Our brain is cleaning itself when we sleep.
What happens to our brain when we sleep?
Katherine Hurst MD
Light awake loves sleep and we understand that it is essential to our healthy lives. But what happens when we sleep? What is our brain doing? Is it shutting off or is it busy?
Well the answer is our brain is very busy while we sleep. A few of the things that it does is cleans and repairs itself from the metabolites of the day. While we sleep the brain undergoes restorative processes repairing cells and tissues. A specialized system called the glymphatic system is activated. The glymphatic system is similar to our lymphatic system in our body. It uses fluids and specialized cells to help remove waste products from the brain1. It becomes more active during sleep, especially during deep sleep phases. This system uses a combination of brain cells called glial cells that create a pathway for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to circulate through the brain. During sleep glial cells cause spaces in the brain to widen, to allow for more efficient removal of CSF around brain cells. This expansion aids in the removal of waste and toxins that have accumulated during wakefulness.
The biological need for sleep across all species reflects the brain must enter a state of activity that enables elimination of potentially neurotoxic waste products.
Light awake is dedicated to learning and sharing more about what the brain is doing while we sleep and how it affects our quality of life. We are creating products through our app Light Awake to make the sleep and wake experience better for everybody.
Make the Light Awake Alarm Clock System part of your New Years resolution to get better sleep. Use our app today and tell your friends and family about us!
Works Cited
- Jessen NA, Munk AS, Lundgaard I, Nedergaard M. The Glymphatic System: A Beginner’s Guide. Neurochem Res. 2015 Dec;40(12):2583-99. doi: 10.1007/s11064-015-1581-6. Epub 2015 May 7. PMID: 25947369; PMCID: PMC4636982.rks cites
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