What happens in the body while we sleep. What happens at night while we sleep? The brain forgets unnecessary information

In the long term, lack of sleep can have devastating effects on a person's health, it is important to understand and appreciate its importance.

From bruxism and sleepwalking to exploding head syndrome and apnea, - Faktrum lists 25 things that happen to our body during sleep.

Body temperature drops

Because most of the body's muscles become inactive during sleep, the body burns fewer calories than when awake, so body temperature drops. Scientists have found that the most low temperature body in a person during sleep - at 02:30.

The eyes are moving

Although closed by eyelids, the eyes move in sleep. Their movements even differ depending on the stage of sleep. At first they roll smoothly, and then, when a person falls into deep sleep, they begin to move quickly. However, a person, as a rule, does not remember this.

The body twitches convulsively

Sudden twitches and jerks are most often associated with the first stages of sleep. They are generally harmless, but can be quite strong - sometimes to the point of actually waking you up.

Muscles are paralyzed

There is a compelling reason why most muscles become paralyzed during sleep: if they were active, a person could act while asleep, and this, of course, would be extremely dangerous.

Skin repairs itself

The top layer of skin is made up of compacted dead cells that are shed throughout the day. During sleep, the skin's metabolic rate increases and many cells in the body exhibit increased production and decreased breakdown of proteins. Because proteins are essential for cell growth and repair of skin damage from factors such as UV rays, deep sleep can truly be called "beauty sleep."

The brain forgets unnecessary information

“We take in a lot of information throughout the day, and fortunately most of it is forgotten,” says sleep specialist Christopher Colwell of the UCLA School of Medicine. “If you remember everything you learned or heard all day, then the brain, in order not to become overloaded with information, will begin the sorting process during sleep, weeding out what is unnecessary.”

Throat narrows

Unlike most other muscles, the throat muscles are not paralyzed during sleep because they are needed for breathing. However, they become more relaxed, causing the throat to narrow. It also likely contributes to snoring.

The body produces hormones

During the slow-wave sleep phase human body produces growth hormones that stimulate cell growth, reproduction and regeneration. Sleep, even if it is during the day, promotes the release of prolactin, an important regulator of the immune system.

The immune system is at its peak

Lack of sleep has been shown to affect the immune system. One study found that people who were given a flu shot and deprived of sleep the next night were unable to produce the antibodies needed to protect against the flu. Therefore, as soon as a person experiences the first signs of infection, one should get as much sleep as needed. immune system to overcome the disease.

Man losing weight

During sleep, a person loses fluid by sweating and exhaling moist air. This happens throughout the day, but drinking and eating will negate any weight loss. Therefore, quality and long sleep is necessary for any diet to achieve success.

My mouth becomes dry

Since saliva is mainly needed for the feeding process, and a person does not eat during sleep, the salivary flow at night is reduced. Consequently, a person may feel dry mouth and thirsty when waking up in the morning.

A man can grind his teeth

It is estimated that around 5% of people suffer from a strange condition known as bruxism. This parafunctional activity manifests itself in excessive grinding of the teeth and can ultimately lead to tooth damage. Scientists aren't sure what exactly causes this condition, but they think it may be a form of stress relief.

The body lengthens

It has been found that people can be several centimeters taller in the morning than they were the night before. While sleeping in horizontal position the spine is stretched because the weight of the body does not press on it from above.

Blood pressure decreases

During sleep, a person experiences what is called a "night dip" in blood pressure.

A person can walk in his sleep

WITH scientific point vision known as parasomnia, sleepwalking and other sleep activities include behaviors, emotions, sensations and dreams that typically occur during transitions between certain stages of sleep. Parasomnia is mostly harmless, but there have been cases where people have been injured while sleepwalking.

A person can become sexually aroused

Both men and women can become sexually aroused in their sleep. Because the brain is more active during sleep, it requires more oxygen. As a result, blood flow throughout the body increases, causing the genitals to swell.

We dream

The brain makes decisions

Recent research has shown that the brain can process information and prepare for activities during sleep, effectively making decisions during sleep. unconscious. In fact, our brain can even make important conclusions and discoveries while we sleep.

