What happens to your body when you sleep?

Good morning everyone,

Today isn't looking too bad...it'll be mostly cloudy with some sunny periods and a high of 25C. Tomorrow will be rainy and cooler with a high of only 22C and then it'll warm up and clear up again for Sunday and Monday.

Your body temperature drops.

Just before you fall asleep, your core body temperature begins to decrease. This drop signals to your brain to release melatonin, which affects your circadian rhythm (or sleep/wake cycle) and tells your body it's time for bed. Your temperature is lowest around 2:30 A.M., so if you're able to, program your thermostat to rise one degree at that time for an hour or two. Otherwise, you may find yourself stealing your spouse's covers for extra warmth.

You lose weight.
One reason you should always step on a scale in the morning, not in the evening: You lose water through perspiring and breathing out humid air during the night. This happens during the day too, but eating and drinking while you're awake negates any weight loss. If you're sleeping just four or five hours per night, you could be canceling out whatever smart diet and exercise choices you're making during the day. To whittle your waistline, get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

You get taller.
You won't exactly wake up feeling like the Jolly Green Giant, but you do gain height while you sleep. The discs in your spine that act as cushions between the bones rehydrate and get bigger because the weight of your body isn't pressing down on them, like it is when you're standing. If you have a firm mattress, sleeping on your side in the fetal position may be best for getting taller because it decreases the load on your back.

Your blood pressure and heart rate decrease.
When you're resting, your body doesn't need to work as hard or pump as much blood, so these systems slow down. Blood pressure needs to dip at night so your cardiac muscle and circulatory system have time to relax and repair.

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