Sleep

biology · brain · health · rest

Brain stays active. Even though you feel like you're doing nothing, your brain is super busy during sleep, working on memories and keeping you alive. It's way more active than a coma.

Muscles relax hard. Your muscles go quiet and limp during sleep so your body can recover from the day. This is why you can't jump out of bed while you're dreaming.

Senses take a break. Your ears and eyes don't work the same way during sleep, which is why a loud alarm can startle you awake. Your brain filters out most of what's happening around you.

Sleep has stages. You don't sleep the same way all night long. Your brain cycles through different types of sleep, including REM sleep where most of your wild dreams happen.

Body repairs itself. While you sleep, your body fixes muscles, processes what you learned that day, and stores memories so you remember your friends' names tomorrow.