If you’ve ever wondered what exactly your body does while you’re fast asleep, and what it all means, wonder no more. We’re about to clear that one up for you.
Here is a list of the top 10 most bizarre things your body actually does once you fall asleep:
1. Paralysis
During REM, or “rapid eye movement”, the brain starts dreaming, so the muscles that move our upper and lower limbs are temporarily paralyzed. B Which, FYI, is totally normal, no worries, it has no lasting effects.
2. Eye Movements
As we said earlier, during the REM stage, or we can use its full name – ‘rapid eye movement’ – your eyes start moving left and right rapidly. It takes a person around 70 to 90 minutes to reach the REM stage. But, just like our dreams, we have no memory of the eye movement that’s happening.
3. Jerks
This phenomenon is called hypnic jerks, and it’s the sensation of falling or getting killed or tripping and suddenly waking up. This is absolutely normal, even common, actually. This could be happening because our bodies misinterpret falling asleep with actual ‘falling’, so, to prevent you from hurting yourself, it jerks you.
4. Growth Hormone
HGH, aka human growth hormone, helps regenerate the muscles, bones, and all tissues that get worn out during the day. This essential hormone is only released after we’re fallen sound asleep. So, when mom says ‘you need your beauty sleep’, trust her.
5. Teeth Grinding
The technical doctory term for teeth grinding is ‘bruxism’, and it can happen to many people once they’ve fallen asleep. Sometimes even stress is the indicator. Some people even end up with worn or cracked enamel and a tender, sore jaw.
6. Throat Constrictions
That’s where the snoring comes in the picture. When we sleep, it’s normal for our throat muscles to relax and that way the throat narrows slightly, but if it narrows more than it should, then the person starts to snore. It can be also due to many other factors, but this is just one of the many.
7. Making Up Stories
You can have stories while you’re asleep, you can dream so vividly, that after some time has passed, you won’t be able to tell the difference between the dream and reality. Everything will feel real to you.
8. Slowing Down Kidneys
Less urine is produced while we sleep because the brain slows down the function of the kidneys. That’s why first thing in the morning you need to pee and your urine is darker and more concentrated than normal.
9. Talking
Sleep talking is also known as ‘somniloquy’, and it happens in only 5% of the world population. Usually, more men experience it than women, and also more children experience it than adults. In adulthood, sleep talking can be also caused due to depression, stress, or ongoing illnesses.
10. Explosions
It’s pretty rare, but it can happen – people have experienced something like ‘exploding head syndrome’, where they report hearing some very loud bangs or crashes, somewhat like an explosion – when they’re just about to fall asleep. It’s painless but extremely scary. More commonly it occurs in people over the age of 50.
