The wake-sleep cycle is part of the body's circadian rhythms and helps us to function properly. The changes in this cycle significantly affect the quality of life. We explain it to you.
We speak of the wake-sleep cycle to refer to the alternation that our body presents between the moments when we are awake and those in which we sleep. The waking part of the cycle is what happens while we don't sleep, and vice versa.
The nervous system is in charge of regulating the wake-sleep cycle. There are specialized neurons to coordinate function and neural tissues that serve as a biological clock.
This chronometer that we have some living beings inside, and that stipulates cycles for vital functions, is studied through chronobiology. And the denomination for these cycles is that of circadians .
Humans have three types of circadian cycles:
  • Cigars: they are those that are completed in approximately 24 hours, like the wake-sleep cycle.
  • Infraradians: they are those that last more than a day, like the menstrual cycle of women.
  • Ultradianos: Complete in less than a day.

How is wakefulness different from sleep?

The wake-sleep cycle combines two moments in life: being awake and sleeping. Both stages are vital and very different from each other. Waking implies a state of consciousness, we have knowledge of what is happening and we use our senses to communicate with the environment around us. We can think during the vigil and act accordingly.
Being awake is a task for the nervous system , more precisely for the ascending reticular system, which is a set of specialized neurons. This tissue communicates with the thalamus and the cerebral cortex.
One of the most widely used neurotransmitters in wakefulness is norepinephrine, unlike sleep that uses melatonin. This substance regulates the attention we pay and the impulse to carry out activities.
Along with norepinephrine , serotonin is important , which fulfills relevant functions in the cerebral cortex, especially in the area of ​​neurons that regulate vision.
The wake-sleep cycle is regulated through hormones and part of the neuronal tissue.

Melatonin in the wake-sleep cycle

As we said well, melatonin is a key hormone in the wake-sleep cycle, since it is opposed to norepinephrine to introduce us to sleep. It is a substance that is produced cyclically, respecting the circadian rhythm.
Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland when it detects darkness. Rather, sunlight or artificial light send orders to the gland to stop its production.
During a night of relative normality, where the individual rests 8 hours, it will be at the fourth hour of sleep when he reaches the maximum production of melatonin. In this way, the hormone sustains rest.
Exposure to light stops the effect of melatonin, and therefore it is common for our wake-sleep cycle to be altered if we do activities in bright light before bedtime. The use of mobile phones , for example, is one of the most characteristic habits that delays the production of melatonin.
The substance can also be consumed artificially, which is why it is marketed in capsules:
  • Medium effect , capable of sustaining sleep for no more than 4 hours
  • Prolonged release , to simulate the natural effect and complete 8 hours of sleep

Sleep-wake cycle disorders

The wake-sleep cycle can be altered . The disorders derived from a problem in the biological clock are diseases of the circadian rhythm, and there are some classified by medicine, such as the following:
  • Phase delay: This happens in patients who fall asleep late, at dawn, and then do not wake up early in the morning. It can happen to anyone, but it is a disorder when it lasts for more than a month.
  • Phase advancement: unlike the previous one, the individual has an unstoppable dream from the afternoon, which forces him to fall asleep. However, in the middle of the night he wakes up and can no longer fall asleep.
  • Irregular rhythm: Here it is difficult to determine how the body behaves. The irregularity is that there is no parameter that the biological clock follows to mark the stages. One day there is a phase delay and another day there is a phase advance. It is classified as a disorder when it persists for 3 months.
Sleep-wake cycle disorders are varied and alter the quality of life.
  • Jet lag : it is the disease of the traveler, well known for suffering from people who take a plane and go through different time zones in a few hours.
  • Shift worker: it is the usual disorder of those who have jobs with rotating night shifts, such as the serene or the nurses.
  • Hypernictameral: in this case, the circadian rhythm of wakefulness-sleep lasts more than 24 hours, and it is prolonged more and more. In practice, the patient usually adds sleep time each day, until he gets to sleep almost a full day.

Rest well to stay awake better

The wake-sleep cycle is the way it is for our bodies to function properly. A good rest is key for the waking period to be healthy . Conversely, staying awake in health leads to a pleasant night's sleep.
Good habits sleep wake-sleep cycle

What is the wake-sleep cycle?

