Sleep's Nightly Performance

Every night, your brain orchestrates one of nature's most extraordinary productions - SLEEP. It's a complex suite of processes for rest, repair, and rejuvenation of every system and cell in our body, solidify memories, and restore emotional balance. And timing is key!

The Main Cast of Characters

The play features three three main characters (stages of sleep).

Light Sleep - The Steady Supporting Actor 

Light Sleep, also known as Stage 2 Non REM (NREM) Sleep

• Appears throughout the night

• Helps lock in memories through "sleep spindles"

• Strengthens muscle memory and physical skills

Deep Sleep - The First Headliner

Deep Sleep which goes by many names - Stage 3 Non-REM (NREM), Slow Wave, or Deep NREM Sleep

• Appears in the first hours of the night

• Handles essential restore and repair functions

• Enables mitochondria clean-up and renewal - our energy foundation!

• Transfers memories to long-term storage while making space for new memories

• Flushes the brain of daily metabolic waste build-up (like amyloid plaques)

REM Sleep - The Second Headliner 

Just one name - Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep.

• Commands center stage in the later hours (closer to wake-up)

• Processes emotions and reduces stress to restore self-regulation

• Connects memories for learning, creativity and problem-solving

• Supports empathy and reading social cues more accurately (like threat detection)

The Performance 

A good night's sleep will typically included five 90-minute acts to fit everything in.

Acts 1-2 (First part of the night): Deep Sleep performs for rest, repair and renewal.

Acts 4-5 (Closer to wakeup): REM Sleep becomes the star, providing brain therapy for emotional balance, connecting memories for learning and creativity.

Why Timing Matters

Go to bed later than usual? It's like arriving late to the theater. You'll miss Deep Sleep's scheduled performance in the opening acts. Essential rest, repair and restoration processes get cut short.

Get up earlier than usual? You're leaving before the final bow, interrupting REM Sleep's essential work for emotional balance and memory integration.

The Stage Director: Your Brain's Master Clock 

Your brain has a master clock, the SCN, that acts as the show's director. It coordinates a 24-hour schedule for every cell and organ in your body - when to be active, when to slow down, when to shut down.

• It synchronizes the cells in our body through cues from morning light and when we first eat.

• Can be mislead by bright evening lights, resetting the schedule for wake time.

• Get's overruled by late night eating - digestion replaces Deep Sleep's restorative processes!

Tips for Timing Matters

To create your sleep foundation, aim to:

• Keep regular showtimes (consistent bed and wake times)

• Allow for 7-9 hours so both Deep Sleep and REM Sleep get their time to shine

• Leave some buffer room for wake times in bed (many we don't even remember!)

• Avoid eating too close to showtime and disrupting the performance.

Reminder: Perfection not required! Occasional schedule changes and disruptions are manageable. And if you cannot do it all, pick something you can do. Example: Avoid eating 2 hours before bedtime to get better quality sleep if you cannot get as much total sleep as you'd like.

Ready to learn more sleep fundamentals? Check out our Sleep Playbook Portal.

Wishing you a Broadway worthy performance - every night!

Janice