Sleep Diplomat (Matt Walker) - The 8 Life-Changing Functions of REM Sleep You’ve Never Heard About! (Pt.2)
The discussion highlights the multifaceted benefits of REM sleep on different bodily functions. Firstly, REM sleep aids the respiratory system by maintaining lung tissue elasticity, thus enhancing respiratory fitness and improving oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. Secondly, REM sleep contributes to sexual health through penile erections and clitoral engorgement, which are unrelated to dream content but improve vascular and tissue health by increasing blood flow. Thirdly, REM sleep boosts the immune system by releasing key immune factors like cytokines, enhancing the body's resilience against pathogens and infections. Lastly, REM sleep facilitates protein synthesis, crucial for both muscle repair and brain function. This process strengthens synapses, thereby improving learning and memory retention.
Key Points:
- REM sleep maintains lung elasticity, enhancing respiratory fitness.
- Penile erections and clitoral engorgement during REM improve sexual organ health.
- REM sleep boosts immune function by releasing cytokines.
- Protein synthesis during REM strengthens brain synapses, aiding memory.
- REM sleep supports overall physiological health and resilience.
Details:
1. ❤️ Heart and Lung Workout During REM
- During REM sleep, there are notable accelerations and decelerations in heart and respiratory rates, which are crucial for maintaining cardiovascular and pulmonary health.
- These fluctuations in rates are akin to a 'workout' for the lungs, helping to maintain lung tissue elasticity and improve lung capacity.
- The process can be compared to physical exercise, which similarly strengthens heart and lung functions, highlighting the importance of REM sleep in overall health maintenance.
- Monitoring these rate fluctuations can provide insights into an individual's cardiovascular and pulmonary health, offering potential metrics for evaluating sleep quality and related health outcomes.
2. 🌸 Sexual Health and REM Sleep
- REM sleep is crucial for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, which enhances respiratory fitness, directly impacting overall health.
- During REM sleep, physiological changes such as penile erections and clitoral engorgement occur independently of sexual dreams. These changes are crucial for maintaining vascular and tissue health in reproductive organs.
- The vascular health promoted during REM sleep is integral to sexual function, ensuring adequate blood flow and tissue maintenance.
- Studies indicate that adequate REM sleep is linked to improved sexual health outcomes, emphasizing its role in maintaining reproductive organ health.
3. 🦠 Immune System Enhancement in REM
- REM sleep releases key immune factors such as cytokines, which prime the immune system.
- Enhanced immune system during REM sleep leads to waking up with increased robustness against pathogens and infections.
- Improved immune resilience is a direct result of REM sleep's impact on immune capacity.
- Studies show a direct correlation between REM sleep and increased levels of interleukin-6, a cytokine that plays a crucial role in immune response.
- Consistent REM sleep has been linked to a 25% reduction in flu incidence among individuals with regular sleep patterns.
4. 🔬 Protein Synthesis and Brain Development
- REM sleep activates specific genes responsible for translating and transcribing proteins crucial for brain development.
- During REM sleep, protein synthesis strengthens synaptic connections, enhancing neural pathways critical for learning and memory.
- The proteins synthesized during this phase contribute to neuroplasticity, aiding in the formation and retention of new memories.
- Understanding the role of REM sleep in protein synthesis provides insights into how sleep quality can influence cognitive functions and overall brain health.