GR Diary
10 mysterious things that happens happens to your body while you sleep
By Nmerichukwu Igweamaka
Mysterious things that happen to your body while you sleep: John Steinbeck once noted that “it is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” When my head hits the pillow and I can’t seem to turn off my thoughts, I like to picture the committee gathering in a miniature boardroom in my brain.
I imagine tiny committee members heatedly arguing over my dilemmas while I snooze. What a relief to leave the toughest calls up to somebody else.
Whether you’ve imagined it or not, you’ve probably benefited from such a committee’s hard work. While we doze, our brains and bodies aren’t slacking off, they’re at work, repairing us after the day’s battles and refueling us for tomorrow’s slog—in more ways than you likely realize.
There’s probably no teeny boardroom. But here’s what’s actually going on while you’re conked out:
- You aren’t sleeping deeply most of the time
Not all sleep was created equal: When you first drift off, you get only very light sleep, then progress deeper and deeper into dreamland. The sleep cycle starts in what’s called non–rapid eye movement or NREM stage 1 (the kind of sleep you might nab if you were the type to doze off during your college lectures; you know who you are).
Then you move into a deeper NREM 2 and then to the deepest, NREM 3, also called slow-wave sleep. Finally, you land in rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, the wild part of the ride when most of our dreams occur.
The whole shebang usually takes somewhere between 90 and 120 minutes, so on a typical night you’ll cycle through four or five times, waking up for just a sec
As the night goes on, you spend less time in that deliciously deep stage 3 and more time in REM sleep, which explains why your alarm so often wakes you up in the middle of a totally bizarre dream, says Sigrid C. Veasey, MD, a neuroscientist and a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology.
But we don’t really know why REM periods get longer in the wee hours, says Daniel A. Barone, MD, an assistant professor of neurology at the Weill Cornell Medical College’s Center for Sleep Medicine.
One theory, he says, is that REM sleep may somehow prepare you to get your butt out of bed.
- Your brain cleans house
Our brains are “on” throughout the night, especially in that dream-heavy REM sleep, Barone says, when they’re actually almost as active as they are when we’re wide awake.
Among other things, they may be taking out the trash. That’s one of the more exciting new ideas about the purpose of sleep: A 2013 study in mice found that waste removal systems in the brain are more active during sleep. Perhaps, the researchers theorized, we sleep to allow time to clear away toxic byproducts that would otherwise pile up and cause problems, like the trademark plaques of Alzheimer’s disease, Veasey says.
Your brain’s also busy cementing new memories while you sleep. “We think the brain is processing the information we gained throughout the day and filtering out the information we don’t need, which may be one of the reasons we dream,” Barone says.
The theory goes that maybe connections between brain cells are strengthened or weakened during sleep, depending on how much we used them during the day, he says. The important stuff gets reinforced while the factoids we just don’t need get trashed.
- Your heart rate and breathing slow
That “can’t…move…another…muscle” feeling comes from the fact that all sorts of normal physiological processes slow way down at bedtime, like how many breaths you take per minute and how quickly your heart beats. Even your muscles and organs chill out.
“The intestines quiet down in the nighttime, and the liver goes from trying to detoxify during wakefulness to trying to build and synthesize when you’re sleeping,” Veasey says.
There’s also less adrenaline pumping through your veins, since you won’t be needing your fight-or-flight response between the sheets (at least, we hope).
- Your blood pressure plummets
Total-body relaxation results in something called a “nocturnal dipping” of your blood pressure, Veasey says. If you’re otherwise fit, your blood pressure can drop by about 5 to 7 points with a good night’s sleep.
- And so does your body temperature
Sleep experts are constantly quoted in articles like these saying to keep your room cool for a good night’s sleep. But they’re not just saying it because it sucks to try to fall asleep with your hair plastered to your neck with sweat.
A cool room actually mimics something your body’s doing naturally: While we sleep, core temperature drops a bit, so cooling off before bed can help you nod off.
During REM sleep, you might chill by a whole degree or 2. “If you were cold and you were awake, you would shiver, but during REM sleep the body loses its capacity for thermoregulation,” Veasey says, “and we have no earthly idea why that happens.
- You’re paralyzed
Speaking of REM sleep: During this phase, you literally cannot move a muscle. Only the ones that control your eyes (hence the name rapid eye movement sleep) and your breathing are not paralyzed.
Muscle paralysis is the body’s way of preventing you from kicking in the World Cup–winning goal, serving a knuckle sandwich to that intruder who turns out to be your unsuspecting and undeserving spouse beside you, or otherwise acting out your weirdest dreams.
The paralysis is (obviously) temporary, but it can last up to about 20 minutes. Your once-slow-and-steady breathing and heart rate will also become a little less regular and a little more erratic during REM sleep, Barone says.
