rgray222
3rd October 2013, 02:32
I am not attempting to explain sleep or why we need it, I am literally asking the question, what is sleep and why do we need it? When you really start to think about sleep there must be some extraordinary reason why we so desperately need it.
I believe sleep is somehow intricately tied into where we came from (the source) and where we are going after physical death. It seems like we have to be plugged into the matrix (must be a better word) everyday otherwise we can not function properly. I have often wondered if sleep renews our amnesia on a daily basis. Also does sleep somehow adjust or fine tune our DNA.
A good analogy (at least for me)......sleep is similar to maintenance on a car. Every so often you need to take your car in for regular maintenance, engine is tuned up, fluids are replenished, tires are properly inflated and it is sent back out on the road with no memory of what was wrong with it in the first place.
After you rack up enough miles the car needs to be completely recycled for a new model. The old model disappears but is not actually gone, most of the metal and parts are recycled and put in brand new cars or other equipment. This is not unlike what happens to each and everyone of us.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW8CYJWzH9b_FQdxGc2EC2b1ow3t0JJ 9tvoPlL410A3O8mvw4I
What happens if we didn't sleep?
A good way to understand the role of sleep is to look at what would happen if we didn't sleep. Lack of sleep has serious effects on our brain's ability to function. If you've ever pulled an all-nighter, you'll be familiar with the following after-effects: grumpiness, grogginess, irritability and forgetfulness. After just one night without sleep, concentration becomes more difficult and attention span shortens considerably.
With continued lack of sufficient sleep, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is severely affected, practically shutting down. In fact, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%
Research also shows that sleep-deprived individuals often have difficulty in responding to rapidly changing situations and making rational judgments. In real life situations, the consequences are grave and lack of sleep is said to have been be a contributory factor to a number of international disasters such as Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the Challenger shuttle explosion.
Sleep deprivation not only has a major impact on cognitive functioning but also on emotional and physical health. Disorders such as sleep apnoea which result in excessive daytime sleepiness have been linked to stress and high blood pressure. Research has also suggested that sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity because chemicals and hormones that play a key role in controlling appetite and weight gain are released during sleep.
When sleep loss is at its extreme, it can definitely lead to death.
Do all animals need sleep?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmCuelNxbCg
Sleep has a vague definition: having a state of immobility that can quickly be reversed, combined with a greatly reduced rate of responsiveness to stimuli. Due to the difficulties in explaining what sleep actually is and the lack of research outside of birds and mammals, scientists tend to be a little hesitant when attributing the word sleep to reptiles, fish and especially invertebrates, and prefer to use the term rest instead.
I found this definition of sleep especially intriguing because it speaks to our consciousness.
a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.
For something that takes up a third of our life, we actually know very little about why we need sleep – though we do know that it is essential, and that we cannot function without it.
It seems to me, if we understood the need for sleep it would bring us close to understanding the source of humanity. It would shed light on our creator(s) and provide some answers to mankind's role in the universe.
It is something we all take for granted but it is an extraordinary occurrence that happens to all of us everyday!
Any thoughts?
I believe sleep is somehow intricately tied into where we came from (the source) and where we are going after physical death. It seems like we have to be plugged into the matrix (must be a better word) everyday otherwise we can not function properly. I have often wondered if sleep renews our amnesia on a daily basis. Also does sleep somehow adjust or fine tune our DNA.
A good analogy (at least for me)......sleep is similar to maintenance on a car. Every so often you need to take your car in for regular maintenance, engine is tuned up, fluids are replenished, tires are properly inflated and it is sent back out on the road with no memory of what was wrong with it in the first place.
After you rack up enough miles the car needs to be completely recycled for a new model. The old model disappears but is not actually gone, most of the metal and parts are recycled and put in brand new cars or other equipment. This is not unlike what happens to each and everyone of us.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW8CYJWzH9b_FQdxGc2EC2b1ow3t0JJ 9tvoPlL410A3O8mvw4I
What happens if we didn't sleep?
A good way to understand the role of sleep is to look at what would happen if we didn't sleep. Lack of sleep has serious effects on our brain's ability to function. If you've ever pulled an all-nighter, you'll be familiar with the following after-effects: grumpiness, grogginess, irritability and forgetfulness. After just one night without sleep, concentration becomes more difficult and attention span shortens considerably.
With continued lack of sufficient sleep, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is severely affected, practically shutting down. In fact, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%
Research also shows that sleep-deprived individuals often have difficulty in responding to rapidly changing situations and making rational judgments. In real life situations, the consequences are grave and lack of sleep is said to have been be a contributory factor to a number of international disasters such as Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the Challenger shuttle explosion.
Sleep deprivation not only has a major impact on cognitive functioning but also on emotional and physical health. Disorders such as sleep apnoea which result in excessive daytime sleepiness have been linked to stress and high blood pressure. Research has also suggested that sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity because chemicals and hormones that play a key role in controlling appetite and weight gain are released during sleep.
When sleep loss is at its extreme, it can definitely lead to death.
Do all animals need sleep?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmCuelNxbCg
Sleep has a vague definition: having a state of immobility that can quickly be reversed, combined with a greatly reduced rate of responsiveness to stimuli. Due to the difficulties in explaining what sleep actually is and the lack of research outside of birds and mammals, scientists tend to be a little hesitant when attributing the word sleep to reptiles, fish and especially invertebrates, and prefer to use the term rest instead.
I found this definition of sleep especially intriguing because it speaks to our consciousness.
a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.
For something that takes up a third of our life, we actually know very little about why we need sleep – though we do know that it is essential, and that we cannot function without it.
It seems to me, if we understood the need for sleep it would bring us close to understanding the source of humanity. It would shed light on our creator(s) and provide some answers to mankind's role in the universe.
It is something we all take for granted but it is an extraordinary occurrence that happens to all of us everyday!
Any thoughts?