While many of us think of sleep as a largely forgotten stretch of time when nothing happens, sleep is, neurologically speaking at least, a busy time indeed. Although sleep's importance is inarguable, scientists do not know exactly why it is so important to our survival. What happens when we sleep?
Sleep Stages
Scientists recognize sleep stages by tracking the changes in brain waves. The five sleep stages are repeated as many as five times during the night. As the night progresses, each cycle lengthens, and REM sleep, during which most dreaming takes place, extends.
Sleep Stage 1
In this brief stage, which may last only a few minutes, the body drifts to sleep. Brain waves are mostly high amplitude, slow waves and occasional alpha waves (like those found when awake).
Percent of total sleep time for young adults: 5 percent.
Sleep Stage 2
Heartbeat and breathing slow and the sleep is deeper than in Stage 1. Slow-wave sleep continues with peaks of brain waves (known as sleep spindles) occurring.
Percent of total sleep time for young adults: 44 to 55 percent.
Sleep Stages 3 and 4
These are the stages of deepest sleep, when brain waves are slowest. During these stages breathing and heartbeat slow further and muscles relax. Dreams are more common than in the earlier stages and sleepwalking and talking may occur during Stages 3 and 4.
Percent of total sleep time for young adults: 15 to 23 percent.
REM
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages lengthen through the night. The first REM cycle may be only 10 minutes while the last could last as long as an hour. During this cycle the heartbeat increases, breathing becomes shallow, eyes move rapidly, muscles are relaxed, and dreams are most vivid. Brain waves resemble those during waking.
Percent of total sleep time for young adults: 20 to 25 percent.
Why Do We Sleep?
Sleep is essential to life. Laboratory animals deprived of sleep die. And humans don't seem to be immune to the life-threatening effects of sleeplessness. A survey conducted by the American Cancer Society concluded that people who sleep 6 hours or less per night, or who sleep 9 hours or more, had a death rate 30 percent higher than those who regularly slept 7 to 8 hours. Even those who slept 6 hours or less who otherwise had no health problems had death rates 1.8 times higher than those who slept "normal" hours.
2007-02-18 09:48:52
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answer #1
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answered by b c 3
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Hi , your body needs 6 to 8 hrs.of sleep depending on your age.This is the time when your body cells are being replaced as they grow old and die.Daily you are replacing 300 hundred BILLION cells.Sleep is extremely important or you start to age before your time.Every 7 years all the cells in your body have been replaced.Your diet and life style determines whether the new replacement cells are better or worse.Thus you can control how fast you age by your lifestyle and good nutrition.Sleeping has nothing to do with death,it's rest and replenishment time for the body.
2007-02-18 09:59:42
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answer #2
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answered by adam p 3
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Besides all the critters that crawl in and out of your mouth and other orifices, the cops on the night shift drink lots of coffee and and eat too many donuts. Hospitals see a few shooting and stabbing victims. All night restaurants have to deal with drunks and other urchins of the night. Prostitutes complain that business is too good or too slow.
To answer your question...no one has come forward to tell us what it's like to be dead. And you know what it's like to sleep.
2007-02-18 09:53:58
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answer #3
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answered by sean1201 6
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properly. there are multiple issues that could ensue in case you do now stay unsleeping. you will get a bad headache and in case you rigidity you may get right into a automobile twist of fate. whilst i become youthful i take advantage of to not sleep some nights. i might sleep one night and not sleep the subsequent night. i might get issues on those nights. there have been this wrestler who become drained and did now stay unsleeping and drove living house early in the morning and he gotten right into a brilliant automobile twist of fate. that's why all of us could sleep at night.
2016-09-29 07:18:54
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answer #4
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answered by fabbozzi 4
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when you sleep, all your muscles are at rest. but you're not dead because your blood is all pumping. then your subconcious mind is still working and so you dream.
2007-02-18 09:49:48
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answer #5
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answered by rebecca 2
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you are being good to your body it L000000VES
SLEEEEP and sometimes the dreams are good too!
2007-02-18 09:49:39
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answer #6
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answered by sapphire_630 5
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You dream. hahaha
2007-02-18 09:43:58
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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