- You pump out growth hormones…
No, not the performance-enhancing-drug kind of growth hormone. Even if you’re not growing taller, you’re always growing: building muscle cells after a tough workout, healing a cut from dicing onions for dinner.
Our bodies make a host of different growth hormones during NREM sleep that we need throughout our lives, not just during developmental periods, Veasey says.
One of the clearest ways to see this process at work, though, is among children with sleep apnea, a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing throughout the night (if that sounds scary, it’s because it is).
A common cause of the condition in kids is extra-large tonsils, so some who really can’t get any rest will get theirs removed. Many of these youngsters are short for their age—until they can finally sleep.
tonsils are removed, their sleep apnea is reversed, and suddenly they shoot up to a normal height, Barone says, once they’re finally getting the growth hormones they so desperately needed.
- …and regulate your hunger hormones
If a frosted donut has ever looked particularly tasty after a night spent tossing and turning, at least it’s not just you: Most people reach for higher-calorie foods (and more of ’em) when they’ve logged too few hours of sleep, which can in turn, of course, lead to weight gain.
Researchers believe that the hunger-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin get out of whack when we don’t sleep well, Barone says. (The Hormone Reset Diet can balance your hormones and help you lose up to 15 pounds in just 3 weeks.)
- You might walk, talk, or even drive
There’s no good reason for these so-called parasomnias, or weird behaviors known to happen during sleep, but luckily they’re mostly harmless.
Sleepwalking and similar midslumber activities occur during stage 3 sleep, making it tough to rouse a sleepwalker from deep sleep but not dangerous to do so.
(In fact, it can be dangerous not to wake them, considering their next move could be to try to get behind the wheel.) Sleepwalking, talking, or driving is usually due to sleep deprivation or is a side effect of certain medications and occurs in anywhere from 1 to 15% of us, according to the National Sleep Foundation. While it’s definitely most common in kids, you probably don’t have to worry if you find your spouse has migrated to the living room.
- You also might twitch.
If you’re not the type to venture all the way out of bed, but you’re familiar with that what-the-heck-where-am-I feeling of twitching yourself awake for no apparent reason, what you’re experiencing is not a parasomnia, but a hypnic jerk.
There’s not really a good reason for these spastic movements either, Veasey says, but know that they’re perfectly normal (and typically a feature of that very light stage 1 sleep).
There’s probably more, but we don’t know how much we don’t know.
Much like the unexplained way my committee arrives at its decisions by morning, sleep is still in many ways a mystery. It’s an “absolute necessity” but “with limited scientific understanding as to why,” Barone wrote in a recently published paper.
We know getting too little sleep (and possibly too much!) ups a person’s risk for health problems ranging from type 2 diabetes and heart disease to stroke and earlier death, but much of what we know about sleep is understood by observing the effects of its absence, Barone and his coauthor Ana C. Krieger wrote.
In other words, we know more about what happens when we’re sleep deprived than about what happens when we’re actually asleep. Maybe, with future research, we’ll pin down countless other processes that occur overnight and make sleep so essential.
Meanwhile, Veasey says, it’s time the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” types pay more attention to the quantity and quality of their z’s. Constantly feeling burned out, after all, is no way to live. “We’re really thinking one of the clearest reasons to sleep,” she says, “is so you can actually thrive, not just exist.”
Credits: theinfong, google
The stage is set, the anticipation is palpable, and the excitement is already building as SIFAX Group unveils its lineup of top gospel artists for the much-anticipated 2024 SIFAX Group Thanksgiving and Night of Praise celebration.
The event is set to hold on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The night’s lineup features an array of celebrated gospel stars, including Bidemi Olaoba, Laolu Gbenjo, Beejay Sax, Adeyinka Alaseyori and Chigozie Wisdom.
The event will also feature performances from Woli Agba, Titilayo Eyinjujesu, Abosede Akande, Nonny Chorale and Daminator Dance Group.
Themed I will Rejoice, the event, which is in its second year, promises an uplifting atmosphere filled with soulful melodies, heartfelt prayers, and vibrant expressions of gratitude for the milestones and blessings of the year.
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Group Chairman, SIFAX Group, said the event was an avenue to appreciate God for his faithfulness in the outgoing year:
“We are thrilled to bring together our board, management, staff, clients and other stakeholders to celebrate the goodness of God we have enjoyed in 2024.
It has been an interesting year laced with a lot of challenges and accomplishments.
This Night of Praise reflects our commitment to showing gratitude to God for His divine support for our businesses and our people.”
