How sleep works: what pulls you to bed, and what your brain does all night
Sleep stages: what your brain does once you fall asleep
Put sensors on a sleeper's head, and the screen shows a brain that is anything but idle: its waves change shape all night. What are the stages of sleep?
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Imagine you slept in a sleep lab tonight, with small sensors on your head. A screen beside the bed draws the electrical waves of your brain cells. This is an EEG.
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Awake, your brain waves are small and fast: millions of cells, each busy with its own job. As you drift off, the waves slow down. This is light sleep.
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