on September 30, 2025
Sleep stages are the reason why a 20-minute nap can have you feeling like you just downed an energy drink, while a 60-minute nap can have you questioning what year it is and what your own name is.
So, what are the sleep stages?
There are 4 stages of sleep (also called sleep cycle stages). They're categorised as either REM sleep (rapid eye movement) or NREM sleep (non-rapid eye movement). During REM sleep, the brain acts similarly to when you're awake. During NREM, the brain is quieter and uses less energy. Each stage is equally important and serves a different purpose.
Let's break them down.
Sleep stage one: flirting with your pillow. (NREM)
So, you've decided to get some sleep. Stage one lasts 5–10 minutes and is the easiest to wake from. You and your bed are just getting to know each other.
This stage also happens in between the other stages. Ever felt like you're falling off a cliff and then suddenly wake up? That's called a hypnic jerk (the better kind of jerk) and it happens at this stage. Some say it's an evolutionary thing from times when we used to sleep in trees.
What happens to your body: your breathing pace, body temperature, blood pressure, and heartbeat all decrease. Your brain relaxes.
Sleep stage two: officially asleep. (NREM)
You're properly asleep. Good job. This stage is still light sleep but is harder to wake from than stage one, so tell your housemates to keep it down. Stage two is also the longest stage, lasting around 20 minutes and making up about 50% of the sleep cycle. Like warming up before a marathon, this stage prepares your body for deep sleep.
What happens to your body: your metabolic processes slow down along with heart rate and breathing. You'll experience a drop in blood pressure and body temperature. And while most bodily repairs happen in the deeper stages, this stage helps boost your ability to learn.
Sleep stage three: things are getting serious. (NREM)
Welcome to the deepest stage of NREM sleep. You and your bed are extremely comfortable with each other. You might even walk around naked in front of it. It knows all your secrets.
Like how your car needs a service when it makes funny noises, deep sleep is when your body repairs at a cellular level. It's the most refreshing stage of sleep. It begins around 40–45 minutes after dozing off and it's hard to wake up from. All sounds, light, and movements go unnoticed. If you do wake up, you'll feel disorientated for a few minutes. This is also why you should avoid napping for 45 minutes if you don't want to wake up groggy.
What happens to your body: tissues are repaired and regrown, memories are processed, waste products are flushed away, bones and muscles are rebuilt, and the immune system is strengthened.
Sleep stage four: you're starting to see other people. (REM)
Literally, babe. This is the stage where you dream. Stage four happens after you've been asleep for 90 minutes and is important for learning, retaining, and editing memories. It also helps you develop problem-solving skills. If you miss out on this stage, you may feel tired both physically and emotionally.
This is the only true REM stage of the sleep cycle, named for the rapid flickering your eyes do during it. And while your eyes are working overtime, your body is doing the opposite. Science babes say our bodies are temporarily paralysed in this stage to stop us reacting to our dreams.
So how does a full sleep cycle work?
Together, the four stages create one sleep cycle, with an average cycle length of around 100 minutes. This cycle repeats 4–6 times in one night. The first cycle has a longer period of deep sleep. As you move through the night, cycles spend less time in deep sleep and more in lighter sleep. And if you miss out on quality deep sleep tonight, your body will try to make up for it tomorrow night.
Do you really need 8 hours?
In short, yes. Here's why.
In the first 3 hours of sleep, your body produces human growth hormone. This hormone helps your skin stay radiant and recover from daily damage like sun exposure and pollution.
In the middle 2 hours, your body increases its production of melatonin. This is the hormone that regulates your circadian cycle and helps protect your skin from free radicals, those things that cause premature ageing.
In the last 3 hours, your cortisol levels decrease. Your skin's temperature drops, muscles relax, and your skin can properly recover from the day.
If you're constantly waking through the night, you're interrupting your sleep cycles and potentially not getting the rest and repair you need. Each stage matters. Each cycle counts.
Track your sleep and how you feel the next day, try to be consistent, and when patterns emerge, that's when you can start getting to the bottom of them. And if a proper wind-down routine is what you need, my Magnesium Body Scrub is made for it. Mineral-rich magnesium melts muscles and calms inflammation, while chamomile and jojoba ease you toward REM land. Follow it up with my In Your Dreams Sleep Scrub & Soak on bath nights for a full Relax + Recharge moment.
x frank
