What happens to your body while you sleep?

Claims about passivity during sleep were debunked quite some time ago. When we fall asleep, a multitude of regenerative processes occur in our bodies. Our cells renew themselves, growth hormones are produced, and important repair processes for the body are activated. Additionally, the brain begins to compile and organize all the information it has collected.

What exactly happens to the body when we enter the sleep phase?

We become more beautiful at night

Sleep medicine defines five stages of sleep – awake, falling asleep, light sleep, deep sleep, and finally REM sleep (rapid eye movement), such as dreaming. In summary, these five stages form a cycle that lasts approximately 90-100 minutes and is ended by a brief, imperceptible awakening. Then a new sleep cycle begins. Adults go through four to six such sequences during one night. In the first phase, which encompasses the first four stages and is called non-REM, body temperature drops, heart rate slows, breathing becomes regulated, the kidneys produce less urine, and ultimately muscles relax and uncramp. At this time, usually about an hour after falling asleep, the deep sleep phase is reached, where the most effective recovery occurs. Numerous skin changes appear in the subsequent stages. Tissue becomes firm and cells undergo regenerative processes. Growth hormones and cortisol are also released. The former is responsible for renewing the epidermis, while cortisol inhibits inflammatory processes. After the first phase, we begin to dream, our breathing becomes faster, and our blood pressure rises.

Sleep heals wounds

The brain's ability during sleep is equally an interesting aspect of research. Matthew Walker, the author of Why We Sleep, compares sleep activities to psychotic states. At this time, we see things that don't exist, so they are hallucinations. Likewise, we have delusions because our sense of time and space is disturbed and confused. We experience intense emotional states and often don't remember most of our dreams, which can be equated with unconsciousness. Walker believes that if these symptoms happened to us while awake, we would be referred to a psychiatrist for appropriate treatment. Fortunately, this is a normal process of our brain that occurs when we recover. First, in the REM stage, all the information we have recently processed is sorted. The brain creates a catalog of memories and connects them with links from past situations that we haven't noticed until now. This is why we fall asleep with a problem and wake up in the morning with a head full of ideas on how to solve it. The well-known saying "sleep on it" seems to have its merit. During sleep, the brain undergoes therapy – we achieve a certain distance from problems and trauma, which is why we often feel free from negative emotions in the morning.

Sleep problems

Depending on our condition, we need four to nine hours of sleep per day. Normally, seven hours of sleep is sufficient to accomplish important regenerative processes and activate our brain. Nevertheless, there are people who, despite great fatigue, are unable to reach even one recovery phase. It is believed that nowadays half the population, including children, struggles with this problem. If you are affected by insomnia, you should, in addition to following medical advice, reconsider whether your subconscious is calling for safety signals. Often, subconscious fear, frustration, and a multitude of stimuli impair nervous system function by transmitting information about the condition to the brain. Accordingly, appropriately designed beds could be a solution. According to psychologists and psychiatrists, quilted blankets, weighted covers, and pillows with special fillings can considerably improve sleep quality. They also have a calming and soothing effect. Especially in young children, clearly visible improvements in sleep quality have been observed with sensory blankets.

Let's not overlook the fact that sleep affects every aspect of our lives and also offers solutions to many essential problems. As it turns out, it is not time, but sleep that heals all wounds. So why not make proper use of it? In the end, you simply must… go to sleep.