10 Things That Happen To You When You Sleep
When we close our eyes we want to get a peaceful and restful sleep. But in reality, when sleeping, our body experiences phenomena that, surely, you do not even know are happening to you.
Here are some of the situations that possibly happen to you when sleeping. Most of these phenomena are normal and do not involve any disease.
Know what happens to you when you sleep
1. Sudden shaking, jumping and jerking when sleeping
It sure has happened to you sometime. You just fell asleep and suddenly, you jump. It is something very common that we all experience frequently. This phenomenon is known as myoclonus.
It is a hypnotic impulse that happens only when we are sleeping. Apparently, it would be due to a preparation of our body to the changes it experiences during sleep. Our functions slow down, and sometimes the brain interprets that change as a fall. Hence the spasmodic reaction.
2. Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon that occurs when the person cannot move or speak just after falling asleep or waking up. This problem usually occurs during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase during which vivid dreams are normal.
When we suddenly wake up from REM sleep, our brain is awake, but our body is still in REM mode and cannot move, which gives us that feeling of paralysis.
This is a fairly common problem. In fact, many people have experienced it at least once in their life. However, it is not a serious ailment and the phenomenon does not last more than 2 minutes.
It is associated with problems such as lack of sleep, stress, etc. Only in more serious and frequent cases can it be related to certain disorders, such as narcolepsy or bipolarity.
3. Teeth grind while we sleep
Sleep is not only essential for our well-being, but also for the health of our brain. And it is that it is very active during the night hours: in addition to organizing information and classifying it, it purifies toxins and waste.
We know this may sound strange, but the brain does “detox” overnight. For years it was believed that this was a myth, but recent studies show that during the night the lymphatic system is in charge of “draining” the brain, thus eliminating everything that it does not need.
9. Growth hormones are secreted in children
Sleeping is essential for the proper development and growth of the child. During sleep, the human growth hormone is secreted and acts and the growth of muscles and bones is stimulated.
In addition, although more studies are still required, most experts seem to agree that during sleep hours, tissues are also repaired, and not just those of children. For this reason, the body of adults also benefits from night rest. Even when we are no longer in the growth stage, the body must continually renew its cells.
10. Sleeping consumes energy
While we sleep, the body continues to carry out its basic functions, such as breathing, processing food, pumping blood, eliminating waste, etc. These functions consume energy. This is known as basal metabolism, that is, the minimum value of energy necessary for the cell to survive.
Therefore, even if we do not move, our body continues to consume energy and that translates into a loss of calories. How many calories can be lost? Well, it depends on various factors, including our body mass or our sex. For example, men with more body mass tend to consume more energy.
Conclution
And we have reached the end, what did you think? Interesting, right? It is incredible how many things happen in our body during the night. And we without knowing!
Most of these phenomena are harmless and in some cases even necessary. However, there are also sleep disorders that require medical intervention. We won’t discuss them in this article, but it may be interesting to look at their symptoms. In any case, if you feel that something is wrong, it is best to always go to the doctor.
