Eli5: Why can’t we continually go back to sleep when we wake up ? What happens in our brain that says it’s fully rested and doesn’t need any more?

Question

Eli5: Why can’t we continually go back to sleep when we wake up ? What happens in our brain that says it’s fully rested and doesn’t need any more?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Actually you have it backwards, your brain produces a chemical called “melatonin” when it’s tired and doesn’t when it isn’t.