Oh this flatulence

It is unlikely that anyone will be happy to know about this, but at night the muscles anal sphincter relax slightly, releasing gases accumulated in the intestines. Good news is that during sleep a person’s sense of smell is not as acute as during wakefulness, so the release of gases at night, as a rule, goes unnoticed.

The body is completely cleansed of toxins

Removing toxins allows our body and brain to recover. In poor sleepers, filtration is not as effective, so experts believe this may explain why people, over time, sleep deprived, can get a little crazy.

We wake up without realizing it

Scientific studies have shown that people wake up many times during their sleep - it sounds strange, of course, but it is true. These awakenings are so brief that we do not remember them. They usually occur during the transition between at different stages sleep.

Breathing may stop during sleep

Millions of people around the world suffer from a disorder known as sleep apnea. The disorder is characterized by pauses in breathing or episodes of shallow breathing during sleep. Each pause can last from several seconds to several minutes.

A person can hear explosions

Exploding head syndrome is a rare, benign condition in which a person hears loud noise imagining noises (such as a bomb exploding, a gunshot, hitting a music cymbal, etc.) or experiences a sensation like an explosion when falling asleep or waking up. It is painless, but frightening to the one who suffers from it.

A person can talk in his sleep

Sleep talking is a parasomnia that refers to talking out loud while sleeping. It can be quite loud, ranging from muttering sounds to screams and long, often slurred speeches. This can happen repeatedly during sleep.

Pain threshold increases

When a person's body is completely relaxed to the point of paralysis, the nerves are unable to receive pain signals and transmit these signals to the brain. This also explains why we cannot hear, smell, see or feel while we sleep.

There are many reasons why sleep is the most favorite activity of many people. This calm part

What happens to our body while we sleep

16:00 January 07, 2017

There are many reasons why sleep is the most favorite activity of many people. This quiet part of our day is vital for both our physical and mental health. psychological health- this is a state when we can dream, relax and restore our energy.

Quite often we tend to think of sleep as a very inactive and quiet activity. However, after reading this article, you will see that this is not the case at all. You will be surprised at how much happens in our bodies while we sleep. However, there is nothing to worry about. All the processes that occur are completely normal, they help our body function properly when we wake up.

Since lack of sleep can have devastating effects on a person's health in the long term, it is important to understand and appreciate its importance. After all, we spend a third of our lives sleeping. Therefore, our post today, talking about the things that happen in our body while we sleep, will help you better understand your body.

From bruxism and sleepwalking to exploding head syndrome and apnea, here are 25 things that happen to our bodies during sleep!

25. Body temperature drops

Because most of the body's muscles become inactive during sleep, the body burns fewer calories than when awake, so body temperature drops. Scientists have found that the lowest body temperature in a person during sleep is at 02:30.

24. Eyes move

23. The body twitches convulsively

Sudden twitches and jerks are most often associated with the first stages of sleep. They are generally harmless, but can be quite strong - sometimes to the point of actually waking you up.

22. Muscles are paralyzed

There is a compelling reason why most muscles become paralyzed during sleep: if they were active, a person could act while asleep, and this, of course, would be extremely dangerous.

21. Skin repairs itself

20. The brain forgets unnecessary information

19. Throat narrows

18. The body produces hormones

During the slow-wave sleep phase, the human body produces growth hormones that stimulate cell growth, reproduction and regeneration. Sleep, even if it is during the day, promotes the release of prolactin, an important regulator of the immune system.

17. The immune system is at its peak

Lack of sleep has been shown to affect the immune system. One study found that people who were given a flu shot and deprived of sleep the next night were unable to produce the antibodies needed to protect against the flu. Therefore, as soon as a person experiences the first signs of infection, one should sleep just enough for the immune system to fight the disease.

16. A person loses weight

15. My mouth becomes dry.

14. A person can grind his teeth

13. The body lengthens

It has been found that people can be several centimeters taller in the morning than they were the night before. When sleeping in a horizontal position, the spine is stretched because the weight of the body does not press on it from above.

