What Happens In Our Body While We Sleep?

While we sleep, our organism generates antibodies with which it can defend itself against bacteria and viruses. That’s why we sleep more when we’re sick

We don’t have to install a camera to find out what we are doing while we sleep.

Most of the processes that take place in our body while we sleep and dream cannot be observed from the outside.

Do you want to find out what happens in your body when you sleep? Then you are exactly right here! Some of the information is really amazing!

The organism continues to work while we sleep

Even if it seems like the body stops all processes as soon as we fall asleep … it is not. Scientific studies have shown that the organism continues to work when we close our eyes. Mainly he is busy with the following things:

The limbs are paralyzed

During the deep sleep phase, the REM phase (Rapid Eye Movement, characteristic eye movement), the arms and legs remain motionless.

The body is “shaken”

Perhaps this has happened to you before: You sleep and suddenly have the feeling of falling in a vacuum. You wake up scared of it.

This sleep disorder is known as the hypnotic impulse, and it allows the body to prepare for the changes that will occur over the next few hours.

Cramps are an effort to keep us on our feet, as if it were an alarm system that has not been fully triggered.

The body temperature drops

During the day we do a variety of things and the body temperature is slightly increased because we burn calories. At night, when we sleep, the organism switches to the back burner and saves energy.

In order to maintain its functions, energy is also burned during sleep, but to a much lesser extent than during the day. Due to the reduced body temperature, we sometimes wake up at night because we are cold, even in summer.

The eyes move very quickly

While we sleep we go through five different phases. The deepest and most active at the same time this sleep phase is the REM stage, as we have already mentioned.

After going through this last phase, the cycle starts over and we re-enter the first phase.

We usually reach the REM phase an hour or an hour and a half after falling asleep. The eyes move quickly, but we don’t notice.

Unnecessary information is deleted

Our brain is one of the organs that stay most active while we sleep. The hard drive is cleaned up every night.

The brain erases information that we no longer need and only take up memory space . On the other hand, it shifts valuable memories from short to long-term memory.

The brain makes connections between neurons faster at night than during the day. The brain uses a lot of oxygen and sugar for this activity and maybe that’s why you wake up in the morning and feel like something sweet.

Increased growth hormone is released

This is one of the reasons we, as babies, sleep most of the day. Incidentally, this does not only affect us humans, but all newborn mammals.

The growth hormone GH not only makes us grow taller, it is also necessary for the regeneration and growth of tissues such as muscles and bones.

During the deep sleep phases, increased growth hormone is released. This also counteracts the low blood sugar levels.

The throat becomes narrower

This change is based on the relaxation of the muscles. This is one of the reasons why many people start snoring even though their nose is not closed at all.

Further changes are taking place in the throat, and most of them are due to the fact that we really only need the throat and throat area to breathe at night.

In some cases, the airways close completely at night, causing apnea, or respiratory arrest.

The immune system gathers strength

You have probably heard or read before that we should sleep eight hours a day to avoid getting sick.

Indeed it is, because our immune system makes a large part of the antibodies it needs to fight off microorganisms while we sleep.

This is also the reason why we want to sleep more when we are feeling bad or sick.

Grind your teeth

Bruxism, as the nocturnal grinding of teeth is called in technical jargon, is very common , especially in children and adolescents.

The forceful clenching of the teeth can become even more pronounced if the person is very stressed or if the teeth and jaws are misaligned.

Sometimes people wake up at night because their mouths hurt. The teeth wear out from rubbing together and dental diseases can be the result.

The kidneys are also resting

If it weren’t for that, we’d all wake up in wet beds! The kidneys are active during the day, filter metabolic end products and toxins from the blood and pass them out with the urine.

Kidney function is reduced while we sleep, so that only small amounts of urine collect in the bladder when we are resting.

Because we produce less urine at night, but do not excrete fewer pollutants, the morning urine is more concentrated. It is a little darker and is better suited for urine tests.

The view gets better

While we sleep, cells, tissues and organs regenerate. The eyes are no exception. Lack of sleep leads to symptoms that affect the eyelids and the tear film that covers and protects the cornea.

If you strain your eyes for a long time, you will also notice how tired they are. Therefore, it is likely that you can see better in the morning than in the evening.

If you under eye circles are suffering, you should sufficient sleep. This is the best strategy for avoiding the unsightly dark circles.

We speak

Many people have this “problem” and talk while they sleep. It is estimated that it affects 5% of the population. But it usually only becomes uncomfortable when we tell things that we don’t want to reveal.

The amazing thing is that the next day those affected cannot remember what they said at all. And if we didn’t sleep alone …

Many a strange situation has emerged from this. It is known that reinforce both depression and stress nightly talk.

The head “explodes”

But that is really a strange business. Maybe you have already felt like your head was about to explode.

And then you woke up from it and looked outside to find out where the sound was coming from. When that happens, you are going through a period of high levels of stress and anxiety.