9 Mysterious Things That Happen in Our Bodies While We Sleep

The Bright Side website has thoroughly researched this interesting topic, and below are 9 mysterious activities that happen to our bodies:

1. Muscles become paralyzed

When you enter the REM state, the deepest sleep state, the muscles of your limbs become completely paralyzed and temporarily unable to move.

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There is a sleep disorder that causes some people to have limb paralysis for a few seconds or minutes after waking up.

2. Eyes move at maximum speed

All stages of the sleep cycle play a role in keeping your brain healthy and comfortable. There are a total of 5 stages of sleep, and the later stages are deeper than the earlier stages.

When you go through all 5 stages, you start the cycle again. The last stage, REM, is the most dynamic; it starts about 60 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep. In this stage, your eyes will move constantly at maximum speed, but you won’t be aware of it because you are immersed in dreams.

3. Growth hormone is released

HGH, the human growth hormone, is responsible for promoting bone, muscle, and tissue regeneration. When you sleep, the production of this hormone is activated throughout your body. It contributes to healing wounds and regenerating cells.

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When we are young, this hormone promotes growth and has various other effects on the body. For this reason, it is often said that we grow taller when we sleep.

4. Throat closes up

During the day, there is a group of muscles responsible for keeping your throat open. But when you sleep, these muscles will rest, causing your throat to narrow. This is one of the reasons some people snore when they are in deep sleep.

5. Teeth grinding

This phenomenon does not occur in everyone. However, some people wake up in the morning with a sore jaw because they have been grinding their teeth vigorously while sleeping.

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Teeth grinding can be the result of a misalignment of the jaw. It can also be a way to release pent-up emotions and accumulated tension over the course of several days.

6. Experience spontaneous sexual stimulation

Both men and women experience sexual stimulation while sleeping. This phenomenon occurs because the brain is highly active during the REM sleep stage, which requires more oxygen, resulting in increased blood circulation.

Rapid blood circulation affects all parts of the body, including sensitive areas, leading to the release of sexual hormones.

7. Your brain releases accumulated information and creates stories

Science has not yet explained how we create dreams. Currently, we know that our brains construct dreams based on what is present in our daily lives and deeply ingrained memories.

Recent experiences are combined with stored information from many years to create mysterious and sometimes illogical dreams.

8. You may hear sudden loud noises

Exploding head syndrome is a rare phenomenon. You will feel as if there has been a loud explosion that wakes you up and fills you with fear, but nothing actually happens.

People who experience this syndrome feel that their heads have exploded or that they have heard a loud sound like a gunshot. This syndrome does not cause physical pain, but it can have a significant psychological impact.

9. Your brain detoxifies and rejuvenates

After conducting research, scientists at the University of Rochester believe that when you sleep, your brain flushes out accumulated toxins. This process is activated when we sleep and is called the Glymphatic system.

In addition to eliminating toxins, useless information is also discarded. Furthermore, the brain remembers important information and refreshes connections.