Brain Studies May Reveal the Purpose of Sleep

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Here are my thoughts on the purpose of sleep.
Sleep is a critical part of your mental and physical well being. Sleep has a direct affect on your mental and physical function. Sleep provides time for the brain and body to regenerate, re-sensitize and re-balance for the days activities. The main function of sleep is to restore the brain and body back to the form that it started the morning. Sleep is divided into two main stages, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM). REM sleep is mostly associated with dreaming. It is called paradoxical sleep because much of your brain is activated including the Cognitive, Emotional and even the Autonomic centers while the consciously controlled muscles are inactivated. These same centers are turned off or resting during NREM sleep. The sleep states are essentially restoring neurotransmitter supplies and re-sensitizing receptor during resting and rebalancing their activity during sleep. The more excitatory centers are activated during REM sleep with their inhibitory centers resting and re-sensitizing. The expression of the excitatory centers during REM sleep desensitizes the responsive systems. This decreases responsiveness to excitation which is like cutting out the background noise in the system. The activation allows for rebalancing of repressed centers that might otherwise express during waking. During the NREM sleep stages the inhibitory centers are more activated and the excitatory centers are resting and regenerating. This essentially does the same for the inhibitory systems desensitizing their targets to inhibition. All of these stages fall within a set pattern expressed through the night alternating from one stage to the next

scottk of CA 1:26PM August 04, 2010

I believe that the results of sleep directly correlate with the purpose of sleep. All posts and studies I have read describe the effects of sleep as a refreshed feeling, having more energy, and a better ability to focus; all of which being temporary effects of energy drinks. The answer may be related to metabolism.During sleep it is agreed that body activity is minimal. Though metabolism is slowed, this minimal activity results in a surplus of energy. Energy drinks increase metabolism temporarily producing a temporary surplus of energy. Fatigue is more severe when more energy is used throughout the day; whereas people who meditate are using less energy during that time creating a surplus (supporting the reduction of needed rest). Regarding regeneration/healing: the surplus from unneeded metabolism during sleep can be used by cells to heal more efficiently than when other processes are competing for the same resources. My conclusion: Human metabolism is insufficient to support the body. Sleep is required to compensate for the lack of chemical energy created by metabolism. Before sleep, fatigue is caused by this lack of energy which is restored through efficient metabolism during sleep creating a rested feeling.

Timothy Grey of NY 1:14AM March 22, 2010

Sleep is an unavoidable phenomenon.Yet,there have been many cases in which few people could cheat the basic routine of their human system.For instance, a man could stay awake for 42 days without a wink of sleep in the eye.Many people who practice meditation claim that they reduced their sleep quota by 75% sleeping only two hours a day.
I feel it all depends on the composure the mind contains.But the basic metabolism cannot be altered.In sleep a whole lot of chemical reactions happen and body secrets fluids for cleansing it's effected body parts and digestion of food also get affected with bad sleep.
So, I wish all a sound sleep to escape the sleep illness

Sridutt 2:07AM October 16, 2009

The science of sleep medicine will continue to lack its "unified theory" for the underlying cause of sleep until it moves beyond a regard of the existence of the "supernatural world" as speculative, at best. When it is more widely understood that there is no "supernatural" world, but rather only a "natural" world with visible and "invisible" components, BOTH of which are subject to scientific investigation, general progress of a widespread, accelerated nature may be accomplished. The loss of consciousness associated with sleep onset is caused by the "collapse" of one of the three "invisible" vehicles that interpenetrate the physical body, forcing a separation that causes consciousness to depart from the physical brain, but without the ability to bring back to conscious memory the events of each evening's journey into the invisible worlds. REM sleep, and its association with dreams, result from an incomplete separation, as described above, which provides a small inkling of the nature of "the other side."
For the reader who is not too quick to dismiss the above as mystical nonsense, the written legacies (found online in multiple languages) of Rudolf Steiner and Max Heindel provide the open-minded student with "advanced" studies in sleep medicine. Their admirers number in the tens of thousands throughout the world.
-Bob Jacobs, Sleep Lab Manager

Bob Jacobs of AZ 4:26PM October 15, 2009

Some may need oxygen. A common huge factor. Some may need HGH and oxygen. Also people have cancer for a long period of time which causes lack of sleep.Lack of Nutrients. A Too thick pillow. My educated guess is throat cancer or stomach. Well thanks . Psal99:9-outside pray. Faith in holiness.Col 3:11.

andy tucker Jesus1 of IN 11:17AM October 15, 2009

I AM OLD - 94. I SLEEP BADLY. MAYBE BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY PLACE I CAN GO AND THINK WITHOUT BEING DISTURBED OR REQUIRED TO LISTEN OR OBSERVE. SO I SPEND MOST OF THE NIGHT THINKING, ABOUT THE PAST, THE FUTURE, AND SOMETIMES THE PRESENT.
BUT I CAN SLEEP DURING THE DAYTIME AT THE DROP OF A PILLOW.
AND I DON'T HAVE TO THINK AT ALL.
MYSTERY? YES.

HATTIE of CA 11:55PM October 14, 2009

I AM OLD - 94. I SLEEP BADLY. MAYBE BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY PLACE I CAN GO AND THINK WITHOUT BEING DISTURBED OR REQUIRED TO LISTEN OR OBSERVE. SO I SPEND MOST OF THE NIGHT THINKING, ABOUT THE PAST, THE FUTURE, AND SOMETIMES THE PRESENT.
BUT I CAN SLEEP DURING THE DAYTIME AT THE DROP OF A PILLOW.
AND I DON'T HAVE TO THINK AT ALL.
MYSTERY? YES.

HATTIE of CA 11:53PM October 14, 2009