12. Blood pressure decreases

During sleep, a person experiences what is called a "night dip" in blood pressure.

11. A person can walk in his sleep

Scientifically known as parasomnia, sleepwalking and other sleep activities involve behaviors, emotions, sensations, and dreams that typically occur during transitions between certain stages of sleep. Parasomnia is mostly harmless, but there have been cases where people have been injured while sleepwalking.

10. A person can become sexually aroused

9. We dream

The content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, but it is known that the average person sees 3-5 dreams per night. We mostly see dreams in the first phase of sleep, when our brain is more active. However, we forget most dreams immediately and quickly.

8. The brain makes decisions

Recent research has shown that the brain can process information and prepare for activities during sleep, effectively making decisions while unconscious. In fact, our brain can even make important conclusions and discoveries while we sleep.

7. Oh, this flatulence

It’s unlikely that anyone will be happy to know this, but at night, the anal sphincter muscles relax slightly, releasing gases accumulated in the intestines. The good news is that while you're sleeping, your sense of smell isn't as acute as when you're awake, so the release of gas at night tends to go unnoticed.

6. The body is completely cleansed of toxins

Removing toxins allows our body and brain to recover. In poor sleepers, filtration is not as effective, so experts think this may explain why people who are sleep deprived for long periods of time can become a little crazy.

5. We wake up without realizing it

4. Breathing may stop during sleep

3. People can hear explosions

Exploding head syndrome is a rare, benign condition in which a person hears loud, imaginary noises (such as a bomb exploding, a gunshot, hitting a cymbal, etc.) or experiences an explosion-like sensation when falling asleep or waking up. It is painless, but frightening to the one who suffers from it.

2. A person can talk in his sleep

Top 25: What happens to our body while we sleep
Sleep talking is a parasomnia that refers to talking out loud while sleeping. It can be quite loud, ranging from muttering sounds to screams and long, often slurred speeches. This can happen repeatedly during sleep.

1. Pain threshold increases

There are many reasons why sleep is the most favorite activity of many people. This quiet part of our day is vital to both our physical and mental health - it is a state where we can dream, relax and restore our energy. Quite often we tend to think of sleep as a very inactive and quiet activity. However, after reading this article, you will see that this is not the case at all. You will be surprised at how much happens in our bodies while we sleep. However, there is nothing to worry about. All the processes that occur are completely normal, they help our body function properly when we wake up. Since lack of sleep can have devastating effects on a person's health in the long term, it is important to understand and appreciate its importance. After all, we spend a third of our lives sleeping. Therefore, our post today, talking about the things that happen in our body while we sleep, will help you better understand your body. From bruxism and sleepwalking to exploding head syndrome and apnea, here are 25 things that happen to our bodies while we sleep!

25. Body temperature drops

24. Eyes move

23. The body twitches convulsively

Sudden twitches and jerks are most often associated with the first stages of sleep. They are generally harmless, but can be quite strong - sometimes to the point of actually waking you up.

22. Muscles are paralyzed

There is a compelling reason why most muscles become paralyzed during sleep: if they were active, a person could act while asleep, and this, of course, would be extremely dangerous.

21. Skin repairs itself

20. The brain forgets unnecessary information

“We take in a lot of information throughout the day, and fortunately most of it is forgotten,” says sleep specialist Christopher Colwell of the UCLA School of Medicine. “If you remember everything you learn or heard throughout the day, then the brain, in order not to become overloaded with information, will begin the sorting process during sleep, weeding out what is unnecessary.”

19. Throat narrows

18. The body produces hormones

17. The immune system is at its peak

Lack of sleep has been shown to affect the immune system. One study found that people who were given a flu shot and deprived of sleep the next night were unable to produce the antibodies needed to protect against the flu. Therefore, as soon as a person experiences the first signs of infection, one should sleep just enough for the immune system to fight the disease.

16. A person loses weight

15. My mouth becomes dry.

14. A person can grind his teeth

13. The body lengthens

12. Blood pressure decreases

During sleep, a person experiences what is called a "nocturnal dip" in blood pressure.

