So ive been wondering about this a while. I always wake up a fair bit before my GF wakes up. and i’ve noticed that even while she’s asleep she still responds to thing like me giving her a kiss on the cheek while she sleeps. and when I get out of bed she always IMMEDIATELY turns over to my side of the bed.
a quick google search tells me that no, we are not aware of our surroundings while sleeping. but i’ve seen a lot of things that seem to contradict that.
In: Biology
Sleeping isn’t the same kind of “unconscious” as when you get knocked in the head and potentially become entirely unresponsive for a bit.
Sleep evolved because our bodies need it for various reasons, but it evolved in environments where there was still potenal dangers while sleep was occurring, so it shouldn’t be that surprising that a sleeping animal is somewhat responsive to their surroundings.
The “conscious” part of your brain certainly becomes less aware of its surroundings while you sleep, but clearly at some level your brain is paying some attention and processing some inputs. That’s why loud noises or movements nearby can wake you. It’s one of the ways your body tries to protect itself while you sleep.
We’re not fully unconscious. Our brain is still active and senses can trigger the body to come out of the restfulness and into action when needed. This may be needed in case we are in danger in the middle of the night.
More than 90% of what your brain does are things you have no awareness of. While you sleep you still breathe. You only really have agency to allow for decisions within a complex mix of states (emotional, physical, environmental). Beyond that it’s not something you consciously are aware of.
You are not dead. Your brain is still functioning. Its why you don’t roll out of bed. You are aware of the edge, you are just not consciously processing where you are, but you are still mindful of your location.
Being responsive, being able to wake up, is basically the difference between asleep and unconscious. Your brain is not “off” when you sleep. You’re still aware of things that you’re normally keenly aware of, like baby cries or footsteps or the way your phone buzzes before the alarm clock ringtone sounds. Unconsciousness is closer to the kind of sedation one gets for minor surgery. You don’t stop breathing, but you are unresponsive and cannot be awakened with simple stimuli like voices or being cut open for surgery.
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