cycle length and periods length!!!

Tammy

i would really appreciate if someone explain this to me in simple words :/

I usually get me periods on the night of 4th or afternoon of 5th of every month. But I don't know what's my period length and what's my cycle length. what makes it confusing for me is how to count my periods as I get spotting then bleeding and the spotting again total 9 days. is my periods 9 days in total or the spotting doesn't count.