11. A person can walk in his sleep

10. A person can become sexually aroused

9. We dream

8. The brain makes decisions

7. Oh, this flatulence

6. The body is completely cleansed of toxins

5. We wake up without realizing it

4. Breathing may stop during sleep

3. People can hear explosions

Top 25: What Happens to Our Body While We Sleep Talking in our sleep is a parasomnia, which refers to talking out loud while we sleep. It can be quite loud, ranging from muttering sounds to screams and long, often slurred speeches. This can happen repeatedly during sleep.

1. Pain threshold increases

Every night, when a person dreams, the brain completely turns off his ability to control his body, plunging the body into a state of paralysis so that dreams do not “break through” into reality, scientists believe, or maybe they turn us off in order to feed on our energy while we sleep. The author of the video was not afraid to install a camera and film the room while he was sleeping. True, now it’s not entirely clear how he will sleep at all after what the camera filmed.

The scientist recalled that sleep consists of two phases - the phase of slow sleep, and rapid or paradoxical sleep. It is during the last phase that a person dreams.

“These are two different states - slow-wave sleep and fast sleep. Two fundamentally different states, differing from each other no less than sleep from wakefulness,” the scientist said the day before world day sleep, which this year is celebrated on March 19th.

For the first time, two stages of sleep were discovered with the advent of electroencephalography, a method of recording electrical potentials in the brain. It turned out that the brain goes through several periods during sleep. different levels activity, one of them - with relatively reduced activity - was called slow-wave sleep, the second, during which brain activity was almost the same as during wakefulness, was called the rapid phase.

Rapid or paradoxical sleep is characterized by the fact that a person's eyes move quickly, and the electroencephalogram becomes almost the same as that of a person who is awake.

The dream is three billion years old

For a long time Scientists could not say exactly why living organisms need sleep, in which they are defenseless against predators and other threats. You can restore strength simply by being at rest. Hypotheses have been put forward that during sleep the human body gets rid of toxins, and that during this period the functioning of the brain is restored. Experiments showed that animals deprived of sleep inevitably died.

Kovalzon says that the genes that are responsible for sleep appeared at the dawn of evolution, in the first microorganisms, about 3.5 billion years ago.

"These are genes associated with rhythms, with biological clock. This is the most important mechanism; apparently, already in the first stages of evolution, it was needed to adapt to the fact that there is a change in darkness and light,” the scientist said.

According to him, attempts to fight sleep, to increase wakefulness through sleep, are “nonsense.”

"Our nature is different. Three states - wakefulness, rapid and slow sleep - live inside us, and they must be realized. Fundamentally different states, three worlds that are inside us, we live this way, we are structured this way. You can’t do anything with it,” the agency’s interlocutor noted.

The scientist said that the functions of slow sleep have now been established - at this time complex processes occur that ultimately lead to the restoration of special brain formations.

“There are some molecules that “shift” when awake; during sleep they restore their potential so that they can work again later. This is an absolutely necessary element of our life, without it neither we nor animals can exist,” Kovalzon said.

Why do you have dreams?

However, the functions of REM sleep are still not completely clear. Although it is known that REM sleep in early age plays vital role in brain development, it is not clear why adults dream.

According to Kovalzon, an adult sleeps in REM sleep for no more than an hour and a half per night, but in a child this takes up to 90% of all sleep.

“It plays a crucial role; it has been shown that if experimental rats are deprived of REM sleep at an early age, the maturation of normal brain systems is disrupted - they cannot see normally, cannot feel normally, communicate. But why do adults need this? It’s still unclear,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

Nightly paralysis

Scientists were able to find out whether animals dream. Kovalzon said that in the brain there is a group of neurons that, during the REM sleep phase, turn off the muscles and paralyze the entire body.

"During REM sleep with dreams, we have an active blockade spinal cord. It sends powerful inhibitory impulses, blocks our entire body, we cannot move, we are in a state of paralysis. This is done so that we cannot realize what we dream,” the scientist explained.

