What Happens When You Sleep
The following information will reveal what happens when you sleep. It will also point out why it is so important.
Characteristics of Sleep
A person asleep will have closed eyelids. The muscles are relaxed. The heartbeat is slowed down as is the breathing rate. People asleep are not aware of what is happening around them until they are awakened.
Rejuvenating the Body
The most important thing that happens during sleep is your body is rejuvenated. During sleep, the body is rested. The process by which this is done is not yet fully understood. Some scientists believe that energy is delivered to the body, the nerves and other vital organs.
Although the exact process isn’t clear, the effects cannot be denied. After a good night’s sleep, a person feels rejuvenated upon waking. That is what happens when you sleep. People who don’t get enough sleep feel groggy, dizzy and irritable when they wake up.
How Much Sleep is Necessary?
Adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily. Newborn babies and small children need more sleep. People who are sick also need plenty of sleep. People who lack sleep will involuntary doze off during the day.
People who don’t sleep for two days will be prone to make errors at work. Not sleeping for three days or more can result in hallucinations. Studies have shown people who don’t sleep for 10 days or more become paranoid and suspicious of others.
REM Sleep
When studying what happens when you sleep, you will come across REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. These are the two stages of sleep. The sleep cycle starts with NREM sleep. The next stage is a short REM sleep.
During REM sleep, a person may exhibit any or all of the following physiological activities: eye movement, muscle relaxation, increased activity in the brain and fast respiration.
In most cases, REM sleep begins 90 minutes after a person is asleep. Stage 1 REM is 10 minutes long. Other REM stages follow, each longer than the previous one. The last REM stage lasts for an hour.
What happens when you sleep (at the REM stage) is the heart rate accelerates. It isn’t unusual for fingers, the legs or face to twitch. It has been observed in laboratories that most vivid dreams take place during REM sleep.
At the same time, paralysis of muscle groups takes place. This stage has been called the paradoxical sleep. The reason is that while brain activity is heightened, the major muscles are immobilized.
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep is made up of four stages. Every stage endures 5 to 15 minutes. At stage 1, a 50% brain activity reduction takes place as a person goes to sleep. During stage 2, the muscles start to relax. The heart rate slows down too. Stages 3 and 4 are deep sleep. These deep sleep states are called delta sleep.
A lot of what happens when you sleep is still not fully understood, like dreams. But what is clear is that people need it.
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