We sometimes imagine sleep as a uniform state from going to bed to waking up. In reality, a night is made up of several successive cycles, themselves made up of phases with different functions. Understanding this architecture helps to understand why sleep regularity and duration matter so much.
1. A succession of cycles
Sleep is organized in cycles of approximately 90 minutes, repeated several times per night. Each cycle connects different phases. Over the course of the night, the proportion of these phases changes: deep sleep dominates at the beginning of the night, dream sleep at the end of the night.
2. The phases of a cycle
| Phase | Main role |
|---|---|
| Asleep | Transition to sleep |
| Light sleep | Slowing down of the body |
| Deep sleep | Physical recovery, repair |
| REM sleep | Dreams, memory, emotions |
Deep sleep is particularly restorative for the body, while paradoxical sleep (that of dreams) plays a key role in memory and emotional balance.
3. Why respect your cycles
Waking up in the middle of deep sleep leaves you feeling tired, while waking up at the end of your cycle is easier. This is why the duration of sleep and its regularity, which allows complete cycles to be completed, are so important.
4. Listen to your internal clock
Our body follows a circadian rhythm of approximately 24 hours, regulated in particular by light. Respecting regular schedules helps to synchronize this rhythm and to harmoniously sequence sleep cycles.
- Keep a regular sleep schedule
- Expose yourself to daylight in the morning
- Recognize your fatigue signals to go to bed at the right time
Understanding your cycles means better respecting your need for sleep and waking up more rested.
💡 tips to remember
- Sleep is organized in cycles of approximately 90 minutes, repeated several times per night, each made up of distinct phases.
- Deep sleep dominates at the start of the night (physical recovery) and paradoxical sleep at the end of the night (dreams, memory). feeling of fatigue: the duration and regularity make it possible to chain complete cycles.
- The body follows a circadian rhythm of approximately 24 hours regulated by light: regular schedules synchronize it.
- I expose myself to daylight in the morning and I spot my fatigue signals to go to bed at the right time.
