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To schedule a good night's sleep, you must calculate how many 90-minute cycles you have to sleep to wake up at the moment when the last cycle ends and thus wake up more relaxed, with energy and good mood.
See what time you should wake up or go to sleep to get a good night's sleep using the following calculator:
How does the sleep cycle work?
The sleep cycle corresponds to the set of sleep phases that starts from the moment the person falls asleep and goes to the REM sleep phase, which is the deepest sleep phase and that guarantees the most restful and relaxing sleep, however it is more difficult to reach this stage of sleep.
The body goes through several cycles that last from 90 to 100 minutes per cycle and normally 4 to 5 cycles per night are necessary, corresponding to 8 hours of sleep.
What are the stages of sleep?
There are 4 phases of sleep, namely:
- Light sleep - phase 1, which is a very light phase and lasts for about 10 minutes. This phase starts from the moment the person closes his eyes, however it is possible to wake up easily with any sound;
- Light sleep - phase 2, which lasts about 20 minutes and in this phase the body is already relaxed, but the mind remains active and, therefore, it is still possible to wake up during this phase of sleep;
- Deep sleep - phase 3, in which the muscles are completely relaxed and the body is less sensitive to noises or movements, making it more difficult to wake up, and in this phase it is very important for the recovery of the body;
- REM sleep - phase 4, also known as the deep sleep phase, is the last phase of the sleep cycle and lasts about 10 minutes, starting 90 minutes after falling asleep.
In the REM phase, the eyes move very quickly, the heart rate increases and dreams appear. It is difficult to achieve REM sleep and, therefore, it is important to decrease the ambient light and not use your cell phone or computer before going to sleep, as this way it is possible to reach REM sleep more easily. See more about REM sleep.
Why do we need to sleep well?
Sleeping well is essential for the proper functioning of the body, as it is during sleep that the body is able to recover its energies, regulate the level of several hormones essential for the proper functioning of the body and optimize metabolism. In addition, it is during sleep that there is consolidation of what was learned during the day, as well as tissue repair and strengthening of the immune system.
So, when you don't get a good night's sleep, it is possible to have some consequences, such as changes in mood, increased inflammation in the body, lack of energy and weakened immune system, for example, in addition to also increasing the risk of developing some diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, for example. Check out more reasons why we need to sleep better.
Created by: Tua Saúde Editorial Team