Not everyone can sleep through rumbling traffic or a spouse’s incessant snoring. If you do, you may pride yourself on being a “deep” or “heavy” sleeper.

If you struggle to fall or stay asleep, you may consider yourself a “light” sleeper.

But is there such thing as being a light or deep sleeper? And can you change how deeply you sleep?

Sleep is not a single, static state. Rather, it’s a cycle that unfolds and repeats across the night, in two main stages.

Stage 1: Non-REM sleep

Sleep begins with non-rapid eye movement sleep, also known as non-REM sleep. This is made up of three phases, ranging from a first phase of very light sleep, to the deepest and slowest form of sleep in the third phase.

Rapid eye movement or REM sleep comes next, usually between 80 to 100 minutes after you fall asleep. To distinguish between the two stages, scientists measure the size and speed of electrical activity in the brain, commonly known as brain waves. During this second stage, these brain waves become more active. This may be why you may have more dreams during REM sleep.

After your body completes its first round of non-REM and REM sleep, this process repeats in cycles, each lasting roughly 90 minutes.

Read more: Is sleeping a lot actually bad for your health? A sleep scientist explains

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