How often do individuals cycle through all five stages of sleep?

Individuals typically cycle through all five stages of sleep approximately every 90 to 100 minutes. This cycle occurs multiple times throughout a typical night of sleep, allowing for different stages of sleep, including REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep. Each complete cycle facilitates bodily restoration and cognitive processing, highlighting the importance of adequate sleep for overall health and functioning.

Understanding this timing is crucial for recognizing sleep patterns and the implications of sleep disorders, as disruptions in this cycling can affect overall sleep quality and health. Thus, the interval of 90 to 100 minutes for each cycle is not only supported by sleep studies but also aligns with our understanding of the sleep architecture and its role in physical and mental well-being.