Why does falling asleep feel good

Behavioral sleep medicine psychologist Michelle Drerup, PsyD , explains why some of us fall asleep too quickly and when this could signal a sleep problem. The good news is you might be one of the lucky ones who can drift off with ease. Quality sleep is much more complex than the minutes it takes you to drift off.

Everyone is different. Drerup says. But you may also have sleep deficiency if you:. Sleep deficiency is a bit harder to spot. It's normal for the muscles to relax, of course, but the brain gets confused. For a minute, it thinks you're falling.

In response, the brain causes your muscles to tense as a way to "catch yourself" before falling down — and that makes your body jerk. You may have experienced sudden, jerky body movements as you drift into sleep. In sleep our bodies are paralysed, and we become oblivious to events in the outside world. An area of the brain called the reticular activating system controls our basic functions, like breathing, and tells us whether we feel alert.

In contrast, the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus, located near the optic nerve, dictates tiredness. As the names suggest, non-REM sleep features an absence of eye movements, whereas REM sleep, when dreaming occurs, is characterized by rapid eye movements.

Stage 1 occurs when you first fall asleep. As your body enters light sleep, your brain waves, heart rate, and eye movements slow down. Your body temperature decreases, your eye movements stop, and your heart rate and muscles continue to relax.

Your brain waves briefly spike then slow down. In stages 3 and 4, deep sleep begins. Deep sleep is restorative. Your body replenishes its energy and repairs cells, tissues, and muscles.

You need this phase to feel awake and refreshed the next day. This stage first happens about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. Your eyes move quickly from side to side during REM sleep.

In REM sleep, your brain waves and eye movements increase. Your heart rate and breathing also speed up. Dreaming often happens during REM sleep. Your brain also processes information during this stage, making it important for learning and memory. The recommended amount of sleep depends on your age. It also varies from person to person, but the CDC suggests the following durations based on age:. Without enough sleep , your body has a hard time functioning properly.

Sleep deficiency is linked to chronic health problems affecting the heart, kidneys, blood, brain, and mental health. Lack of sleep is also associated with an increased risk of injury for both adults and children.

Driver drowsiness, for example, can contribute to serious car accidents and even death. Specific consequences of sleep deprivation can include:. Sleep keeps us healthy and functioning well. It lets your body and brain repair, restore, and reenergize. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. They can determine the underlying cause and help improve the quality of your sleep. This article lists 17 evidence-based tips to sleep better at night.

Getting good sleep is very important for optimal health.