Sleep - the cycles of

Sleep, hopefully, comes every night. When it does, have you wondered what happens to your body when you are sleeping? In fact, your brain is working furiously, as is the rest of your body.

As astonishing as it may sound, studies have confirmed this to be true. Let us find out how and why.

Sleep is the time when your brain consolidates memories. It is also the time when your body does a tune up - checking to see what parts of you were damaged or broken and then sets off to repair them.

DNA, tissue, bone, they all get a makeover. Every night. 

Sleep itself comes in cycles of about 75–90 minutes. Ideally, you should get about five such cycles, totaling up to about eight hours.

Yes, I know the math does add up, but this also includes time spent falling asleep and waking up.

When you are trying to go to sleep, you have a high arousal threshold. That time when you are trying to shut the world out and even a slight noise can wake you up.

Your body is slowing down your breathing, heart rate,  lowering the body temperature and activity in the brain.

It is for this reason that meditating, slow breathing, taking a cold shower, and lowering the temperature in your room are important.

The sleep cycle continues. Your body keeps preparing itself for its job of repair. You now have a high arousal threshold.

Depending on the quality of your sleep, elephants jumping can't wake you up. Temperature, breathing, and heart rate are in slow mode.

It is now that your body jumps into action, confident that there is no looming danger. Your heartbeat and breathing pick up speed.

The temperature starts to vary, and the brain springs into action. This phase is also called REM sleep. It is also the time when you are dreaming.

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