The Sleep Cycle and Bedwetting

Our sleep is not just a one, long unit. During the night, we go through several rounds of sleep cycles. Each sleep cycle is comprised of four to five sleep stages: 3-4 non-REM sleep stages, and one REM sleep stage. Typically, we will go through four to six sleep cycles a night, which last – on average – around 90 minutes. When it comes to bedwetting, the sleep stage the child is on is also a factor that can help to determine whether the child can wake up and go to the toilet.

– Read more about the reasons for a child to wake up and go to the toilet

The sleep stages in the sleep cycle are:

STAGE 1 (N1)
⏰ Around 1 to 5 minutes
Where the body still needs to fully relax. Brain activities start to slow down, feeling of tiredness and falling asleep.

👀 Easy to wake up

STAGE 2 (N2)
⏰ Around 10 to 60 minutes
Where we can locate further relaxation in the muscles, a drop in body temperature, slower breathing and stopping of the eye movement.

👀👀 Harder to wake up

STAGES 3-4 (N3, N4 Delta Sleep, Seep Sleep, Slow-Wave Sleep)
⏰ Around 20 to 40 minutes
Where the body is in deep sleep. Breathing rate and pulse are lowered down, and muscles are loose.
Later on, the brain moves to function in long and slow waves.

👀👀👀 Very hard to wake up

REM STAGE (Rapid Eye Movement)
⏰ Around 10 to 60 minutes
Where the body experiences atonia (temporary paralysis of the muscles), except for the eyes and the breathing muscles. This stage is ‘famous’ by the look of the eyes moving around, even if they are closed.

👀👀👀 Very hard to wake up

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