Introduction to stages of sleep | Sleep stages and sleep cycles explained

In today’s video, we go through the introduction to sleep stages. I often get asked how many stages of sleep we go through in our sleep at night.

This video is a practical overview of sleep stages and how they differ from each other. Please note, it is not a full scientific explanation of these, but a more practical walk through. You can find out a bit about each of the 5 stages of sleep including the NREM sleep and REM sleep stages. I also included an explanation of sleep cycles as well.

We have 4 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stages, including sloe wave sleep stages, which are all a bit different and one rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage that makes up our entire night’s sleep. Additionally, we then have various sleep cycles, meaning that in each sleep cycle we go through a combination of sleep stages.

It’s important to note that sleep length and sleep stages vary from person to person and from night to night. If you struggle with sleep problems or insomnia for a while already, it’s also important to understand that your sleep stages and sleep cycle combinations will most likely be impacted in various ways as well. In this video, I talk about a healthy person’s sleep. 

When I work with clients who want to overcome their sleep problems and insomnia, I personally don’t put too much attention on analysing sleep stages and sleep cycles mainly because the person is unable to create healthy sleep initially. 

Focusing on behavioural changes will help the person improve sleep stages naturally. The only exception to this rule is when a person has a sleep disorder or other medical conditions that hinder their body’s ability to sleep well. 

That’s why it’s important not to self-diagnose and seek an assessment if you’ve been struggling for a longer period of time. 

But the great thing about sleep stages is that by improving sleep and developing better practical sleep skills, the body will also be able to sleep better in a more natural way. 

Of course, if you have any questions about your personal situation, feel free to get in touch. 

Beatrix 

Your Sleep Coach