why do we not fall off our bed when we are sleeping?

Question

I was just wondering the other day, why is it that when we sleep we do not fall off the bed? We are not awake to think about it.

Answer 1

The reason we don't fall off the bed while sleeping is due to a knob-like structure, called the pons, located at the base of the brainstem.

The pons assists in arousal, control of autonomic functions (breathing, heart rate), relays sensory information between the cerebrum and cerebellum, and finally, sleep.

When we sleep, the pons virtually paralyzes the main motor muscles of the body and therefore stops us from possibly rolling off the bed.

In sleep-walkers, the pons does not function properly, allowing the body to function and move normally, even though the person's brain is very much asleep.

Answer 2

Actually some people do have sudden movements that can result in falling out of bed, however for most of us, when we sleep our bodies actually produce a chemical in the spinal chord to partially paralyze the muscles. This protects us from our dreams as we can't move around much during sleep.

Answer 3

This is something very similar to walking, or learning how to ride a bike. Walking is not something we can innately do as bipeds (organisms that walk on 2 legs), moreover, it's something we have learned. As children we figure out how to balance ourselves when we walk, and since we do it every day of our lives, we can continue to balance ourselves when walking and never forget how to do this.

Your question I imagine involves the same learning. As children, we learn (by being in cribs, or having rails on the side of the bed, etc.) that when we are in bed, we have to be aware of falling off of it. And so we subconsciously have an idea if we're near the edge of the bed, and if we are, we're careful about moving. You don't actively think about it, similarly to the way you don't actively think about walking.

Answer 4

hmmm, well we don't move much when we are in bed. I never had fallen out of bed. I usually don't move much in bed. Plus I have a slimmer chance of falling out cuz my bed is next to the wall.

Answer 5

It's the way our body works.

Answer 6

no idea