So there are 4 stages of sleep. Most of us go through stages sleep. These stages progress cyclically from 1 through REM then begin again with stage 1. A complete sleep cycle takes an average of 90 to 110 minutes, with each stage lasting between 5 to 15 minutes. The first sleep cycles each night have relatively short REM sleeps and long periods of deep sleep but later in the night, REM periods lengthen and deep sleep time decreases.

The first half of the 8-hour sleep cycle, our body is in the deepest sleep. This is where our body does all the repairs and recovery from the damages sustain throughout the day. It is also this deep sleep cycles that provides the anti-inflammatory benefits of sleep.

So I guess daytime nap would count for this anti-inflammatory sleep cycle.

Then, the second half of your sleep cycle is just as important. Instead of having deeper sleep, your body is experiencing longer and longer REM cycle sleep as the night progresses.

The REM cycle is when your brain consolidates your short-term memories during the day into long-term memory.

Kids, this is the reason why you need to go to bed early and get full 8 hours of sleep every night.

Everything you learn and experience during the day will become permanent memory in an 8-hour sleep cycle.

So don’t miss out.

Do you need help falling asleep? Try melatonin. It’s completely natural. I take 5mg every night before bed. It helps me fall asleep naturally and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. It does not make you feel drowsy or groggy at all.