This is a wierd question but...why do we sleep?

Question

Wierd I know!

Answer 1

Or....why are we awake?

Answer 2

It's not that weird of a question, the answer is that we don't really know, but there's probably a nobel prize in it for the first guy to find out ^_^.
There are many theories about why we sleep, ranging from to help us consolidate memories to allowing the body to recover to it being an evolutionary advantage earlier in our history when going out at night was likely to end up with you being dinner for some nocturnal carnivore.
In the end though, we don't really know, not a great answer, but the best one I can provide now.

Answer 3

Actually a tough question. The body does not really need to sleep. It is the brain that shuts down. I think that our brains only have so much room to store short term memory, then it must sleep to move the data to long-term storage. Dreams are the result of "compressing" (to use a computer-like term) the data and moving it to long-term storage; to integrate it into our other view of life (meaning that it will be slightly inaccurate). Without sleep, we start to get confused as the short-term memory fills up.

Answer 4

What is the purpose of sleep? Despite the obvious nature of that question, scientists do not really agree on why we sleep. There are several theories, and experiments and observations support all these theories to some extent.

Here are some of the theories:
Adaptive Theory
This theory holds that sleep improves an animal's likelihood of survival. Those with sleeping habits appropriate to their environment are most likely to survive. Nocturnal species have very different sleep habits than diurnal hunters, for example, making them more likely to flourish.

Energy Conservation Theory
Fast-moving animals with high metabolisms sleep more than those that burn calories more slowly, thereby conserving their energy for high energy activities.

Restorative Theory
According to this theory, the body restores itself during sleep. Researchers know that neurotoxins are neutralized during sleep, and have reported that cells divide, tissue synthesizes and growth hormones are released during slow-wave (or non-REM) sleep. Athletes, for example, spend more time in slow-wave sleep (Stages 3 and 4) than others, and children and young people spend a larger portion of their sleep in slow-wave sleep
than older people.

Programming-Reprogramming Theory
This theory holds that unimportant information is "erased" and important information is locked into more permanent memory. Infants, who are acquiring information at a rate faster than at any other point during life, sleep most; however, all sleep may not be
equal for reinforcing learning. Recent research indicates that REM sleep may be the key. Babies and children experience a larger portion of REM sleep than adults, and adults who are in school or undergoing intense intellectual training increase their
amount of REM sleep. When people are deprived of REM sleep they are less adept at creative problem solving.

For the whole journal article go to: http://bioweb.usc.edu/courses/2003-spring/documents/bisc230-lab_sleep.pdf#search=%22purpose%20of%20sleep%22

Answer 5

Because we get tired. Yeah, I know, but why do we get tired? It is the way of things. The Earth has winter and sleeps. The trees lose their leaves and they come back. The grass turns brown then grows again. The air goes in, the air goes out. The whole thing is pulsating. Sort of makes reincarnation seem sensible, doesn't it?

Answer 6

The body needs to recharge and recover, both for the physical repairs that occur while asleep and to cleanse the mind

Answer 7

Are you more tired when you wake up than when you go to bed?

That's because you are doing things in your sleep that may be important.

In my sleep, I'm a viking.

Answer 8

To rest and recharge the body and mind.

Answer 9

to recharge your body from the day's activities!

Answer 10

So your body can repair and refresh itself. that is the best way I can put it.

Answer 11

to rest our eyes and to start a new day refreshed