We've all heard that rule, “sleep 8 hours a night”. Or “don't go to bed too late, you need to sleep.” But why? Why is it so important that we need to prioritise sleep more than anything else? Well, sleep happens to have a major effect on the brain and its functioning. If we don't get enough sleep, then our brain won't function properly, affecting mood and health. It can even cause many disorders such as heart diseases if it's continuous, which can be life threatening. Sleep is crucial to many parts of your brain such as your neurons and how they communicate with each other, as well as for the removal of toxins that build up during the day, affecting almost every organ in the human body. The complexity and dynamic process of sleep have intrigued scientists and only now have they started to understand the process of sleep.
What happens when you sleep?
Several different structures of the brain are associated with sleeping, such as the hypothalamus, brain stem, thalamus, pineal gland, basal forebrain and amygdala. These structures all work cohesively in order for sleep to occur.
Structure vs Function
The hypothalamus plays a vital role when it comes to sleep as it acts as the control centre of sleep and arousal. Within the hypothalamus is an important structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is a cluster of cells that receive information about light exposure and control your behavioural rhythm. When this structure is damaged, the circadian rhythm won't be matched with your light-dark cycle and can affect sleep.
The brainstem and hypothalamus work together by communicating to control the transition between wake and sleep. Furthermore, the brain contains a chemical called GABA which reduces the activity of arousal, so that during our dreams we don't act out.
You can say thanks to the thalamus for creating our dreams. Acting as a relay for information from the sense to the cerebral cortex. During REM sleep, the thalamus actively sends the cortex images, sounds and emotions which fill our dreams.
Some people might take 10 minutes to fall asleep after the lights go out and some might take up to an hour. Well all to the help of a chemical you might have heard of called melatonin. Melatonin is produced by the Pineal gland and helps you fall asleep after the lights go out.
Circadian Rhythms
During sleep, your body needs to maintain homeostasis likewise when you are awake. That being said, the circadian rhythm and maintaining homeostasis work together to regulate when you are awake or asleep. Your circadian rhythm helps fluctuate body temperature, metabolism and release of hormones, controlling the amount of sleep you get so that you become sleepy at night and causing you to have the tendency to wake up when morning arises.
Sleep is definitely considered a complex process with many different structures that help in cohesion to allow yourself to go to bed tired and wake up feeling fresh. The mechanisms of sleep are far more complex than it is said to be and can be crucial for your body to function at an optimal level. It is an understatement that sleep and the mechanisms it comes with are at most important for you and your brain.
Reference List
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2024). Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. [online] Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep#:~:text=Sleep%20is%20important%20to%20a,up%20while%20you%20are%20awake [Accessed 19 Oct. 2024].
NHLBI, NIH. (2022). Why Is Sleep Important? [online] Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important [Accessed 19 Oct. 2024].
NIH News in Health. (2024). Good Sleep for Good Health. [online] Available at: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/04/good-sleep-good-health#:~:text=Good%20sleep%20improves%20your%20brain,stroke%20to%20obesity%20and%20dementia [Accessed 19 Oct. 2024].
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