What Happens When You Die?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBeginning to DieThe Moment of DeathThe First Hour After DeathHours 2 to 6Hours 7 to 12Beyond 12 Hours

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Beginning to Die

The Moment of Death

The First Hour After Death

Hours 2 to 6

Hours 7 to 12

Beyond 12 Hours

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. The dying process can happen gradually or it can occur very quickly.

From the moment of death, the body starts to undergo various changes including a drop in temperature, and skin color and texture alterations. The muscles relax, stiffen, and then relax again.

Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

What Happens as You Begin to Die?

Dying is different for everyone. It can happen quickly or progressively.Those dying from a chronic illness may:

What Happens at the Moment of Death?

By definition, death occurs when blood circulation (the heart) and respiration (breathing) stop and cannot be brought back, or whenbrain death(the brain/brain stem ceases working) occurs. The determination of death must be made according to accepted medical standards.

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.

Death May Not Be ImmediateThe moment of death is often thought of as the moment when both the heartbeat and breathing have stopped. However, research suggests that brain activity may not cease at that point. The brain is thought to keep “working” for 10 minutes or more after death, meaning that a person’s mindmayhave some awareness of dying.

Death May Not Be Immediate

The moment of death is often thought of as the moment when both the heartbeat and breathing have stopped. However, research suggests that brain activity may not cease at that point. The brain is thought to keep “working” for 10 minutes or more after death, meaning that a person’s mindmayhave some awareness of dying.

In a hospital, healthcare providers use a few criteria to declare death. In a setting like an ER or ambulance, paramedics look for these five signs to determine if resuscitation, or revival, would be possible or not:

12 Signs That Someone Is Near Death

1:57Click Play to Learn What Happens to Your Body When You Die

1:57

Click Play to Learn What Happens to Your Body When You Die

First Hour After Death

At the moment of death, all of the muscles in the body relax (primaryflaccidity). 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, sphincters release and allow urine and feces to pass.

Within minutes of the heart ceasing to beat, the body will become pale as 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 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.

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.

From two to six hours after death, chemical changes in the cells of the body 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, their bodies may not display rigor mortis, possibly due to their smaller muscle mass.

7 to 12 Hours After Death

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.

More Than 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.

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 one to three days.

Summary

Death is the moment when the heart stops beating and breathing stops. When death occurs, organs shut down and the brain ceases to function.

After death, the body goes through natural changes. During the first hour, muscles relax, and the skin becomes pale.

Over the next two to six hours, muscles begin to stiffen. This stiffening, called rigor mortis, peaks after seven to 12 hours. Beyond 12 hours, the muscles start to relax again.

10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hospice Foundation of America.When death is near: signs and symptoms.Ijaopo EO, Zaw KM, Ijaopo RO, Khawand-Azoulai M.A review of clinical signs and symptoms of imminent end-of-life in individuals with advanced illness.Gerontol Geriatr Med.2023;9:23337214231183243. doi:10.1177/23337214231183243New York State Department of Health.Guidelines for determining brain death.Norton L, Gibson RM, Gofton T, et al.Electroencephalographic recordings during withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy until 30 minutes after declaration of death.Can J Neurol Sci. 2017;44(2):139-145. doi:10.1017/cjn.2016.309Vermont Department of Health.Resuscitation initiation and termination.Rivers DB, Dahlem GA.Chapter 10: Post Mortem Decomposition of Human Remains and Vertebrate Carrion.The Science of Forensic Entomology. John Wiley & Sons; 2022.Florida State University Department of Chemistry.Death and kinetics.Khartade HK, Tasgaonkar GV, Sukhadeve RB, Parchake MB, Meshram VP, Hosmani AH.Study of rigor mortis and factors affecting its development for determination of postmortem interval.Indian J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2017;11(2):270. doi:10.5958/0973-9130.2017.00068.8Kori S.Time since death from rigor mortis: forensic prospective.J Forensic Sci Crim Investig. 2018;9(5):555771. doi:10.19080/JFSCI.2018.09.555771Mesri M, Behzadnia M, Dorooshi G.Accelerated rigor mortis: a case letter.J Res Med Sci. 2017;22:126. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_599_17

