What happens to your body while you sleep?
Claims about passivity during sleep were disproven some time ago. When we fall asleep, a variety of regenerative processes take place in our body. Our cells renew themselves, growth hormones are produced, and important repair processes for the body are activated. Additionally, the brain begins to assemble and organize all collected information.
What exactly happens to the body when we reach 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), e.g., dreaming. Together, these five stages form a cycle that lasts about 90-100 minutes and ends with a brief, imperceptible awakening. Then a new sleep cycle begins. Adults go through four to six such sequences during a night. In the first phase, which includes the first four stages and is called Non-REM, body temperature drops, heart rate slows, breathing is regulated, the kidney produces less urine, and ultimately muscles relax and loosen. At this time, usually one hour after falling asleep, the deep sleep phase is reached, in which the most effective recovery takes place. Numerous skin changes occur in the subsequent stages. The tissue becomes firm and cells undergo regenerative processes. Growth hormones and cortisol are also released. The former is responsible for renewing the epidermis (outer skin), 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 also 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 do not exist, so they are hallucinations. Likewise, we have delusions, as the sense of time and space is disturbed and confused. We experience intense emotional states and often do not 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 appears when we recover. First, in the REM stage, all the information we have recently dealt with is sorted. The brain creates a catalog of memories and connects them with links from past situations that we have not perceived until now. For this reason, we go to sleep with a problem and wake up in the morning with a head full of ideas on how to solve the problem. The well-known saying “sleep on it” seems to be justified. During sleep, the brain undergoes therapy – we achieve a certain distance from problems and traumas, which is why we often feel freed from bad emotions in the morning.
Sleep problems
Depending on our condition, we need four to nine hours of sleep per day. Usually, seven hours of sleep are sufficient to carry out important regenerative processes and activate our brain. Nevertheless, there are people who, despite great tiredness, are not able to reach even one phase of recovery. It is assumed that nowadays half of the population, including children, struggle with this problem. If you suffer from insomnia, besides following medical advice, you should consider whether your subconscious is calling for safety signals. Often subconscious fear, frustration, and a variety of stimuli impair the functioning of the nervous system by transmitting information about the condition to the brain. Accordingly, suitable beds could be a solution. According to psychologists and psychiatrists, quilted blankets, covers, and pillows with filling can significantly improve sleep quality. They also have a calming and soothing effect. Especially in young children, clearly visible changes in sleep quality have been observed with sensory blankets.
Let us not forget that sleep affects every aspect of our life 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 take proper advantage of it? In the end, you just have to… go to sleep.