Sleep Mechanisms
In our previous article “Sleep Well to Live Well”, we discussed what sleep is and why it’s so important in order to live well. This one will focus on what happens in our brain and body, especially the chemical mechanisms our body uses to induce sleep. Knowing this is absolutely critical for people suffering from different kinds of sleep disorders. Even with your disorders, you can still have a good night’s sleep if you know how to trigger the sleep mechanisms. It’ll also help you understand how sleeping pills work.
The Sleep Chemicals
We mentioned before that there are two major hormones that are responsible for sleep- Melatonin and GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid). These hormones fall under a type called neurotransmitters (Transmits Signals to Neurons). In short, flow of these chemicals signals the brain and helps the brain make decisions.
There are two basic types of neurotransmitters- exciters and inhibitors. From the name, you can tell that some neurotransmitters (Adrenalin, Norepinephrine, etc.) excite us and trigger activities. The others such as Melatonin, Dopamine, and GABA are inhibitors. They do the complete opposite. An increased level of inhibitors in our body makes us feel lazy, calm, and relaxed.
Where does it happen?
In the beginning, we used to think that neurotransmitters occur only in the brain. However, we now know that brain cells (Neurons) are everywhere in the body. They are spread from the brain through the spinal cord and to our fingertips and toes. Therefore, there are plenty of places where neurotransmitters can appear. Yet, our brain does play a huge role in inducing sleep.
If you are a normal person and you sleep well regularly, when the time comes, your hypothalamus (A peanut sized structure in the middle of the brain) that controls arousal and light sensitivity signals our CNS (Central Nervous System) that it’s time. That’s why we generally sleep at night. It all begins in the light sensitive part of the brain. Surprisingly, even blind people trigger the same mechanism. Although their eyes are not functional, they develop light sensitivity on their skin whether they are consciously aware or not.
Next is our Pineal gland, which we know as the third eye (Located between two eyes). It secrets the magic hormone Melatonin. Our eyelids feel heavier and we experience a bit of a blur vision. We feel lazy and sleepy.
The second hormone, GABA, is a paralytic. It appears all over the body and not just the brain. There is a small gap between two neuron cells called synapse. This is where one neuron communicates with another.
Neurotransmitters like GABA appear in the synapses. It relaxes our muscles, slows our heart-rate, and we stop moving. Now, you can say that you are asleep.
So the question is, if a paralytic like GABA is released in the neurons, aren’t we supposed to be dead? And the answer is in brain. It’s all about balance for our brain.
While GABA and Meletonin do their things, our brain also produces a little bit of Norepinephrine, a mild exciter, for the basic and vital parts of our body- that includes the brain, the heart, and the lungs. That’s why, our heart-rates slow but never stop.
When it’s time to wake up, GABA and Melatonin get metabolized in the body, and the level of Norepinephrine increases, and we start to feel awake.
And those are the sleeping mechanisms. I told you at the beginning that this study will help those with sleep disorders and even those who are on sleeping pills. This is how.
If you are suffering from a sleep disorder, that only means that there is something wrong in the mechanism. It could be that your CNS is not getting the signal to trigger the hormones. The hormones could be metabolizing faster than usual, and there could be an increased level of exciter hormones that counteract GABA or Melatonin. All these will be discussed in another article “Sleep Disorders and Causes”. Stay tuned.