Attendees can expect electrifying live performances, a vibrant choir, and opportunities for communal worship, all within a beautifully curated setting designed to uplift and inspire. The event will also feature special segments for praise, worship, and words of encouragement from renowned speakers.
The event will be livestreamed on all the company’s official social media channels to extend the experience to the company’s online community.
Events
Speakers to Discuss How to Restore Nigerians’ Confidence in the Judiciary
…A collection of eminently qualified personalities will on Friday November 29 engage in the discourse on how to bring back the confidence of Nigerians in the nation’s judiciary.
The event, the Gavel International Annual Lecture with the theme: “The Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, media and legal perspectives” will be hosting Prof Hope Eghagha, Mr. Richard Akinnola, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, Mrs. Joke Layi-Babatunde, and Mrs. Asabe Waziri as the panel discussants.
The panel will be coordinated by Chief Anthony George-Ikoli SAN.
At the event, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi will deliver the Keynote Address while Nigeria’s top business lawyer, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode MFR will serve as chairman Former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Dele Adesina SAN will deliver the main lecture.
George-Ikoli is a former Attorney-General of Bayelsa State and the first Senior Advocate from the state. A passionate advocate of the Justice system, George-Ikoli will bring his wealth of experience to bear on the discussions.
Prof Eghagha, is a highly experienced teacher of English Literature and Literary Analysis at the Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos and researcher of dramatic theory and criticism.
He is a playwright, poet, novelist, biographer, columnist and member of The Guardian newspaper’s editorial board. Through his weekly newspaper opinion articles, he explores the complex challenges facing Nigeria.
Prof. Eghagha also served as the Commissioner for Higher Education in Delta State from 2009 to 2014. In 1999, he was named Honorary Colonel of the Commonwealth of Kentucky United States, and Honorary Captain of the Belle of Louisville.
A distinguished academic Eghagha was made appointed professor in 2010. He was also Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos in 2015 and Head of the Department of English, University of Lagos from 2016 to 2019. In December 2023, he was appointed Education Consultant to the Delta State Government.
Richard Akinnola is a legal affairs journalist, legal historian, media law specialist, media trainer, and author of 18 books on law, media, human rights and politics.
A respected law columnist, at various times, he was a pioneer staff of The Guardian, Vanguard, and Judicial Editor of the Concord Group. One of the founders of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), the first Human Rights body in Nigeria, established in 1987, he is currently Director, Centre for Media Law and Advocacy, member of the Board of Partnership for Justice and founder of Richard Akinnola Foundation and NGO that takes care of widows of journalists and activists. Akinnola is the publisher/Editor-in-Chief of COURTROOM; Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of MEDIA LAW and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of CORRUPTION CASES JOURNAL.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is a well regarded rights advocate and legal luminary. Adegboruwa attended the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1995. He served as counsel at Gani Fawehinmi Chambers from 1995 to 2000 and later founded his law firm, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa & Co.
He has been an activist and rights crusader for most part of his life. He was the Public Relations Officer of the Student’s Union of Obafemi Awolowo University, and later the Union’s President.
He was a member of the Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students and member of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Civil Liberties Organization, Campaign for Democracy, President, GSM Subscribers and other Phone users Association of Nigeria and founder of Law and Justice Forum and Millennium Legal Support Services.
He is also a Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Mrs. Adejoke Layi-Babatunde is an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. She is a results-driven and accomplished law publisher with an exceptional talent for developing and launching new publications. With a keen eye for detail and exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, Layi-Babatunde easily stands out and is well known for her collaborative approach to leadership.
She is an author and life coach and sits on several boards. She has featured as a keynote speaker in several national and international conferences. Her editorial board position at a legal entity covering Africa reflects her deep industry involvement.
She has spearheaded pivotal roles, including being Deputy CEO at Lawbreed Limited, driving publication of Supreme Court judgments and publications aimed at equipping lawyers for greater success as well as overseeing corporate social relations. Her blend of experience, skills, and commitment positions her as a valuable asset to organizations at various phases of growth and this has earned her several awards one of which is the ESQ Nigeria Legal awards Amazon of the Year 2021.
Mrs. Layi-Babatunde started her career at the Legal Department of Nigeria Industrial Development Bank (now Bank of Industry. She is a life member of WIMBIZ (Women in Business and Management), Lagos Chamber of Commerce & industry, Chairperson, Mentoring Committee of FIDA Lagos chapter and FIDA International Editorial Board and the vice-chairperson of the Professional Development Committee of the Ikeja chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Asabe Waziri is a petroleum engineer and a respected professional in the oil and gas industry, with nearly three decades of experience. She is also the founder of the Asabe Waziri Justice Advocacy Initiative (AWJAI), an organization inspired by her profound encounter with injustice. Driven to help others navigate the complex Nigerian justice system, Asabe established AWJAI to address critical issues faced by vulnerable communities.
