Sleep cycles are recurring patterns of brain activity that occur throughout the night. Each cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes and consists of different stages of sleep.
A typical night includes 4-6 complete sleep cycles, with each cycle becoming lighter and containing more REM sleep as the night progresses.
The 90-minute cycle is controlled by your body's internal clock (circadian rhythm) and brain chemistry. This timing allows for optimal progression through all sleep stages.
Waking up at the end of a complete cycle (rather than in the middle) helps you feel more refreshed and alert.
Interrupting a sleep cycle causes poor performance by disrupting essential restorative processes that the brain and body perform during sleep, leading to deficits in focus, memory, reaction time, emotional regulation, and decision-making. The disruption also affects the production of hormones, further impairing bodily functions and mood.
To perform optimally, the brain needs to complete multiple sleep cycles, with each cycle including different stages of sleep crucial for physical and mental repair.
During sleep, the brain works to consolidate memories, moving them from a temporary to a more permanent state. Interrupting sleep cuts short this process, making it harder to remember things.
Sleep is vital for regulating hormones that affect various bodily functions, including metabolism and mood. Disrupted sleep can throw these systems out of balance.
Deep and REM sleep stages, which are part of the full sleep cycle, are crucial for learning, problem-solving, and making decisions.
Sleep allows the body to repair itself. Insufficient or disrupted sleep impairs this process, leading to poor physical outcomes and a reduction in athletic performance.
You'll experience difficulty with focus, attention, problem-solving, and decision-making.
The ability to react quickly to stimuli is diminished.
You're more likely to make mistakes in tasks that require concentration.
Short-term consequences include increased stress, anxiety, and irritability.
The ability to learn new information and recall past events is significantly affected.
Athletic and overall physical performance suffers due to impaired metabolism and recovery processes.