If these paralyzing neurons are destroyed in a cat or rat, then one can personally observe the dreams of animals. “The cat is hunting for an invisible mouse, running from an invisible dog. From this it was concluded that they dream, but we don’t know what the situation is like for other animals,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

According to him, similar disorders in people who do not switch off the body during sleep can lead to tragic consequences. Thus, in the USA, an elderly husband strangled his wife in her sleep at night.

“He was brought to court, but somnologists gave him a tomogram and proved that he had a brain disorder; he did it involuntarily,” Kovalzon said.

So " sleep paralysis“saves people,” the scientist believes.

Sleep paralysis astral

From time immemorial, the phenomenon of sleep paralysis has been shrouded in some mystery. He has been associated with various supernatural entities. In Rus', the most widespread belief is that the brownie comes at night to strangle. He jumps on the chest and strangles the person, so that he will let go, you must mentally ask him “for better or for worse?” Also exists in different countries, their legends on this matter, that this is a witch who comes to drink the energy of a sleeping person, that this is a genie, in Basque mythology there is a special character - inguma, etc. IN modern world To all these options, one more was added, that it is aliens who conduct their experiments at night by immobilizing a person.

With sleep paralysis, consciousness is in a borderline state between sleep and wakefulness. In this state, a person can not only feel the approach or presence of a certain entity, but also see and hear it.

How to induce sleep paralysis (enter sleep paralysis)

For most people, sleep paralysis scares the hell out of them. If it happens often, then the person begins to be afraid to fall asleep at night, remembers with horror his visions and auditory hallucinations, is afraid to go to bed one day and not wake up again. But, there are people who deliberately induce sleep paralysis. This borderline state consciousness and it can be used for various kinds of experiments with your subconscious or, as some argue, for exits from the body.

The easiest way is to slowly fall asleep. Try to grasp the boundary between when the body has already “turned off” and the consciousness is still awake. To track this state, it is necessary to transfer thinking to superficial, preferably wordless, and observe auditory manifestations. As soon as you hear some extraneous sounds, rustling sounds, footsteps, it is most likely that the sleep phase has begun and the body has fallen into sleep paralysis.

While we sleep, our body continues to work actively. Some processes in it are activated, others, on the contrary, are stopped. We are unable to monitor our body during sleep. But whatever happens to us.

The nose is "sleeping"

“You can’t wake me up with guns,” the lovers of sweet sleep confidently declare. In fact, sharp sounds, regardless of the nature of their occurrence, take a person out of the stage of anyone, even the most deep sleep, the principle of the alarm clock is based on this. However, it is interesting that even the most active odors perceived during sleep are not able to awaken the sleeper, although the brain identifies them.

Most likely, the information received by the olfactory organs will smoothly merge with the image projected by the brain, and while your partner is desperately running around with a cup of coffee, you will simply continue drinking coffee on top of the Eiffel Tower in your dream.

Neither the pungent smell of pyridine nor the pleasant smell of mint, which Brown University (USA) scientists used in their experiment, awakened the participants in the experiment. This explains the large percentage of deaths of those sleeping during a fire - people simply do not notice the intense smell of burning.

Movements in sleep

It would seem that the lying position and the absence of the need for physical and mental activity must be expressed in a state of absolute rest. In fact, the body continues to react to external stimuli, such as light, noise, and room temperature.

Due to gravity, areas of the body in contact with the surface are subject to maximum pressure, which makes it necessary to change position several times during sleep. Average, healthy man makes about 25 different movements during several hours of sleep.

Moreover, 70% of them have a detrimental effect on the intensity of sleep, preventing us from reaching its deep phase, which is necessary for proper rest and restoration of energy. During the deep sleep stage, most muscles relax but are not paralyzed, keeping the sleeper from becoming overly active. These processes explain the danger of sleep in a state alcohol intoxication when a person does not change posture for several hours, which is fraught with high blood pressure on separate areas body and the prospect of neuropathy.

Sleeping eyes

IN initial stage When sleeping, the eyes roll upward, preventing light from reaching the retina even with half-open eyelids. By the way, by the eyes you can determine what phase of sleep the person is in.

