MicroFactzzz#0039 · 🧬 Human Glitch
Your Brain Paralyzes Your Entire Body Every Night — and That's a Good Thing
During REM sleep, the brain actively blocks signals to your muscles so your body doesn't physically act out whatever's happening in your dreams.
During REM sleep, when most vivid dreams occur, the brain is almost as active as it is while awake.
To stop the body from physically acting out the dream — running, flailing your arms, getting up — the brain actively blocks nerve signals to the skeletal muscles. This state is called REM atonia.
It's a natural protective mechanism: without it, every dream about running or fighting could end with you actually leaping out of bed.
Sometimes this mechanism glitches — the brain wakes up before the atonia has lifted, and for a moment the person is fully conscious but completely paralyzed. This is known as sleep paralysis, one of the more unnerving, though entirely harmless, experiences your own body can serve up.
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- General knowledge / encyclopedic sources
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Krulicza Nora
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