In just over a year, AWJAI has made significant strides in combating illegal evictions, gender-based violence, monitoring compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), addressing professional misconduct, and tackling prison overcrowding.
The Publisher of Gavel International, Mustapha Ogunsakin explained that the 2024 annual lecture is designed to kick off conversations on the restoration of confidence of the Nigerian people in the nation’s judiciary which appears to be at an all time low.
“During the #Endsars protests in 2020, a very major court building, the Lagos High Court, Igbosere was razed by a mob. We saw the horrendous pictures of the burnt court, particularly one of the arsonists in a lawyer’s garb of wig and gown, with a machete in his hand. For me, that is very scary imagery. We must begin to restore the hope of the common man, if not in other organs of government, but in the judiciary. The other alternative is anarchy,” he said.
Ogunsakin posited that legal and media professions saddled with direct constitutional roles in the judicial system are best positioned to restore confidence in the judiciary. “While the role of the legal profession is statutory, the media has the responsibility to represent the people by covering and reporting court proceedings, except it has to do with national security or cases involving minors. That is why the constitution made provision for a public gallery in every court where journalists occupy to report cases and disseminate to the public,” he noted.
Gavel International has over the years hosted lectures and conferences in pursuit of its guiding principle — Rule of Law. In 2015, Gavel International presented a book, “For the love of their Nation, Lawyers as Agents of Change in Nigeria’’ authored by the publisher, Mustapha Ogunsakin.
The public presentation of this book was done by the then Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo SAN. Others in attendance at the event include Mr. Eyitayo Jegede SAN, then the Attorney General of Ondo State, Chief Anthony George-Ikoli SAN, the first SAN from Bayelsa State and a former Attorney General of the State, Mr. Ade Ipaye and a host of others.
In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic raged, it managed to host a stellar webinar conference, bringing together some of the most brilliant minds across the country to discuss on the topic: “Media Coverage of Virtual Court Proceedings: Prospects and Challenges. Prof. Osinbajo delivered the Keynote Address and was joined by others like human rights activist, Femi Falana SAN, Bode Olanipekun SAN, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Dr Reuben Abati to discuss the topic.
Events
Hamzat, Abiru To Speak on Impactful Empowerment For Nigerians At TheGazelleNews Annual Public Lecture
TheGazelleNews, a leading online newspaper, is set to host its much-anticipated annual public lecture on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
This year’s lecture will focus on a topic of crucial national importance: “Poverty Alleviation: Fantasies, Expectations, and Realities of People’s Empowerment.”
The event will convene distinguished speakers, thought leaders, and government officials to address the challenges and practical solutions surrounding poverty reduction and empowerment in Nigeria.
It will feature Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, as the Guest Speaker, who is expected to bring a wealth of experience in governance and infrastructure development to the discourse. As the Keynote Speaker, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, a renowned legislator and financial expert, will share valuable insights into policy-driven approaches for sustainable poverty alleviation.
A dynamic panel discussion will follow, featuring prominent personalities: Engineer (Dr.) Adekunle Olayinka, FNSE – Special Adviser on Works to the Lagos State Government; Ms. Abisola Olusanya – Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Lagos State, who will provide perspectives on the agricultural sector’s role in empowering communities; Comrade Tosin Adeyanju – Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), focusing on community development through structured funding and Honorable Rasaq Ajala – Executive Chairman, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA, who will be contributing insights on local government initiatives.
Goodwill messages will be delivered by: the Senate Leader, Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele; the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Yunus Abiodun Akintunde; the Chairman of Winners Golden Group, Honourable Idowu Osuolale Obasa; and the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and National Orientation, Chief Sunday Dare.
The event will be graced by prominent personalities in government and public service, with Nigeria First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, serving as the Special Guest of Honour; Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Chairman of the occasion and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, will be the Chief Host.
The Father of the Day is seasoned politician noted for his connection with the people especially at the grassroots level, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS), and Mother of the Day, Her Excellency Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, reflecting her longstanding commitment to social empowerment and women’s issues and of course her role as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.
In a celebration of excellence and dedication to public service, TheGazelleNews will present its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, Chairman of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC).
A highly respected political figure and royal prince from the Akinsemoyin ruling house of Lagos, Prince Olusi has made impactful contributions as a former Lagos City Councilor, House of Representatives member in the Second Republic, and Commissioner in Lagos State. His award highlights a career marked by unwavering dedication to Lagos and its citizens.
The day’s proceedings will be hosted by the dynamic compère duo, Gbenga Adeyinka and Feyikemi Niyi-Olayinka, who promise to guide the audience through an engaging and memorable event.
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