It’s normal to wonder what will happen when you die. From a physical standpoint, death is when the body's vital functions stop, including breathing (respiration), heartbeat, and brain activity. Sometimes, the dying process happens gradually and sometimes it happens very quickly.
After death, the body starts to undergo changes as its temperature drops. The skin color and texture look and feel different, and the muscles relax, stiffen, and then relax again.
This article will explain the physical timeline of dying, from the moment a person dies through the after-death (post-mortem) stages.
What Happens to Your Body Before Death?
Dying is different for everyone. For some people, the process happens quickly. For others, it takes longer.
When you are dying from a chronic illness, you may sleep more than usual. This is because your body doesn't have the energy it needs for normal activities. You may also experience temporary periods of unconsciousness.
As you are dying, your muscles lose some of their mass and you may lose a significant amount of body weight. You may also lose control over your bowel and bladder. Your pulse and breathing may become weaker, and your body temperature will drop.
People who are dying may also lose interest in interacting with others and can sometimes become agitated. It is also normal to stop wanting to eat or drink.
People who are close to death may breathe slowly or erratically. An audible "death rattle," which occurs when fluids build up in the back of the throat, is common in the final moments before death.
What Is a Death Rattle?
What Happens at the Moment of Death?
By definition, death is when blood (circulatory) and breathing (respiratory) stop and cannot be brought back, orbrain death (when the brain/brain stem stops working) occurs.
The determination of death must be made according to accepted medical standards.
The moment of death is not necessarily painful. While people with certain medical conditions may feelpain at the end of life, others die without any pain.Often, people with terminal conditions like cancer get pain medication so they are comfortable during the dying process.
When a person dies, the organs shut down at different rates. For instance, the lungs typically cease working before the heart stops completely. In some people, the brainstem stops functioning before other organs.
The moment of death is often thought of as the moment when both the heartbeat and breathing have stopped. However, research is showing that death may not be that immediate.The brain is thought to keep “working” for 10 minutes or so after death, meaning that a person’s mindmay have some kind of awareness of dying.
In a hospital, there are a few criteria that healthcare providers use to declare death. In a setting like an ER or ambulance, paramedics look for thesefive signs to determine if resuscitation, or revival, would be possible or not:
- No pulse
- No breathing
- No reflexes/unresponsive
- No reaction from pupils to bright light
- No heart sounds
12 Signs That Someone Is Near Death
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Click Play to Learn What Happens to Your Body When You Die
This video has been medically reviewed by Chris Vincent, MD.
What Happens One Hour After Death?
At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax (primary flaccidity). The eyelids lose their tension, thepupils dilate, the jaw may fall open, and the joints and limbs are flexible.
With the loss of tension in the muscles, the skin will sag, which can cause prominent joints and bones in the body, such as the jaw or hips, to stick out more.
As muscles relax,sphinctersrelease and allow urine and feces to pass.
Within minutes of the heart stopping,the body will get pale as the blood drains from the smaller veins in the skin (pallor mortis). This process can be more visible in people with light skin compared to darker skin.
The body immediately starts to cool from its normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature falls by a steady 1.5 degrees F per hour until it reaches the air temperature around it. This is known as the “death chill” (algor mortis).
The expected decrease in body temperature during algor mortis can help forensic scientists get the approximate time of death, assuming the body has not completely cooled or been exposed to extreme environmental temperatures.
What Happens 2 to 6 Hours After Death?
Since the heart no longer pumps blood, gravity begins to pull it to the areas of the body closest to the ground (pooling), a process calledlivor mortis. If the body is not disturbed for several hours, the parts nearest the ground can develop a reddish-purple discoloration that looks like a bruise. This is caused by the accumulation of blood. Embalmers sometimes call it the "postmortem stain."
From 2 to 6 hours after death, chemical changes in the body's cells cause all muscles to stiffen (rigor mortis). The first muscles affected are the eyelids, jaw, and neck.
The old custom of placing coins on the eyelids of the deceased might have originated from the desire to keep the eyes shut, since rigor mortis affects them first.
Over the next several hours, rigor mortis spreads to the face and down the chest, abdomen, arms, and legs until it finally reaches the fingers and toes.
When infants and young children die, it is not unusual for their bodies to not display rigor mortis, possibly because of their smaller muscle mass.
What Happens 7 to 12 Hours After Death?
Maximum muscle stiffness from rigor mortis in the body occurs after about 10 to 12 hours. However, this timeline will be affected by a person's age, physical condition, sex, air temperature, and other factors.
At this point, the deceased's limbs are hard to move. The knees and elbows will be slightly flexed, and the fingers and toes can look unusually crooked.
What Happens 12 Hours After Death?
After reaching a state of maximum rigor mortis, the muscles start to loosen because of the continued chemical changes in the cells and internal tissue decay.
The process (secondary flaccidity) takes place over one to three days and is affected by external conditions such as temperature (for example, cold slows the process).
During secondary flaccidity, the skin shrinks and creates the illusion that the deceased’s hair and nails are growing. Rigor mortis starts to disappear in the same order that it appeared over 1 to 3 days.
Summary
The process of dying is natural and follows several steps. You might be curious about what will happen to your body after you die or you might prefer not to think about it. Whether you want to learn about what physically happens to the body after death is up to you.
Here is a brief summary of the changes that happen in the body in the hours and days after death:
- One hour: Relaxation of muscles (primary flaccidity) starts right away, followed by the skin becoming pale
- Two to six hours: Muscles begin to stiffen (rigor mortis)
- Seven to 12 hours: Muscle stiffness peaks (rigor mortis is complete)
- 12 hours: The muscles start to relax again (secondary flaccidity) and the process will take 1 to 3 days
