The proportion of N3 sleep is greatest in the first sleep cycle and dissipates over the course of the sleep period. This statement is:

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Multiple Choice

The proportion of N3 sleep is greatest in the first sleep cycle and dissipates over the course of the sleep period. This statement is:

N3 sleep is driven by the body’s homeostatic sleep pressure, which is strongest at sleep onset. The first sleep cycle contains the longest and deepest period of slow-wave sleep, so you get a larger amount of N3 early in the night. As the night progresses, the need for deep restorative sleep declines and the brain shifts toward more REM and lighter NREM stages, causing the proportion of N3 to diminish across subsequent cycles. In adults this results in a prominent deep-sleep portion in the first cycle and little to none in later cycles. Therefore, the statement is true.

N3 sleep is driven by the body’s homeostatic sleep pressure, which is strongest at sleep onset. The first sleep cycle contains the longest and deepest period of slow-wave sleep, so you get a larger amount of N3 early in the night. As the night progresses, the need for deep restorative sleep declines and the brain shifts toward more REM and lighter NREM stages, causing the proportion of N3 to diminish across subsequent cycles. In adults this results in a prominent deep-sleep portion in the first cycle and little to none in later cycles. Therefore, the statement is true.

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