As you drift into sleep it may feel like your body is shutting down but it’s actually getting ready to restore and heal different bodily functions. When we are asleep the brain doesn’t just go ‘offline’, instead it’s busy sorting and processing the day’s information and filing it away for later use. A good night’s sleep re-energises your body and clears waste from the brain, supports learning and memory and plays a vital role in regulating mood, appetite and libido to help you wake up refreshed to face the challenges of a new day.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BRAIN WHILE YOU SLEEP?
Sleep puts the brain to sleep in stages as you cycle through areas of slow-wave sleep (SWS) or periods of Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM). It’s during REM sleep that we have the most vivid dreams and your muscles are temporarily paralysed, meaning you can’t move. Some scientists think this might be so that you don’t physically act out your dreams.
HOW DOES YOUR BODY HEAL WHILE YOU SLEEP?
Your immune system protects you.
Hormones flood your body.
THE GREAT SLEEP DISRUPTORS.
There are emotional factors such as stress and anxiety and environmental disruptors such as the amount of light and the temperature of your bedroom, your comfort level and noise are all factors that disrupt sleep.
After stress and anxiety, breathing through your mouth is the most common disruptor that prevents you from enjoying sound, restorative sleep and it can cause snoring, sinus congestion, a dry mouth and a stuffy nose when you wake up. Control involuntary mouth breathing during sleep with sleepQ+.
The healing power of sleep is not only relevant for adults but children too. We recently spoke to Twinkl about how sleep can impact the immune system. Twinkl wrote a blog about why sleep is so important which we are featured in. Find the blog here.
Updated April 8 2020
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There is extensive scientific research that supports the link between mouth breathing and sleep disorders.
The nose is nature’s design to deal with air intake. (1) Mouth breathing is linked to reduced exercise capacity (2), snoring, sleep apnea, (3) sleep disorders and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) (4) sinus congestion, facial abnormalities (5), allergies, asthma, dental crowding and crooked teeth. (6)
