What is the sleep wake cycle?
The sleep-wake cycle is the alternation between the states of being awake and being asleep. One theory of sleep states that the amount of sleep we experience depends on the length of time we awake prior to sleep. So, the longer you are awake and the more tired and sleepy you become, the greater the urge for you to fall asleep and the longer you are likely to sleep in order for your body to attain normal function again. Some researchers believe there is a separate sleep wake cycle that runs on its own rhythm but also interacts with the circadian rhythm. Many other theories have been developed in order to define how and why we sleep and what the basic drives to sleep are.
