Have you ever wondered what happens when you sleep? Interestingly, a lot goes
on with your brain and body while you’re catching some Zzz’s.

Man napping, drifting into deeper sleep stageShare on Pinterest
BONNINSTUDIO/Stocksy United

While you’re snoozing, your mind and body journey through a series of events
designed to reduce your consciousness and awareness, relax your muscles
and alter your brain waves. Some organs get to power down to minimal
functionality to maintain or reset, while others get to work as a cleanup crew
after the main event.

These events play out in stages that repeat in cycles several times throughout
a typical 7- to 8-hour sleep session. Yet you remain blissfully unaware of what
your brain and body are doing throughout all this activity.

So, how many stages of sleep do you go through? And what is a sleep cycle?/.../