What is sleep? Why do we sleep?

Question

We spend about 50 % of our life sleeping . No cell can rest in our body. It is certainly not rest as no vital organs can take rest. I read recently that human beings can be without food for days but not without sleep even for a few days. Please dont tell about REM etc. Is there a so-called 'scientific' explanation which tells why we need sleep and what happens during sleep?

Answer 1

u feel like sleeping

Answer 2

Contrary to your post, the body simply needs "rest". The neurons and pathways that control our nervous system need to have little or no stimulus..in the form of "rest" so that our bodies can recharge themselves and we can function properly from day to day.
Everything slows down during sleep, from digestion to respiration to brain activity. Nothing stops completely, but the slowing down of body processes gives the body a "break" and allows it to function better when we wake up.

Answer 3

its to allow you cells chance to repair and / or grow, restore with energy etc..

Your brain only needs a few mins rest or sleep, its the rest of you that needs a bigger break, hence the brain activity at night whilst the rest of you is pretty much shut down.

The amount of sleep required depends on how much work you body needs to do to repair. Deprive yourself of sleep and it need extra to catch up the next night.

Answer 4

It is not human body which need sleep it is brain which needs to switch off and that to deep stage and it is third stage for 15 minutes.

Answer 5

are bodies need to rest so they can repair and our brains need to rest so they can take all the information that we have taken in throughout the day and file it away from our short term memory and in to the long term memory.

Answer 6

Although cells etc don't sleep they do repair themselves.

Answer 7

We sleep, perchance to dream.