It isn’t that I wanna know how we fall asleep, more how closing our eyes specifically triggers it.
In: Biology
[removed]
Blocks out stimulus so your brain doesn’t have anything that it must focus on. Same way it’s easier to sleep in a quiet and dark room; there is less stimulus for the brain to process, allowing it to rest
The suprachiasmatic nucleus, a very small part of the brain made up of thousands of different nerve clusters can receive information about light exposure from the eyes. This is the actual structure that is needed to percieve the “lack of stimulus”
It’s 5:07am. I haven’t fallen asleep yet. I feel like you’re directly mocking me with this post.
In your brain, there is a chunk of cells called Superchiasmatic nucleus that acts like the solar panel on older calculators. When you covered up the panel, the calculator got dim or totally stopped displaying anything. Same with SCN – it uses the light from your eyes to run your circadian rhythm. Low or no light, it kicks out melatonin to get you sleepy. Among other things. Light? Time to wake up, diurnal dweller.
Latest Answers