Stage 2 of the sleep cycle is included in the non-REM cycle of sleep, lasting 40-60% of the total sleep cycle. Stage 2 is characterized by a decrease in brain activity, body temperature and heart rate. Sleep disruptions during this stage are rare as the body prepares for deep sleep. In this stage, the brain waves can produce sleep spindles, which are sudden bursts of brain activity.
Nightly sleep cycles oscillate between four stages. Each sleep stage generally lasts for 5-15 minutes, with an entire cycle taking 90-110 minutes cycling back to stage 2. Stage 2 is a light sleep that prepares the body to enter the deep sleep of stages 3-4. During Stage 2 of the sleep cycle, memories are processed in the hippocampus and the brain increases its efficiency. Waking up from a nap after Stage 2 can lead to feeling energetic, rather than more drowsy, after the nap.
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