Sleep Insights

Understanding Sleep Cycles

Your body cycles through light sleep, deep sleep, and REM roughly every ninety minutes. Deep sleep repairs tissue and strengthens immunity, while REM consolidates memories and processes emotions. Waking mid-cycle leaves you groggy; timing your alarm to land at the end of a cycle helps you feel refreshed. Most adults need four to six full cycles per night, which translates to about seven and a half to nine hours. Alcohol and screens before bed suppress REM, robbing you of emotional processing time. Tracking your sleep patterns for a week reveals where simple adjustments can radically improve how you feel.