sleep-wake cycle
Daily rest pattern
The sleep-wake cycle is the daily pattern of alternating sleep and wakefulness, regulated by circadian rhythms and environmental cues like light.
In humans, this typically means roughly sixteen hours awake followed by eight hours of sleep, though the pattern varies by age and individual: Shift work disrupts the natural sleep-wake cycle.
Also called the sleep-wake rhythm.
- melatoninCircadian rhythm regulator
- circadian rhythmBuilt-in sleep-wake cycle
- phase shiftChange in wave timing
- light exposureContact with radiant energy
- adenosinePurine nucleoside in cells
chronotype · night owl · early bird · entrainment · shift work · blue light · insomnia · chronobiology · cortisol · biological clock · internal clock · hypersomnia · bedtime routines · body temperature · hypothalamus · homeostasis · seasonal changes · narcolepsy
- biorhythmscircadian rhythm, circadian rhythms, circadian clock, biological clocks, biological clock
- rhythmsbeat, rhythm, syncopation, offbeat, cadence
- Hypothalamusmammillary bodies, thermoregulation, homeostasis, appetite control, circadian rhythm
sleep-wake cyclecoma
Unwakeable unconsciousness
hibernation · suspended animation · arrhythmia · steady state · stasis