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7 Things That Happen To You When You Are Asleep

By Debdatta Mazumder

Did you know that one-third of your life you spend sleeping? No, don’t think you are wasting your time. As soon as your body gets into the sleep mode, a number of physiological functions take place in your body which ultimately makes you advantageous in every possible ways.

There is a myth behind sleep at night. Actually, when human kind was at primitive stage, they used to do every labourious job (from hunting to rafting) at the daytime. Therefore, they became very tired at night and succumbed to sleep.

7 Myths About Sleep And The Impact On Health

No matter how much truth is in this story, but it proves that sleep energizes you and makes you prepare for another hectic day. Poor sleep means poor health, mentally and physically. If your brain and body don’t get enough rest, they will be fatigued and give up at some point. Therefore, a sleep of 7-8 hours can keep you healthy and energetic.

What body does when you sleep? Yes, scientists say that lots of activities are done in your body when you are sleeping. For babies, good sleep enhances their growth and pacifies their mood. So, let’s have a look to what happens to your body when you are asleep.

Things To Avoid Before You Sleep

Enhances Your Brain Activity

Enhances Your Brain Activity

If you're thinking that your brain remains inactive when you're sleeping then that's a wrong idea. Actually, at the first phase of sleep, the activity of the cortex slows down up to 40% while it increases at the later stages of sleep.

Eye Movements

Eye Movements

This is what happens to your body when you are asleep. Sleep has two phases- non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). On the first phase, eyes roll. In later stage, eyes jerk and dart about. Dreams generally occur in this stage.

Effects On Hormones

Effects On Hormones

This is also another thing what body does when you sleep. When you're awake, you're in the catabolic state means, your brain and body works and hormones like adrenaline rushes through your body. Sleep takes you to anabolic rate when energy conserves and the growth hormones become active.

Increases Immunity

Increases Immunity

What happens to your body when you are asleep? Your immunity system boosts up which keeps you healthy for long run. Actually, when you're sleeping, body produces certain proteins which combat against the diseases and keep those far away from you.

Body Temperature Drops

Body Temperature Drops

Due to the drooping level of adrenaline, your body temperature starts lowering from the evening and a sense of lethargy prevails over you. You feel tired and sleepy. Thus your body gets rest and also time to rebuild the system again. This is what body does when you sleep.

Throat Gets Narrowed

Throat Gets Narrowed

Have you ever thought why your parents or partner snore? Because when you are asleep. The throat muscles get relaxed. Therefore, the throat becomes narrower a bit and air circulation is prevented to some extent.

Slower Kidney Activities

Slower Kidney Activities

You think dark urine at morning is unusual. Basically, kidneys purify your blood and removes toxins from your body through urine. While sleeping, your kidney activities become slower and less urine is formed. So, urine becomes darker at morning. It is also what body does when you sleep.

Story first published: Friday, May 29, 2015, 15:54 [IST]
Read more about: wellness sleep body