What your body does in your sleep

• Even if you may not realize it, your body spends a lot of time while you sleep.
• During sleep, your body does not move much because your frontal cortex is more or less closed.
• Your immune system works in the overdrive while you sleep.

We all know that it is essential to sleep well at night to feel and function at best, but in reality, there is much more going on during your sleep than you think.

INSIDER has approached doctors and sleep experts to find out exactly what our body does after our drift and why sleep is so important.

Your brain starts in a light sleep and goes to a deeper sleep

All sleep is not created equal. Your body actually goes through several stages of sleep during one night. These steps can be grouped into the following categories: non REM sleep (NREM) and REM sleep or "fast eye movement".

According to the National Sleep Foundation, NREM sleep starts right after sleep and includes light and deep sleep cycles. During this stage, your brain begins to produce alpha waves (indicating a state of non-awakening) and theta waves (often badociated with a waking state of daydream) to produce slower delta waves (indicating deep sleep and without dream). Although people dream during this phase, deep sleep is mainly due to the fact that your body repairs muscles and tissues, stimulates growth and strengthens immune function.

Your brain manages memories during REM sleep

Paradoxical sleep follows deep sleep. Most people undergo about six REM cycles per night, each cycle lasts about 90 minutes. The REM stage is when you do most of your dreams. Your brain becomes more active, sorting out memories and processing the information of the day. This stage is called "rapid eye movement" of sleep because your eyes contract irregularly.

"Dreaming is very different in non-REM sleep than in REM sleep." Non-REM dreams are much more literal and precise – it's mostly our brain that replay the memories of the day before. the place of, the dream style drives you crazy, "said Dr. Matt Johnson, neuroscientist and professor of psychology at Hult International Business School, INSIDER.

Your muscles become more or less paralyzed

Most people think that falling asleep and waking in the same place are acquired, but there is a neurological reason for not moving much in our sleep. During sleep, the muscles of the body are essentially paralyzed.

"During REM sleep, our frontal cortex is more or less closed due to the fact that the frontal cortex controls the movements of our body, and it would be dangerous for us to play our dreams," said Dr. Johnson.

Sleep paralysis, a situation in which people wake up but are temporarily unable to move, is thought to be related to a problem related to this process.

There are also cases where this useful paralysis does not occur, resulting in sleep disorders in which people physically realize their dreams and may need to be immobilized during sleep to avoid injury to themselves or others .

Your immune system moves up a gear

There is a reason why you head to the bed when you feel under the weather. Sleep is a vital part of your immune system and your body's defense against disease. Indeed, while you sleep, your immune system fights infections by releasing cytokines, a group of proteins secreted by immune system cells and used for chemical messaging.

Research has shown that people who sleep regularly or do not get enough sleep are more susceptible to disease and infection. Getting enough sleep is important for both disease recovery and disease prevention.

Your nervous system relaxes and your temperature drops

The changes that occur in the brain during sleep actually affect your entire body. Indeed, when you are asleep, your sympathetic nervous system relaxes. As a result, your blood pressure goes down, your breathing slows down and your temperature drops.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, cells regulating the temperature of your brain will turn off during REM sleep. This means that your body temperature reaches its lowest point a few hours before you wake up. The subsequent increase in body temperature is part of how your body wakes up in the morning.

One way to help you get away from the night is to make sure your sleeping environment is calm, which can help your body understand that it's time to rest.

You also secrete chemicals that help regulate your mood during the day.

Neurotransmitters are essentially the molecules that allow the brain to send messages between neurons. When our levels of neurotransmitters are unbalanced, our brain does not work as well.

"Sleep helps regulate many neurotransmitters in our body, including norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.Having a good amount of sleep keeps the levels of these neurotransmitters stable, keeps us on alert and prevents disorders of the body." mood, "INSIDER Terry Cralle, clinical educator in sleep, told INSIDER. .

This relationship between sleep and neurotransmitters is thought to be one of the reasons why sleep deprivation may be related to disorders such as depression.

Your skin could be renewed overnight

Getting enough sleep is an important part of taking care of your skin's health.

"Many skin cells have circadian clocks and are directly affected by the amount of sleep we receive each night.Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can keep our skin healthy. to skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne and rosacea "Cralle.

One study found that after a night of sleep deprivation, participants experienced a loss of skin elasticity and hydration, more visible pores, and reduced blood flow to the skin of the face. However, this study was extremely small and additional research is needed.

Research also suggests that chronic sleep deprivation may be related to increased signs of skin aging.

Your body produces a range of hormones during your sleep

Some of your glands also work very hard at night to secrete hormones that are used during sleep and after you wake up.

When you sleep, your pineal gland releases melatonin, an important hormone for sleep and biorhythm control.

At the same time, when you fall asleep, your cortisol – the main stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands – diminishes. They usually get up when you are about to wake up.

And have you ever wondered what prevents you from having to pee while you sleep? According to the Cleveland Clinic, an antidiuretic hormone is produced by your body during your sleep, usually preventing your full bladder from waking you up in the middle of the night. Not consuming enough of this antidiuretic hormone can cause nocturia or wet the bed.