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415 Bloor Street West Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1X6
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Cycles of Sleep

THERE ARE TWO MAIN CATEGORIES OF SLEEP:

  1. NON-RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (NREM)
    • Transitional Phase - Between wakefulness and sleep. This lasts for one to seven minutes and is 5% of the total sleep time.
    • Light Sleep Phase - This is 50% of the total sleep time.
    • Slow Wave Phase (Delta Phase) - A deeper and more relaxed sleep associated with 20% of the total sleep time.

  2. RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM)
  3. This is a period of deep, refreshing sleep. Eyes move side to side and the skeletal muscles are nearly paralyzed which results in a loss of muscle tone in the upper airway. This represents 25% of the total sleep time and is the stage where dreaming occurs.


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