What is sleep?

We measure it with time, EEG, time and hormone studies, but what is it all about? Lying unconscious for hours in the hope that we wake up. Surely if it was just about resting muscles we could lie there looking at the ceiling.

"When asked, after 50 years of research, what he knew about the reason people sleep, William Dement, founder of Stanford University's Sleep Research Center, answered, "As far as I know, the only reason we need to sleep that is really, really solid is because we get sleepy."

en.wikipedia.org...

We all sleep but to take lying unconscious for hours as natural is odd.

In a world where evolutionists argue for the survival of the fittest why hasnt sleep been eradicated, as being unconscious in nature leads to vulnerability of attack by predators?

It is surprising that scientists still have not got a clue as to why all animals have to sleep.

One theory is that it connects us to our sub-conscious to contemplate things on our mind that we wouldn't want to consciously think about (or probably don't even realize).

This may also be the reason why we hallucinate if we don't sleep, it is a way of our brain acting up so that the sub-conscious mind can speak.

reply to post by dr treg


I believe it's natures way of letting our physical body recover after being awake but allowing us to dream because we cannot stop thinking from the moment our senses start working until we die (probably).

My guess and it's only a guess is to repair cell damage obtained three out the day. I hypothesize this because when lifting weights and trying to gain muscle mass you need a good nights sleep to repair torn muscles and to build new ones. I also believe it is a time for the soul or mind or spirit whatever you are to have a break from physical reality. We all need that don't we? Wether for fun pleasure or healing. The ying and yang of mind of sorts I guess.

Originally posted by dr treg
We measure it with time, EEG, time and hormone studies, but what is it all about? Lying unconscious for hours in the hope that we wake up. Surely if it was just about resting muscles we could lie there looking at the ceiling.

"When asked, after 50 years of research, what he knew about the reason people sleep, William Dement, founder of Stanford University's Sleep Research Center, answered, "As far as I know, the only reason we need to sleep that is really, really solid is because we get sleepy."

en.wikipedia.org...

We all sleep but to take lying unconscious for hours as natural is odd.

In a world where evolutionists argue for the survival of the fittest why hasnt sleep been eradicated, as being unconscious in nature leads to vulnerability of attack by predators?

It is surprising that scientists still have not got a clue as to why all animals have to sleep.

Sleep as has been often been said in misquote are those little snatches of death. In my view when you sleep, the parts of your brain, or all of them don't sleep and do a bit of shredding, and pigeon holing and rationalization and evaluating of events that are important to the host body. We are not properly unconscious, I'm not even sure if you could say subconscious since it is every bit as singular a word as being unconscious.

Sleep is something I never get enough of since I joined ATS

reply to post by dr treg

I think Taoism may have the answer in as much as sleep may be a reflection of reality which passes into and out of form and then back again.

There's something about it also which I believe reflects an evolutionary process of differentiation and reintegration wherein by touching into the zero point field we are revitalized and resurrected in a way.

It's like a little death every night, from which we rise reborn in the morning.

Sleep (Hypno) is the twin brother of Death (Thanatos) in Greek Mythology.

Greek poets Homer and Hesiod both wrote, "sleep, the brother of death."

sleep is a state i love but have lots of difficulty attaining thanks to my chronic insomnia. i much prefer the dreamscape to the waking world.

reply to post by dr treg

Sleep is something that the mind actually needs. Sleep depravation has been used as a form of torture. If you don't get it, you will first go mad, and then eventually die.

The brain itself is more of a mystery than understood, even today. Scientists are trying to pry the secrets from the depths of our consciousness. Is sleep a way to uncluttered our minds of unnecessary daily stuff? Is it only trying to take a break, but then why the elaborate dreams. Truly dreaming is not a mind at absolute rest.

Perhaps we live in two or more dimensions, and when we fall asleep in one world, we do so only that we can awake in another. Only keeping brief fleeting memories of our alternate lives.

Regardless, what scientist find out about this sleep thing, it will probably make for an interesting story, someday.

Sleep is how we grow when we're young, and heal what ever ails us throughout our lives.
Our cells get a chance to regenerate, to repair themselves.

Dreams are the mystery.
Do we sometimes go somewhere else?
Or are they there just to entertain us while other brain functions are doing repairs?