We all have at least once in our lives general anesthesia We have suffered from this or at least heard about this experience from someone close to us.

“I sleep, but is it a dreamless sleep?” Have you ever wondered that? Let’s clarify this question that concerns us and about which we are not sure.

Are sleep and anesthesia the same?

General anesthesia, most people “a deep sleep” However, anesthesia is not actually the same as natural sleep.

Sleep, It is a process in which our level of consciousness gradually decreases, and during this time our brain goes through different stages: light sleep, deep sleep and the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage, which allows us to dream.

However, during anesthesia the brain does not experience these natural processes. narcotic medications, It temporarily disables certain parts of the brain, completely disabling consciousness.

So what actually happens during anesthesia is that our brains start to sleep before they enter the sleep cycle. “close.”

What causes dreams?

Dreams happen during a specific phase when our brains are active during sleep: REM sleep. During this phase, brain waves speed up, our eyes move quickly, and various images and events come to life in our minds as if they were real.

However, during anesthesia, the brain does not reach the REM phase due to anesthetic substances It stops this activity of the brain. Because the brain areas that make dreams possible are disabled in this case, dreams do not occur.

What happens during anesthesia?

Under general anesthesia, our bodies and brains are literally numbed “stand by” is taken. Conscious thought processes, memory formation and perception are stopped. This means that the brain cannot create experience, images or feelings.

Simply put, you feel “nothing” while under anesthesia. This is the main reason why you don’t dream. After anesthesia, people often “It’s as if no time has passed” That’s why it feels. Because as long as consciousness is turned off, the brain does not create any perception of time.

Why do you wake up suddenly when you wake up?

Usually we experience a small transition period when we wake up from natural sleep; for light sleep phase, Then we return to full consciousness. Waking up from anesthesia is completely different.

It’s like a button has been pressed You suddenly regain consciousness. This shows that the brain does not remain at a certain level of consciousness during anesthesia, but is literally ‘switched off’.

Because the brain does not experience any of the natural processes of falling asleep under anesthesia, dreams also do not occur.

What do those who say they dreamed see?

Some people who receive general anesthesia may say they are dreaming during this time. A lot of research is also being done on this. The result is that what appear to be sleep dreams actually occur during recovery from anesthesia. when the patient is anesthetized or that he is in a state of physiological sleep. So what you see does not happen during anesthesia.

Have you ever experienced such a situation?

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