The wake-sleep cycle is part of the body's circadian rhythms and helps us to function properly. The changes in this cycle significantly affect the quality of life. We explain it to you.
We speak of the wake-sleep cycle to refer to the alternation that our body presents between the moments when we are awake and those in which we sleep. The waking part of the cycle is what happens while we don't sleep, and vice versa.
The nervous system is in charge of regulating the wake-sleep cycle. There are specialized neurons to coordinate function and neural tissues that serve as a biological clock.
This chronometer that we have some living beings inside, and that stipulates cycles for vital functions, is studied through chronobiology. And the denomination for these cycles is that of circadians .
Humans have three types of circadian cycles:
  • Cigars: they are those that are completed in approximately 24 hours, like the wake-sleep cycle.
  • Infraradians: they are those that last more than a day, like the menstrual cycle of women.
  • Ultradianos: Complete in less than a day.

How is wakefulness different from sleep?

The wake-sleep cycle combines two moments in life: being awake and sleeping. Both stages are vital and very different from each other. Waking implies a state of consciousness, we have knowledge of what is happening and we use our senses to communicate with the environment around us. We can think during the vigil and act accordingly.
Being awake is a task for the nervous system , more precisely for the ascending reticular system, which is a set of specialized neurons. This tissue communicates with the thalamus and the cerebral cortex.
One of the most widely used neurotransmitters in wakefulness is norepinephrine, unlike sleep that uses melatonin. This substance regulates the attention we pay and the impulse to carry out activities.
Along with norepinephrine , serotonin is important , which fulfills relevant functions in the cerebral cortex, especially in the area of ​​neurons that regulate vision.
The wake-sleep cycle is regulated through hormones and part of the neuronal tissue.

Melatonin in the wake-sleep cycle

As we said well, melatonin is a key hormone in the wake-sleep cycle, since it is opposed to norepinephrine to introduce us to sleep. It is a substance that is produced cyclically, respecting the circadian rhythm.
Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland when it detects darkness. Rather, sunlight or artificial light send orders to the gland to stop its production.
During a night of relative normality, where the individual rests 8 hours, it will be at the fourth hour of sleep when he reaches the maximum production of melatonin. In this way, the hormone sustains rest.
Exposure to light stops the effect of melatonin, and therefore it is common for our wake-sleep cycle to be altered if we do activities in bright light before bedtime. The use of mobile phones , for example, is one of the most characteristic habits that delays the production of melatonin.
The substance can also be consumed artificially, which is why it is marketed in capsules:
  • Medium effect , capable of sustaining sleep for no more than 4 hours
  • Prolonged release , to simulate the natural effect and complete 8 hours of sleep

Sleep-wake cycle disorders

The wake-sleep cycle can be altered . The disorders derived from a problem in the biological clock are diseases of the circadian rhythm, and there are some classified by medicine, such as the following:
  • Phase delay: This happens in patients who fall asleep late, at dawn, and then do not wake up early in the morning. It can happen to anyone, but it is a disorder when it lasts for more than a month.
  • Phase advancement: unlike the previous one, the individual has an unstoppable dream from the afternoon, which forces him to fall asleep. However, in the middle of the night he wakes up and can no longer fall asleep.
  • Irregular rhythm: Here it is difficult to determine how the body behaves. The irregularity is that there is no parameter that the biological clock follows to mark the stages. One day there is a phase delay and another day there is a phase advance. It is classified as a disorder when it persists for 3 months.
Sleep-wake cycle disorders are varied and alter the quality of life.
  • Jet lag : it is the disease of the traveler, well known for suffering from people who take a plane and go through different time zones in a few hours.
  • Shift worker: it is the usual disorder of those who have jobs with rotating night shifts, such as the serene or the nurses.
  • Hypernictameral: in this case, the circadian rhythm of wakefulness-sleep lasts more than 24 hours, and it is prolonged more and more. In practice, the patient usually adds sleep time each day, until he gets to sleep almost a full day.

Rest well to stay awake better

The wake-sleep cycle is the way it is for our bodies to function properly. A good rest is key for the waking period to be healthy . Conversely, staying awake in health leads to a pleasant night's sleep.

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