Belgian neurologist Steven Laureys recently published Sleep is good for the brain, a book in which he explains the benefits of sleep on our neurological functioning. For Brut, he explains in simple terms the mechanisms of this “state” in which we spend about a third of our lives…
Variable speed electrical activity
“Sleep is generally thought to consist of falling unconscious before waking up. But not at all, corrects Steven Laureys. We gradually fall asleep, the electrical activity in the brain becomes slower and slower, we are no longer aware of what is happening around us… this phase is slow-wave sleep”.
“And then the electrical activity becomes much faster: you start dreaming. The body is completely paralyzed and that is good for our emotional stability and to stimulate our creativity! We pass through these different stages four to five times a night, like a small train that makes several passages,” he explains.
The neurologist recommends a minimum of 8 hours of sleep to be more reactive: “some people get by with four or five hours, but that only concerns a few people because it is genetic, he underlines. When our leaders say they attend meetings after four-hour nights, they are not going to have all their faculties… and sooner or later, we pay the price”.
This article is produced by Brut and hosted by 20 Minutes.