Sleep..What Is It? It's Easy To Define..You Know What You Do
But How Much Sleep Do I Need, and Why Do I Need It? Below Is A Honest, and Straight Forward Answer About Sleep. Beyond This, Science Continues To Expolore..
But this we all know.. Approximately 1/3 of our life entails Sleeping.
Information from National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
Until the 1950s, most people thought of sleep as a passive, dormant part of our daily lives. We now know that our brains are very active during sleep. Moreover, sleep affects our daily functioning and our physical and mental health in many ways that we are just beginning to understand.
Although scientists are still trying to learn exactly why people need sleep, animal studies show that sleep is necessary for survival. For example, while rats normally live for two to three years, those deprived of REM sleep survive only about 5 weeks on average, and rats deprived of all sleep stages live only about 3 weeks. Sleep-deprived rats also develop abnormally low body temperatures and sores on their tail and paws. The sores may develop because the rats' immune systems become impaired.
Some studies suggest that sleep deprivation affects the immune system in detrimental ways. Sleep appears necessary for our nervous systems to work properly. Too little sleep leaves us drowsy and unable to concentrate the next day. It also leads to impaired memory and physical performance and reduced ability to carry out math calculations. If sleep deprivation continues, hallucinations and mood swings may develop. Some experts believe sleep gives neurons used while we are awake a chance to shut down and repair themselves. Without sleep, neurons may become so depleted in energy or so polluted with byproducts of normal cellular activities that they begin to malfunction.
Sleep also may give the brain a chance to exercise important neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate from lack of activity.
So, to summarize, We, nor Science cannot put our finger on it, however, the body is performing some necesary functions, otherwise why 1/3 of our Lives? It's an essential part of a Healthy Lifestyle.
More Common Sense
During the day we break down and use up the energy that we have stored throughout the night. The during the night during sleep our bodies begin the job of rebuilding and repairing.
Of course this is a highly simplified description of what is really going on, but its easy to see why you might run into problems later on down the line if you break down more than you rebuild and repair
True health requires you to focus on all the many aspects of health.
A Healthy Lifestyle. Its a bit like spinning plates for if you focus on one more than the others very soon they will begin to crash around your feet. Don't ignore the importance of getting enough rest and enough proper sleep.