søvnens

Søvnens is the genitive form of søvn, the Norwegian noun for sleep. In Norwegian grammar, søvnens means "of sleep" or "sleep's" and is used to link sleep to other nouns or phrases, such as søvnens betydning (the importance of sleep) or søvnens rolle i helse (sleep's role in health).

Søvn is a recurring, reversible state characterized by reduced consciousness, lowered arousal, and distinct brain activity. The sleep cycle comprises non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) stages, typically lasting about 90 minutes in adults. Across a night, people progress through multiple cycles, with deep NREM sleep more common earlier and REM becoming longer toward morning.

Biological sleep supports functions such as restoration, memory consolidation, and metabolic regulation. Sleep maintains immune function and supports learning, mood, and cognitive performance. The timing of sleep is governed largely by circadian rhythms, synchronized by the body's internal clock and influenced by light exposure, meal timing, and social cues.

Sleep disorders include insomnia (difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep), obstructive sleep apnea (recurrent airway obstruction during sleep), narcolepsy (recurrent daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks), and circadian rhythm disorders. Chronic inadequate sleep is linked to adverse health outcomes, including metabolic disease, cardiovascular risk, impaired judgment, and diminished quality of life. Good sleep hygiene—regular bedtimes, a dark quiet environment, and limiting stimulants—can help most people.

See also: Sleep; Circadian rhythm; Sleep hygiene.