Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
ATI COMFORT, REST AND SLEEP EXAM | EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
COMFORT, REST AND SLEEP
NURSING PRACTICE EXAMINATION
1. Which stage of sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements, vivid
dreaming, and a temporary loss of skeletal muscle tone?
A. REM sleep
B. NREM stage 1
C. NREM stage 2
D. NREM stage 3
ANSWER : A. REM sleep
REM sleep is the dreaming stage; the eyes move rapidly while most skeletal
muscles are temporarily inhibited, which keeps the sleeper from acting out
dreams.
2. A client asks the nurse which part of the night is most restorative for the
body's tissues. Which stage should the nurse identify?
A. NREM stage 1
B. REM sleep
C. NREM stage 2
D. NREM stage 3 (slow-wave sleep)
ANSWER : D. NREM stage 3 (slow-wave sleep)
Growth hormone release, tissue repair, and cell renewal peak during slow-wave
sleep, making stage 3 the most physically restorative.
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, Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
3. From which stage of sleep is a person most easily awakened?
A. NREM stage 2
B. REM sleep
C. NREM stage 3
D. NREM stage 1
ANSWER : D. NREM stage 1
Stage 1 is a short transition between wakefulness and sleep; the person is easily
roused and may insist they were not asleep.
4. The nurse is explaining normal sleep architecture to a client. A complete
sleep cycle in a healthy adult usually lasts about how long?
A. 15 to 20 minutes
B. 30 to 45 minutes
C. 90 to 110 minutes
D. 3 to 4 hours
ANSWER : C. 90 to 110 minutes
Adults usually pass through four to six cycles per night, each lasting roughly 90
minutes or slightly longer.
5. Which structure in the brainstem is chiefly responsible for maintaining
wakefulness and alertness?
A. Basal ganglia
B. Occipital lobe
C. Reticular activating system
D. Cerebellum
ANSWER : C. Reticular activating system
The reticular activating system sends excitatory signals to the cortex to keep a
person alert; when its activity falls, sleep follows.
6. Which hormone is released by the pineal gland in response to darkness and
helps promote the onset of sleep?
A. Epinephrine
B. Thyroxine
C. Melatonin
D. Cortisol
ANSWER : C. Melatonin
Melatonin secretion rises as light fades and signals the body that it is time to
sleep.
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, Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
7. A nurse monitoring a client during NREM sleep would expect which
physiological change?
A. Increased metabolic rate
B. Elevated body temperature
C. Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
D. Increased respiratory rate
ANSWER : C. Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
Parasympathetic activity dominates in NREM sleep, so heart rate, blood
pressure, respirations, and metabolic rate all fall.
8. Which finding is characteristic of REM sleep?
A. Slow, deep, regular breathing
B. Irregular, fluctuating heart rate and respirations
C. Markedly reduced brain activity
D. Increased skeletal muscle tone
ANSWER : B. Irregular, fluctuating heart rate and respirations
REM sleep is an active brain state with irregular vital signs, even though
skeletal muscle tone is lowest.
9. A client has been repeatedly awakened during REM sleep for several
nights. Which finding should the nurse anticipate?
A. Increased muscle strength
B. Improved memory consolidation
C. Irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating
D. Reduced dreaming once normal sleep resumes
ANSWER : C. Irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating
REM deprivation affects mood and cognition; when sleep is restored, REM
rebound with increased dreaming usually occurs.
10. After a sleeper completes NREM stage 3, what typically happens next in
the cycle?
A. The sleeper moves directly into NREM stage 1
B. The sleeper remains in stage 3 for the rest of the night
C. The sleeper returns to NREM stage 2 before entering REM sleep
D. The sleeper awakens fully
ANSWER : C. The sleeper returns to NREM stage 2 before entering REM
sleep
The usual pattern is stages 1, 2, 3, back up to 2, and then REM; the cycle then
repeats.
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, Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
11. The internal 24-hour rhythm that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, body
temperature, and hormone secretion is called the:
A. Ultradian rhythm
B. Infradian rhythm
C. Seasonal rhythm
D. Circadian rhythm
ANSWER : D. Circadian rhythm
Circadian means "about a day"; this internal clock governs daily patterns of
sleep, temperature, and hormone release.
12. Which environmental cue has the strongest effect on resetting the body's
circadian clock?
A. Room temperature
B. Exposure to light
C. Timing of meals
D. Background noise
ANSWER : B. Exposure to light
Light reaching the retina signals the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the
hypothalamus, which is the main pacemaker of the circadian rhythm.
13. A nurse who works permanent night shifts reports difficulty sleeping
during the day. Which recommendation is most appropriate?
A. Switch back to nighttime sleep on days off
B. Exercise vigorously immediately before going to bed
C. Watch television in bed until drowsy
D. Use blackout curtains and keep the same sleep schedule even on days off
ANSWER : D. Use blackout curtains and keep the same sleep schedule
even on days off
A dark room and a consistent schedule help the circadian rhythm adjust to
daytime sleep; switching back and forth prolongs the disruption.
