Definitions for "Sleep architecture"
A general term for the onset, continuity, frequency and duration of various sleep stages occurring during the course of nighttime sleep, measured using nocturnal polysomnography.
the structure of the sleep cycle and wakefulness as it occurs over a period of sleep.
NREM/REM stage and cycles of sleep and time spent in each stage. Also called sleep timing mechanism. One's sleep architecture changes with age. Middle-aged and elderly people tend to spend less time in deeper sleep than younger people. By age 60 or 70, many adults experience a decrease in the proportion of time spent in delta sleep. The percentage of REM sleep remains relatively stable.