• Question: how do you breath when you go to sleep

    Asked by to Andrei, Ekbal, Gemma, Helen, Ruth on 16 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Ekbal Hussain

      Ekbal Hussain answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      Hi @Renniec,

      There are some things our body does without us thinking about it. Blinking your eyes is one of these things. We all do it without realising it.

      Breathing is another one. Breathing is so important that the brain makes sure the muscles that help us breathe are always working, even when we are asleep. Sleeping gives the rest of our body muscles, like your arms and legs time to relax and recover. But important things like your breathing and your heart pumping carry on working throughout the night to keep you alive 🙂

    • Photo: Helen Gath

      Helen Gath answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      This is a passive movement, which means we are not consciously in control of it but our body does it automatically. So even if we are are asleep, our body is still working and ensure the muscles controlling the movement of our diaphragm and lungs. It is important we keep breathing so that we we keep taking on fresh oxygen, and exhale (breathe out) carbon dioxide. A build up of carbon dioxide in our bodies can be very dangerous. You may think you’re asleep, but parts of your brain are still working to make sure you stay breathing and alive! This is an unconscious type of breathing.

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