While we dream, the nerves that control our muscles, especially those of the back, neck, arms and legs, are completely disabled. This process is called atonia and has evolved specifically to prevent us from acting out our dreams. The mechanism isn’t completely reliable and sometimes dreams will begin or end outside of the duration of atonia, leaving you thrashing about beneath the sheets. Also, when you aren’t dreaming, you retain muscle tone so you can move to a more comfortable position or steal the bed covers.
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