In the deep sleep phase eyeballs move slowly under the eyelid due to active blood flow to the muscles and internal organs. The deepest sleep phase is also characterized by slow eye movements, but it also reduces heartbeat and the general rhythm of life. And during REM sleep, blood supplies the sleeper’s brain, and the thought processes, we see colorful dream pictures, and the eyes move in accordance with them. These processes are universal for both humans and animals - watch a sleeping cat and understand what trajectory the sparrow flew in her dream today.

The morning is wiser than the evening

The brain, of course, does not turn off during sleep, but only switches to a different mode of operation, continuing to control the ongoing processes in the body. Brain cells reduce the speed of their response to peripheral stimuli and begin to work on organizing and classifying information received during wakefulness.

This data is sorted, compared with existing data and sent for storage to the appropriate areas of the brain. Constant lack of sleep takes away time for processing information, as a result of which the data is confused, and the person begins to complain about the state of memory.

In 2004, German scientists from the University of Luxembourg taught a group of volunteers to solve math problems a certain level. Participants were offered about 100 tasks. After the first part practical classes half of the students were asked to sleep for twelve hours, while the others stayed awake.

During the second part of the seminar, 23% of those who were awake suggested best option problem solving, while in the group of those who managed to sleep, this figure was 59%. This proves that during sleep, information is collated and organized, allowing one to find the optimal solution to an existing problem, which the waking person is not even aware of.

Brain cleansing

There are two modes brain activity– the waking mode, when a person actively thinks, thinks logically and makes decisions, as well as the sleep mode or “washing” the spaces of the nervous tissue with cerebrospinal fluid when we rest.

Toxins are concentrated not only in the kidneys and liver, but also in the brain fluid of the body. It is during sleep that the glial cells that surround and support the neurons of the brain shrink, thereby increasing the intercellular space and increasing the flow of fluid that removes toxins from the brain.

During sleep, the glymphatic system increases its activity approximately 10 times. If this does not happen, then plaques form from existing toxic proteins in the brain, leading to the development of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Unfortunately, pumping fluid through brain tissue requires a lot of energy and is incompatible with information processing processes, so living organisms cannot do without full, long sleep.

Height and weight

“If you fly, it means you grow!” - my mother said in childhood. We hasten to please you - it is not at all necessary to experience the state of flight in a dream, and if you measure your height before going to bed and immediately after waking up, then in the second case you will find “added” 05.-1 centimeter.

During sleep, the load on the intervertebral discs, they are moisturized, stretched and take up more space without being subjected to body pressure. Thus, the spine straightens, although in the evening, especially after prolonged vertical wakefulness, growth returns to its original parameters.

Sleep also produces the hormone leptin, which reduces hunger, while lack of sleep will produce the opposite hormone, ghrelin, which increases appetite. True, for the first one to work actively, you need to sleep at least seven hours, and lack of sleep (4-5 hours a day) actively prevents the reset excess weight, even with a strict diet and physical training.

If you overeat before bed, it is best to sleep on your right side, this will allow your stomach and intestines to cope with the load. Of course, you should eat food no later than 3-4 hours before bedtime, and then you are guaranteed a healing effect.

Anti-aging effect

Sophia Loren claimed that the secret of her beauty was good sleep. We have no doubt about the veracity of this statement. During sleep, body temperature and blood pressure drop, the heart muscle relaxes and restores, and the body switches to energy conservation and accumulation mode.

In addition to these processes, the production of collagen, a protein that strengthens blood vessels and gives the skin elasticity, increases. Due to these properties, collagen is often used in cosmetic procedures and creams, but nothing can replace its natural production by the body.

For this reason, creams containing retinoids that promote collagen production are recommended to be used before bed. In addition, during sleep, body tissues are renewed, but the production of growth hormone, somatotropin, can be hindered increased level insulin. Therefore, if you plan to get all the benefits from sleep, you should not get used to late dinner.

During sleep, the cleansing of skin cells accelerates (especially in the first half of the night), improves oxygen exchange, toxins are removed and tissue strength increases, which leads to a reduction in wrinkles, increased elasticity and a visible rejuvenating effect.