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Author	Topic: Why do "I" have to sleep?
Schmolch 05-09-2003 11:06 AM	I guess this is still a mystery in science but maybe some1 knows something :-) I always wondered and still do why we (and all other animals) have to sleep, why it is so essential. The obviouse difference between beeing awake and asleep is that we, which i think of like a program running on a computer, get (mostly) shut down. I am sure science knows already alot about whats going on _only_ when you are asleep, but why cant these things happen in the background while the program "I" is running? But maybe its simpler. Maybe sleep is just a time for regeneration and energe-saving, because its dark, where it would be a big waste of energy and resources to keep "I" alive. Most animals prob. dont have a "I" and if some do its prob. less complex and needs less energy. But even if we give more energy to our body its impossible to stay awake forever (or just 1 week). Even if you stay awake for only 2 days in a row you are already becoming very dumb or at least very restricted in your thinking (i did that a lot when i was depressed). Well, this "I" is something ill probably never be able to understand....
Ian 05-09-2003 09:28 PM	I've always wondered about this too. One thing that might help our understanding: at what point in evolution did organisms need sleep? A plant doesn't sleep (or does it?). Amoeba don't sleep. All mammals, fish, birds reptiles sleep. Anyone have any more information? It'd be pretty nice not to have to sleep. Cheers, Ian
engesongwok 05-11-2003 11:03 PM	Interesting 'food for thought' http://petplace.netscape.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=3790 Some more information. http://web.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/rem_sleep.html The interesting thing to note is that certain states of sleep are just as active as the awake state. So the 'computer' doesn't shut down the whole time, but instead goes into some other mode.