About Sleep Cycles
Each sleep cycle lasts roughly 90 minutes and includes light sleep, deep sleep, and REM stages. Waking between cycles — rather than in the middle of one — helps you feel alert instead of groggy. Most adults need 4 to 6 complete cycles per night (6 to 9 hours).
Why 14 Minutes?
The average healthy adult takes about 14 minutes to fall asleep. This sleep calculator factors in that sleep onset latency so your cycle timing stays accurate.
REM Sleep
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is when most dreaming occurs and plays a key role in memory consolidation and emotional processing. Later sleep cycles contain more REM sleep.