Wakefulness facts for kids
Wakefulness is the state of being awake. It's when your brain is active and you are aware of what's happening around you. You can think clearly and react to things in the world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep. When you are asleep, your brain mostly ignores what's going on outside.
How Being Awake Affects Your Brain
The longer you stay awake, the more active your cerebral cortex becomes. This part of your brain is very important for thinking. After you've slept, your brain cells (called neurons) fire slower and less in sync.
Another thing that happens when you're awake is that your brain uses up its energy stores. These energy stores are called glycogen. They are kept in special brain cells called astrocytes. Studies show that one main reason we sleep is to refill these glycogen energy tanks.
How Your Brain Stays Awake
Staying awake is a complex process. Many different systems in your brain work together to keep you alert. These systems start in the brainstem and send signals up through other parts of your brain. These parts include the midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus, and basal forebrain.
The back part of your hypothalamus is very important for keeping your brain active. It helps control when you switch from being awake to sleeping, and from sleeping back to being awake.
Special brain cells that use a chemical called histamine are found in this area. They send signals all over your brain. These cells are the most important ones found so far for keeping you awake.
Another key system uses chemicals called orexins (also known as hypocretins). These cells are near the histamine cells. They also send signals to most brain areas and help with being alert. If someone doesn't have enough orexins, they can get a sleep disorder called narcolepsy. This condition makes them feel very sleepy during the day.
Scientists think that orexin and histamine cells work together. Orexins might be more involved in how you act when you're awake. Histamine might be more about thinking and keeping your brain's electrical activity (EEG) high.
Some research suggests that babies are not truly awake before they are born. They become awake when they are born because of the stress of childbirth. This stress activates a part of their brain called the locus coeruleus.
See also
In Spanish: Vigilia (estado de conciencia) para niños
- Dream argument
- Eugeroic
- High-conductance state
- Lucid dream
- Sleepwalking
