Understanding the sleep cycle

Sleep isn’t just a time to rest—it’s when the body and mind make important changes to prepare for the next day.

During good quality sleep, your child’s body will:

repair cells
reduce stress
build and repair tissue.

Their heart rate, breathing, and body temperature will drop, while their brain activity changes depending on the stage of sleep they’re in.

There are two main phases of sleep, both important for your child’s growth and learning:

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM)

A deep sleep phase where the body slows down, helping it repair and recover.

Stage 1: The transition from being awake to falling asleep.

Stage 2 and 3: Deeper stages, where heart rate and body temperature drop.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM)

The stage where dreams happen. The body shows similar activity to when awake, like faster heart rate and breathing, but the muscles are relaxed. This stops your child from acting out their dreams.