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When we sleep, we cycle through two phases of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-
REM sleep, with each cycle lasting approximately ninety minutes. Early in the night, we go
through two stages of deep sleep, the slowest-wave sleep that is the most restorative for our
brains and bodies. If your sleep is well curated, you can reach deep-sleep stages three times in
the night. Typically you’ll descend into a deep sleep within an hour of falling asleep, with each
cycle getting progressively shorter as the night progresses. This stage is critical for restorative
sleep, allowing the body to repair and grow and for new memories to be consolidated. It’s also
responsible for cleaning out toxins in the brain through something called the glymphatic
system. This system ensures the efficient elimination of toxic metabolites from the central
nervous system; think of it as a waste-clearance system for the brain. When this system isn’t
functioning properly, it can lead to neuronal loss, inflammation and potentially dementia.
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