eli5 why do we wake up from deep sleep to pee but don’t actually wet the bed ?

Question

eli5 why do we wake up from deep sleep to pee but don’t actually wet the bed ?

In: 3347

Answer 1

Neuropsychologist here. When we’re in deep sleep, our brain is in slow wave activity (theta and delta). That makes it harder to wake up and gives is deep, restful sleep.

However, there is a reticular formation in the brainstem that wakes ip the higher brain areas, triggering fast-wave, conscious activity.

Bladder fullness is uncomfortable, eventually painful. Our pain nerves go up the spinal cord and to the brain, but some of them connect to the reticular formation.

So long story short, our pain/discomfort nerves switch on the brain area that wakes is up.