10 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hospice Foundation of America.When death is near: signs and symptoms.Ijaopo EO, Zaw KM, Ijaopo RO, Khawand-Azoulai M.A review of clinical signs and symptoms of imminent end-of-life in individuals with advanced illness.Gerontol Geriatr Med.2023;9:23337214231183243. doi:10.1177/23337214231183243New York State Department of Health.Guidelines for determining brain death.Norton L, Gibson RM, Gofton T, et al.Electroencephalographic recordings during withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy until 30 minutes after declaration of death.Can J Neurol Sci. 2017;44(2):139-145. doi:10.1017/cjn.2016.309Vermont Department of Health.Resuscitation initiation and termination.Rivers DB, Dahlem GA.Chapter 10: Post Mortem Decomposition of Human Remains and Vertebrate Carrion.The Science of Forensic Entomology. John Wiley & Sons; 2022.Florida State University Department of Chemistry.Death and kinetics.Khartade HK, Tasgaonkar GV, Sukhadeve RB, Parchake MB, Meshram VP, Hosmani AH.Study of rigor mortis and factors affecting its development for determination of postmortem interval.Indian J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2017;11(2):270. doi:10.5958/0973-9130.2017.00068.8Kori S.Time since death from rigor mortis: forensic prospective.J Forensic Sci Crim Investig. 2018;9(5):555771. doi:10.19080/JFSCI.2018.09.555771Mesri M, Behzadnia M, Dorooshi G.Accelerated rigor mortis: a case letter.J Res Med Sci. 2017;22:126. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_599_17

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hospice Foundation of America.When death is near: signs and symptoms.Ijaopo EO, Zaw KM, Ijaopo RO, Khawand-Azoulai M.A review of clinical signs and symptoms of imminent end-of-life in individuals with advanced illness.Gerontol Geriatr Med.2023;9:23337214231183243. doi:10.1177/23337214231183243New York State Department of Health.Guidelines for determining brain death.Norton L, Gibson RM, Gofton T, et al.Electroencephalographic recordings during withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy until 30 minutes after declaration of death.Can J Neurol Sci. 2017;44(2):139-145. doi:10.1017/cjn.2016.309Vermont Department of Health.Resuscitation initiation and termination.Rivers DB, Dahlem GA.Chapter 10: Post Mortem Decomposition of Human Remains and Vertebrate Carrion.The Science of Forensic Entomology. John Wiley & Sons; 2022.Florida State University Department of Chemistry.Death and kinetics.Khartade HK, Tasgaonkar GV, Sukhadeve RB, Parchake MB, Meshram VP, Hosmani AH.Study of rigor mortis and factors affecting its development for determination of postmortem interval.Indian J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2017;11(2):270. doi:10.5958/0973-9130.2017.00068.8Kori S.Time since death from rigor mortis: forensic prospective.J Forensic Sci Crim Investig. 2018;9(5):555771. doi:10.19080/JFSCI.2018.09.555771Mesri M, Behzadnia M, Dorooshi G.Accelerated rigor mortis: a case letter.J Res Med Sci. 2017;22:126. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_599_17

Hospice Foundation of America.When death is near: signs and symptoms.

Ijaopo EO, Zaw KM, Ijaopo RO, Khawand-Azoulai M.A review of clinical signs and symptoms of imminent end-of-life in individuals with advanced illness.Gerontol Geriatr Med.2023;9:23337214231183243. doi:10.1177/23337214231183243

New York State Department of Health.Guidelines for determining brain death.

Norton L, Gibson RM, Gofton T, et al.Electroencephalographic recordings during withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy until 30 minutes after declaration of death.Can J Neurol Sci. 2017;44(2):139-145. doi:10.1017/cjn.2016.309

Vermont Department of Health.Resuscitation initiation and termination.

Rivers DB, Dahlem GA.Chapter 10: Post Mortem Decomposition of Human Remains and Vertebrate Carrion.The Science of Forensic Entomology. John Wiley & Sons; 2022.

Florida State University Department of Chemistry.Death and kinetics.

Khartade HK, Tasgaonkar GV, Sukhadeve RB, Parchake MB, Meshram VP, Hosmani AH.Study of rigor mortis and factors affecting its development for determination of postmortem interval.Indian J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2017;11(2):270. doi:10.5958/0973-9130.2017.00068.8

Kori S.Time since death from rigor mortis: forensic prospective.J Forensic Sci Crim Investig. 2018;9(5):555771. doi:10.19080/JFSCI.2018.09.555771

Mesri M, Behzadnia M, Dorooshi G.Accelerated rigor mortis: a case letter.J Res Med Sci. 2017;22:126. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_599_17

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