A Quick Overview On NREM sleep and REM sleep

Sleep is divided into two stages, REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. It takes about 90 minutes of rest to enter REM sleep, and as one sleeps, they "cycle" through stages of REM sleep and NREM sleep, with REM sleep composing of only about 25% of the time spent asleep. NREM sleep is categorized into different stages, being: beginning to sleep, light sleep, and deep sleep (formally known as N1, N2, and N3); Sleep cycles end and begin with light sleep, so if an individual were to wake up during the "light-sleep" stage of NREM sleep, then they would have a much easier time waking up compared to deep sleep. A full night's rest is not determined solely by hours spent asleep, but rather how many of these "sleep cycles" one can go through. A full night's rest usually is comprised of about 5-6 sleep cycles. REM sleep is the time that one's distinct dreams occur, while at the same time the body's muscles are temporarily paralyzed.