Sleep is mainly a time for your brain to recover and repair. Is you bicep exhausted just before bed? Probably not. But if you were doing arm curls all day long it certainly would be. Your brain is tired since it has been active all day long. Our brains are energy hogs. 25% of the blood leaving our heart pumps through our brain, yet our brains are small compared to the rest our body - being only about 2.5% of our mass. Thus the brain sees 10 times the blood flow.

During sleep, the brain is progressing through alternating cycles of light and deep sleep – or sleep stages. These alternating sleep stages allow the brain to heal and restore itself.  Sleep problems can cause issues with memory, thinking, mood (depression, anxiety) and chronic fatigue/chronic pain. During sleep, the brain is able to repair and grow cells, tissue, and nerves that regenerate and boost the hormone and immune system. Along with good nutrition and stress reduction, restorative sleep is vital for your optimal physical, mental, and emotional health.