Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How long does a typical adult sleep cycle last?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
sleep
Find out how scientists are studying the sleep activity of migratory birds.
A typical adult sleep cycle, which includes both NREM and REM phases, lasts approximately 90 to 110 minutes.1
During a normal night's sleep, adults typically complete this cycle four to six times. While the duration of these ultradian cycles remains roughly equivalent throughout the night, the composition of the stages within each cycle shifts: the REM portion tends to lengthen as the night progresses, while the contribution of deep NREM sleep (stage 3) decreases.21