How does falling asleep actually work; why can you be mid-thought and just conk out?
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This is just my personal experience.
When I fall asleep, it’s sort of like my brain flips an “off” switch for both outside input *and* memory. I’ve noticed it happen when I snap back awake. I think memory only happens when you specifically think you’re receiving outside input, which can also be in dreams. Memory is a survival mechanism, so if you aren’t receiving input then you don’t need to remember. But the key is the input.
As you drift off, your brain starts to tune these things out one by one. Eventually, it tunes them all out, and your mental processes are entirely focused internally. There’s no outward input so your brain doesn’t need to remember what is happening. Then you’re asleep. We know the brain stays active at night and I think this is why. The internal monologue (or non-worded equivalent) continues on till dawn.
Then you wake up and your brain tries to grasp all its surroundings, resulting in losing whatever thoughts you had before you woke. That’s why dreams typically fade with short term memory unless you think about them a lot.
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