This is why our brains actually SHRINK while we are sleeping

Sleep isn’t just about resting our bodies. A new study shows that our brains actually shrink while we sleep in order to help our minds prepare for new information.

Researchers found that brain synapses shrink by nearly 20 percent while we snooze. That helps the synapses prepare for learning more things, according to the study.

“Sleep is the perfect time to allow the synaptic renormalization to occur … because when we are awake, we are ‘slaves’ of the here and now, always attending some stimuli and learning something, said Dr. Chiara Cirelli, who co-authored the study.

Essentially, that means our brains are too busy to heal and prepare for another day while we’re awake.

“During sleep, we are much less preoccupied by the external world … and the brain can sample [or assess] all our synapses, and renormalize them in a smart way, Cirelli told said.

So definitely make sure you’re catching enough Zs – your brain will thank you.