This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Cool Things Your Body Does While You're Sleeping

Part of the time your muscles are completely paralysed.

By now you know you need to get about seven or eight hours shut eye a night, right? And you probably also know that devices too close to bedtime, pets in the bedroom and booze are all not conducive to quality zzz's. But do you know what your body is actually doing while you sleep?

Your body does some pretty cool stuff while you're recharging at night. You may of heard of REM, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement, but did you know there's another stage called NREM? The 'N' stands for 'Non'. There are three stages of NREM in which our body falls deeper and deeper into sleep, finally reaching REM.

During NREM your body and its muscles are totally relaxed, but when you reach REM your muscles are actually totally paralysed. The only exception is your breathing and eyes, which is why your eyes dart back and forth during this phase.

To learn what your kidneys, digestive system and hormones are busy doing while you sleep, check out the below infographic.

Sleepy People

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