![]() In a nutshell, our brains transition through four different stages of sleep several times throughout the night, says Michelle Drerup, PsyD, a psychologist and director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Cleveland Clinic. Here’s a closer look at the stages of sleep that make up a sleep cycle and why each stage is so critical for good health and ensuring that we wake up feeling refreshed and well rested. ![]() Cycling through all the sleep stages enough times makes for optimal physical, emotional, and cognitive health, he explains. “Think of sleep in a way as similar to nutrition, where we want to get a balanced set of sleep stages (just like you want to include a balance of different micro- and macronutrients in a healthy diet), as each seems to serve an important function,” says John Cline, PhD, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at the Yale School of Medicine and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. It’s our ability to progress through the various sleep stages (and spend enough time in the deepest ones) that determines whether we’re getting high-quality rest. ![]() That is why sleep quality, in addition to sleep quantity, is important. As you sleep, your brain cycles through four separate sleep stages, each with distinct patterns of activity and each playing a pivotal part in helping you get a good night of slumber. From physical restoration to memory consolidation to dreaming, there’s a lot going on in the body and brain when we power down for the day and go to sleep.
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