"You are probably well aware that your body requires adequate sleep every night – ideally around seven to eight hours – to function properly and maintain your health, but you may not realize how much goes on while you are sleeping.
Read on to learn eight surprising things your mind and body are doing while you snooze.
Your Body Temperature Drops Significantly
During sleep, your body temperature drops to reduce the rate at which it burns calories and release melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that plays a key role in your circadian rhythm.
Toxins are Cleansed
When at rest, the body filters out toxins and clears damaged molecules.
These processes allow the body and brain to rejuvenate.
Without sufficient amounts of sleep, the brain is unable to purge toxins.
This may lead to an increase is neurological deterioration.
You Lose Weight
Throughout the night, you lose weight due to expelling humid air and losing water through perspiration.
As opposed to during the day, there is no consumption of food or beverages to offset this effect.
This leads to a decrease in pounds by the morning.
During sleep, your body also regulates hunger hormones.
This means that you are better equipped to fight off junk food cravings if you got an appropriate amount of sleep the night before.
You Dream
Everyone knows the mind creates dreams during the night but you may be surprised to learn how much you dream. We can spend as many as 2 hours dreaming each night.
You Get Taller
Your body actually experiences an increase in height while you sleep.
When you are laying down, the discs in your spine decompress and rehydrate causing them to get bigger and slightly boost your height.
You May Jerk Involuntarily
Whether you sleep alone or with a partner, for many people, falling asleep produces a phenomenon where muscles suddenly contract involuntarily.
This creates a sudden jerk. In some cases, it may be noticeable enough to wake you back up.
Your Skin is Boosted
Collagen – a protein that contributes to youthful, healthy skin – is produced at an increased rate while you sleep.
It is stimulated by growth hormones that are released as you snooze.
Higher levels of collagen promote more resilient, vibrant skin.
You Wake Up – Often
During the night, we actually wake up numerous times – up to 15 – each hour.
This usually occurs when we are shifting to a different sleep stage.
The periods of wakefulness are usually so brief that we do not remember them.
Final Thoughts
Getting an adequate amount of sleep is a crucial component of good health.
Given all the health benefits and the fascinating facts mentioned above, make a point to get a solid chunk of sleep each night.
To increase your odds of getting deep, restful sleep, avoid caffeine too close to bedtime, keep your room dark, and skip screen time prior to hitting the pillow."
Words above from article here
Related Post
Best Foods and Drinks Before Bed - read it here
Dear reader, this blog offers a wide variety of articles and recipe ideas, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.
All the best Jan
34 comments:
...losing weight is positive!
When I was a kid, my mom said I slept like a windmill.
YES! I actually had heard all these before. I wish I slept more. Maybe I would grow taller!
Very interesting, sleep is so important.
Adoro dormir. Buena entrada te mando un beso .
I get seven or eight hours most nights.
Very interesting. Didn't realize we wake up so many times during the night.
I wish I slept more. And better. I nap.
Awesome! I really need to do something to improve my sleep.
I think I will sleep longer just to lose weight.
A good night's sleep is such a gift sometimes. When I weigh myself, it's first thing in the morning!
A few good things written there Jan.
Husband dreams and talks in his sleep and jerks as well. Sometimes I hear him talking in his sleep and wonder who is he talking to, I do get some laughs at times..
Don't know what he says about me though :)
This highlights why getting enough sleep each night is important. I don't sleep as well as I used to, a sign of getting older I suppose.
Interesting article! I dream a lot, but the dreams fade when I wake up. Have a great day, Valerie
This post is important to me right now because I've been sleeping so badly since I was in the hospital. Thank you for this great post and your comments with me.
Greetings Elke
Great post.
That is good to know. I drink a lot of coffee and usually tea after 6pm. But never seem to get a good sleep but I seem to survive on minimal sleep!
I knew some of this but not all! It's nice to know the good things from sleep!
Interesting
Sleep is very beneficial, so I make it my business to sleep at least the 7 recommended hours per night. I don't often dream during sleep, and I thank God when I wake up.
I rarely have any problems with sleeping. Luckily!
ooooh man...if you loose weight will you are sleep, i need to sleep for about a month!!!
I'm surprised my body temperature drops when I sleep since I wake up so hot at night. lol
Thank you for sharing.
This is really interesting. I think my body is a bit off though because I always get cold at night- like an hour or two before I go to sleep, and I am warm by the middle of the night. But its fascinating info.
Jan - one of the best things about retirement is that I have been able to get more sleep every night. I used to be extremely sleep-deprived, running on 5 to 6 hours of sleep. Now I tend to get at least 8! Great article!
it is just so amazing what our bodies do for us each and every day to keep us going :)
That reminds me: I need to get more sleep!
Um artigo muito interessante.
Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros
informative sharing as always dear Jan
how amazing that our body at work even during sleep .
i quit taking tea after dinner since more than eight years i guess .
thank you for adding into our knowledge .blessings!
Algunas noches duermo bien y otras mal, me encantaría dormir siempre bien. Besos.
Lots of interesting facts I didn't know!xxx
In my dreams I can place people and events from entirely different times in my life together, and it makes perfect sense. Amazing! Some dreams I can remember long after I wake up, others are gone almost instantly.
Truly an excellent post Jan! Thank you! Found this very interesting! Big Hugs!
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