Describe the sleep-wake cycle, including key factors such as REM and NREM stages, brain wave patterns, and the characteristics or behaviors that are typical for each stage.

Sleep-wake cycle refers to our 24 hour daily sleep pattern which consists of approximately 16 hours of daytime wakefulness and 8 hours of night-time sleep. With some disorders this average cycle can be thrown completely off balance. Along with this, simple interruptions like a nap or waking up in the middle of the night, can alter the sleep-wake cycle. Stages such as REM and NREM occur during the sleep-wake cycle. The average time a person enters the REM stage (Rapid Eye Movement) is about ninety minutes into their sleep. During this cycle of your sleep, your eyes will move and dart quickly beneath your eyelids. During REM sleep, your brain activity increases, your pulse quickens, and you have dreams. The cause of REM is often directly associated with dreaming. NREM is the opposite of REM. NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep is dreamless sleep. During NREM, the brain waves on the electroencephalographic (EEG) recording are typically slow and of high voltage, the breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, the blood pressure is low, and the sleeper is relatively still. According to studies, the mental activity that takes place during NREM sleep is believed to be thought-like, whereas REM sleep includes hallucinatory and bizarre content. In terms of brain wave activity, stage 1 sleep is associated with both alpha and theta waves. Delta waves are associated with the deep sleep stages, 3 and REM. During stage 3, less than half of brain waves consist of delta waves, while more than half of brain activity consists of delta waves during REM sleep. The basic summary of the sleep cycle is wake, light sleep, deep sleep, REM. Throughout these stages, you act differently. During the wake stage, you are obviously still awake, most likely lying down prepared to fall asleep, possibly watching tv or some other background activity. In the light sleep stage, you have just fallen asleep and officially started the sleep cycle. In this stage, you can be easily woken up to even the tiniest of noises because your brain is still mostly active and receptive to its surroundings. After light sleep, you hit deep sleep. Here is when you get your energy back from the previous day/days and are truly at a resting state. Your brain is slowing down and relaxed, and all of your bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, an even breath count, are slowed down. Next you start to dream, meaning you have entered REM.

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