The mystery of sleep
We have managed to measure the effect sleep has on the brains of people, mammals and birds by measuring the brain activity directly.
The mystery of sleep
Sleep is a critical part of our daily lives. Out of the fixed 24 hours in a day, about a third of it is taken up by sleep. It's not something we can live without, and even short periods of sleep deprivation can have a noticeable impact on us. We tire, our brains do not work as well, and it has a negative impact on our general health. Sleep is so important that all animals need sleep. Mammals, birds, fish, even insects sleep. During this time, they cannot eat, drink, reproduce, they are defenceless to predators and cannot fend for themselves unless woken up. Prolonged sleep deprivation has even been shown to cause death in rats, dogs, fruit flies, even in people. To risk being in such a vulnerable state, and to cause so much damage without it, sleep must have an essential function, one that cannot be skipped. So what is it?
We cannot say for certain. But we are getting closer to finding out.
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