When our heads hit the pillow each night, it's lights out for the most part. And while sleep was once thought to be purely passive, research has shown it's anything but. We may spend the next hours relatively unaware of what\u2019s going on around us, but under the cover of night, our bodies are fantastically busy shoring up our immune system, building muscle, repairing tissue, and filing away memories \u2014 just to name a few. In order to do all of the above each night, we cycle through an assortment of sleep stages. And while the rapid eye movement stage (REM) might be the most well-known, the other superstar sleep cycle stages do some pretty heavy lifting to leave you rested and rejuvenated day after day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn\u2019t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn\u2019t take the place of medical advice and supervision from a trained professional. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see your healthcare provider immediately.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is The Sleep Cycle?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sleep is broken down into two phases: nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These phases are then divided into four stages \u2014 N1, N2, N3, and REM \u2014 in which the sleeper moves from light to deep sleep, then back again. (1<\/a>) When your body moves through all of these stages throughout the night repeatedly, those are called sleep cycles<\/a>. These cycles usually last about 90 minutes, and most people go through four to six cycles each night. (1<\/a>) Night after night, we go through the same sleep-wake cycle, which is regulated by our circadian rhythm<\/a>. (1<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While sleep is still largely shrouded in mystery, we know that it plays a vital role in our overall health and well-being. While we lay snug in our beds each night, sleep helps us with: (1<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n