11/21/2025
💤 Ever wonder what happens while you sleep? 💤
Sleep consists of several stages, playing a unique role in physical and mental restoration. When you sleep, you cycle through two phases of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. The cycle starts over every 80 to 100 minutes. Usually, there are four to six cycles per night. You may wake up briefly between cycles.
Non-REM sleep has three stages, defined by measurements of brain activity taken in sleep studies.
🚀 Stage 1. This stage is the transition between wakefulness and sleep.
🚀 Stage 2. When you reach stage 2, you are asleep.
🚀 Stage 3. This stage is called deep sleep or slow-wave sleep, after a particular pattern that appears in measurements of brain activity. You usually spend more time in this stage early in the night.
During REM sleep, your eyes twitch and your brain is active. Brain activity measured during REM sleep is similar to your brain’s activity during waking hours. Dreaming usually happens during REM sleep. Your muscles normally become limp to prevent you from acting out your dreams.
You typically have more REM sleep later in the night, but you tend to have less REM sleep in colder temperatures. This is because, during REM sleep, your body’s temperature regulation is impaired.
If you aren’t getting enough non-REM or REM sleep, you may wake up extremely tired and “drag” throughout the day. Talk with your primary care physician today about being referred for a sleep study at the Tanner Center for Sleep Disorders.
Learn more at https://bit.ly/3JaYTYE