Sleep Better, Live Better Blog

We believe that education is the first step to finding better sleep. Our articles educate people on sleep news, sleep disorders, and sleep care to help them achieve better health and live better lives. 

Thanks for joining the conversation.

What is Sleep and Why do We Need It?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Jan 31, 2015 8:00:00 AM

Woman_sleeping--why_do_we_need_sleep

What is sleep, exactly?  It takes up 1/3 of our lives, yet most of us really don't know why it's important. It's necessary for our survival--without sleep, we would die. This is backed up actual human examples and scientific testing. In fact, rats kept without sleep for two or three weeks die just as if they hadn't been given food or water. So what is this process doing for our brains and bodies that is so integral to our health? 

What Happens During Sleep

We tend to think of it as a period of inactivity, but nothing could be further from the truth. While asleep, our brains are working just as hard or even harder than when we're awake.

Our brains go through a series of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is when dreams occur, and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) stages while we sleep. NREM sleep is actually composed of four distinct stages. Our brains cycle through the NREM and REM conditions multiple times each night. Scientists think we get about five dreams every eight hours. Most of us, however, don't even remember our dreams.

So, Why Do We Need Sleep?

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?  Would you believe that scientists really don't know?  We know that most higher-level animals sleep and dream, but we don't know exactly why. However, there are some plausible theories that scientists are looking into further.

We Sleep to Restore Our Bodies and Brains

When we work hard, we tire out more quickly and need to sleep more often. This supports the idea that sleep may be the time when our brains and bodies try to repair themselves. Both NREM and REM sleep are very important for this. If we don't get either--say, because of a sleep disorder--we feel tired and unrested.

It May Be an Adaptation

It's thought that sleeping may actually be a way of keeping us safe.  When it's dark, there's a higher risk of getting injured by preditors or environmental dangers, like falling off a cliff. By sleeping instead, we can mitigate our risk of an accident. Talk about killing time! 

Another evolutionary benefit of sleep is that we metabolize energy slower while drowsing. This might not seem like such an advantage nowadays, but in situations in which gathering resources is difficult, competetive, and time-consuming, sleep provided a way to conserve energy during periods where searching for food would be inefficient. 

Build your Brain

Scientists have found that sleeping is very important in developing the brain, especially in children and infants, who can sleep as much as 14 hours per day. Even the fact that we begin to feel impaired and forgetful when sleep-deprived is evidence of how important it is to our mental health. 

Whatever the reason is, it's undeniable that we need sleep to recuperate, function, and even survive.  If you're having problems sleeping, contact us.  We can help you get the good night's rest you need.

Photo Credit: planetchopstick

Topics: Good Sleep Habits

Share this blog post:

    

Subscribe to Email Updates

Most viewed posts

Recent Posts

undefined