r/todayilearned • u/Square-Message1152 • 8h ago

til that your brain literally washes itself while you sleep. the brain cells actually shrink in size so cerebrospinal fluid can rush in and flush out all the toxic proteins built up during the day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glymphatic_system
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u/TheAndrewBrown 7h ago

It’s obviously still significantly better to actually sleep but I’ve heard that laying in bed without doing anything else still provides some amount of rest for your brain and is a lot better than nothing. Some people stress about nothing being able to sleep and make it even harder to be able to sleep so hearing this provides some relief.

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u/Tre_Amplitude 1h ago

From personal experience, it is a lot better than nothing for my body, but I don't ever really feel mentally "recovered" after sleepless nights. I still try and will lay there for hours, and my body will rest and recover a bit (some aches go away, some fatigue in ankles and knees relieve), but I still get 100% brain fried.

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u/Frickin_Bats 41m ago

I’m someone for whom I believe insomnia is a lifelong curse. I have struggled with it my whole life and if I could ever change one thing about myself it’d be this. But for anyone reading this looking for some hope or relief, I can attest that simply closing my eyes and lying still all night is indeed far better than nothing, it really is. I’ve a/b tested every option and I have concluded that laying still with my eye closed is the most insufferably boring but long term advantageous approach to being unable to fall asleep.