Fun Facts about the Brain activity during sleep

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By Inioluwa Ige

Have you ever wondered what happens to your brain while you are asleep? Does it sleep too? The answer is No. We often think of sleep as that quiet moment when the brain shuts down after a long day but that’s far from the truth. Our brain is actually busier when we’re asleep than when we’re awake. It’s like a hardworking watchman, cleaning, repairing, and organizing everything while the rest of your body rests.

These are some fun facts about the brain activity during sleep:

1. Your brain never actually sleeps: It keeps running a full-night activity sorting memories, solving problems, and organizing thoughts while you rest.

2. Dreams are your brain’s movie time: During REM (Rapid eye movement- a movement that occurs when we are asleep), your brain plays creative stories that mix your memories, emotions, and imagination into one wild show.

3. The brain cleans itself at night: Through the glymphatic system, it flushes out toxins and waste that build up during the day, keeping your mind sharp and healthy.

4. You learn better while asleep: When you dream, your brain strengthens connections between neurons, helping you remember what you studied or experienced during the day.

5. Your brain is more active in dreams than when awake: During REM, especially, emotional and creative centers light up, making dreams feel so vivid and strange.

6. Sleep helps solve problems: Ever woken up with an idea or solution? That’s your brain connecting dots and processing information overnight.

7. It files memories like a librarian. Useless information is thrown out, while important memories are stored neatly in your mental library.

8. Your brain controls your body so you don’t act out dreams. It temporarily paralyzes your muscles during REM, imagine running in a dream but lying perfectly still in bed.

9. It has a night-time rhythm. The brain follows sleep cycles that repeat every 90 minutes, switching between deep sleep and dream stages.

10. It recharges your emotions. After sleep, your brain resets your mood, helping you wake up calmer, happier, and ready for a new day.

So yes, while you rest, your brain is busy being the ultimate multitasker. How amazing!