Why Does Your Body Heal When You Sleep_ Sleepy Science for Deep Sleep

A cut on your finger heals faster at night. A fever breaks while you are unconscious. A muscle strain feels better in the morning than it did the night before. Your body is not resting when you sleep. It is working.During deep sleep, your pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which stimulates tissue repair and muscle growth. Your immune system releases cytokines, proteins that fight infection and inflammation. Your cardiovascular system lowers blood pressure and heart rate, giving your heart a nightly vacation. Your digestive system regulates hunger hormones, balancing ghrelin and leptin so you wake up hungry for breakfast, not for midnight snacks.This episode is designed to be played as you fall asleep. The science is gentle. The narration is calm. The goal is not to instruct but to accompany you into the rest your body is already working to achieve. You do not need to do anything. You do not need to change anything. You just need to let your body do what it evolved to do: heal while you sleep.Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because the most important medicine you will ever take is the sleep you give yourself tonight.