Understand that being tired helps us fall asleep faster but why does it increase our sleep quality?
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Sleep is when the body undoes the the processes which lead to exhaustion. As neurotransmitters are replenished and neuro-physiological byproducts are washed away and reprocessed, neurological capacity is restored and your brain becomes ready to exert itself again, becoming more active.
However, much of your urge to sleep (which is distinct from actual measure of exhaustion) also depends on your circadian rhythm, your body’s cyclical sense of day and night.
So when you go to bed totally exhausted after a crazy active day, your physiology takes all night to recover. Your brain only becomes ready to go again just before you wake up. But this is fine because your circadian rhythm has begun to tell your renewed body “It’s time to get up, lazy bones.”
Meanwhile, when evening comes after a relatively easy day, your circadian rhythm still dutifully leads you to bed. But after only a few hours, your brain has restored iteself and becomes active again.
This activity wakes you up somewhat. But when you become a little more conscious, your circadian rhythm remains in “stay in bed and sleep” mode. So you toss and turn, your brain bouncing between “I’m ready. Let’s go!” and “Fuck off. It’s 3 a.m..”
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