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ATI COMFORT, REST AND SLEEP EXAM | EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
COMFORT, REST AND SLEEP
NURSING PRACTICE EXAMINATION
1. Which stage of sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements, vivid
dreaming, and a temporary loss of skeletal muscle tone?
A. REM sleep
B. NREM stage 1
C. NREM stage 2
D. NREM stage 3
ANSWER : A. REM sleep
REM sleep is the dreaming stage; the eyes move rapidly while most skeletal
muscles are temporarily inhibited, which keeps the sleeper from acting out
dreams.
2. A client asks the nurse which part of the night is most restorative for the
body's tissues. Which stage should the nurse identify?
A. NREM stage 1
B. REM sleep
C. NREM stage 2
D. NREM stage 3 (slow-wave sleep)
ANSWER : D. NREM stage 3 (slow-wave sleep)
Growth hormone release, tissue repair, and cell renewal peak during slow-wave
sleep, making stage 3 the most physically restorative.
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, Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
3. From which stage of sleep is a person most easily awakened?
A. NREM stage 2
B. REM sleep
C. NREM stage 3
D. NREM stage 1
ANSWER : D. NREM stage 1
Stage 1 is a short transition between wakefulness and sleep; the person is easily
roused and may insist they were not asleep.
4. The nurse is explaining normal sleep architecture to a client. A complete
sleep cycle in a healthy adult usually lasts about how long?
A. 15 to 20 minutes
B. 30 to 45 minutes
C. 90 to 110 minutes
D. 3 to 4 hours
ANSWER : C. 90 to 110 minutes
Adults usually pass through four to six cycles per night, each lasting roughly 90
minutes or slightly longer.
5. Which structure in the brainstem is chiefly responsible for maintaining
wakefulness and alertness?
A. Basal ganglia
B. Occipital lobe
C. Reticular activating system
D. Cerebellum
ANSWER : C. Reticular activating system
The reticular activating system sends excitatory signals to the cortex to keep a
person alert; when its activity falls, sleep follows.
6. Which hormone is released by the pineal gland in response to darkness and
helps promote the onset of sleep?
A. Epinephrine
B. Thyroxine
C. Melatonin
D. Cortisol
ANSWER : C. Melatonin
Melatonin secretion rises as light fades and signals the body that it is time to
sleep.
Page 2 of 60
, Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
7. A nurse monitoring a client during NREM sleep would expect which
physiological change?
A. Increased metabolic rate
B. Elevated body temperature
C. Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
D. Increased respiratory rate
ANSWER : C. Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
Parasympathetic activity dominates in NREM sleep, so heart rate, blood
pressure, respirations, and metabolic rate all fall.
8. Which finding is characteristic of REM sleep?
A. Slow, deep, regular breathing
B. Irregular, fluctuating heart rate and respirations
C. Markedly reduced brain activity
D. Increased skeletal muscle tone
ANSWER : B. Irregular, fluctuating heart rate and respirations
REM sleep is an active brain state with irregular vital signs, even though
skeletal muscle tone is lowest.
9. A client has been repeatedly awakened during REM sleep for several
nights. Which finding should the nurse anticipate?
A. Increased muscle strength
B. Improved memory consolidation
C. Irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating
D. Reduced dreaming once normal sleep resumes
ANSWER : C. Irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating
REM deprivation affects mood and cognition; when sleep is restored, REM
rebound with increased dreaming usually occurs.
10. After a sleeper completes NREM stage 3, what typically happens next in
the cycle?
A. The sleeper moves directly into NREM stage 1
B. The sleeper remains in stage 3 for the rest of the night
C. The sleeper returns to NREM stage 2 before entering REM sleep
D. The sleeper awakens fully
ANSWER : C. The sleeper returns to NREM stage 2 before entering REM
sleep
The usual pattern is stages 1, 2, 3, back up to 2, and then REM; the cycle then
repeats.
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, Comfort, Rest and Sleep – Nursing
11. The internal 24-hour rhythm that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, body
temperature, and hormone secretion is called the:
A. Ultradian rhythm
B. Infradian rhythm
C. Seasonal rhythm
D. Circadian rhythm
ANSWER : D. Circadian rhythm
Circadian means "about a day"; this internal clock governs daily patterns of
sleep, temperature, and hormone release.
12. Which environmental cue has the strongest effect on resetting the body's
circadian clock?
A. Room temperature
B. Exposure to light
C. Timing of meals
D. Background noise
ANSWER : B. Exposure to light
Light reaching the retina signals the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the
hypothalamus, which is the main pacemaker of the circadian rhythm.
13. A nurse who works permanent night shifts reports difficulty sleeping
during the day. Which recommendation is most appropriate?
A. Switch back to nighttime sleep on days off
B. Exercise vigorously immediately before going to bed
C. Watch television in bed until drowsy
D. Use blackout curtains and keep the same sleep schedule even on days off
ANSWER : D. Use blackout curtains and keep the same sleep schedule
even on days off
A dark room and a consistent schedule help the circadian rhythm adjust to
daytime sleep; switching back and forth prolongs the disruption.
Page 4 of 60
