The brain wakes up through an ordered wave of activation, starting from the front regions associated with executive function to the back areas linked to vision. A study analyzed over 1,000 arousals from sleep, revealing that waking up is not simply the reverse of falling asleep. Instead, waking up shows a clear pattern of brain activity different from the gradual process of falling asleep. The study contributes to understanding sleep inertia, identifying how brain activity changes characteristics during different sleep stages.
The first brain regions to rouse are those associated with executive function and decision-making, located at the front of the head. A wave of wakefulness then spreads to the back, ending with an area associated with vision.
Waking up is this ordered wave of activation that moves from the front to the back of the brain, whereas falling asleep seems to be less linear and more gradual.
The wide-awake brain shows a characteristic pattern of electrical activity that looks like a jagged line made up of small, tightly packed peaks and valleys.
The pattern looks similar during REM sleep, when vivid dreams occur, but features a lack of skeletal-muscle movement. The peaks are taller during non-REM sleep.
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