brain activity increases, which is similar to when we’re awake. Breathing patterns start becoming irregular, and the eyes frequently move quickly in various directions. REM sleep is when intense dreams occur.

 

And the complexity of sleep doesn’t stop here; it appears that the amount of NREM and REM sleep we get varies depending on the time of day or night and not only on the sleep at night.

 

Now that you have learned about the sleep cycle, it will make things easier for you to measure how to sleep early. Although, several factors can affect the sleep cycle, such as age, health, diet, and stress level. So, if you want to improve your sleep cycles, own some healthy habits, make a sleep-friendly environment before hitting the bed, leave your stress outside your room, and have a restful night.