This is a guest post by Ms.Darshini Shah (dnshah1@gmail.com)
As humans, we
spend one-third of our lives sleeping, yet science has not revealed the reason
behind our sleep (Harvard Medical School).
Scientists have drawn several central theories that examine
understanding the need for sleep.
The adaptive/evolutionary theory postulates that
we are inactive at night and the transition from active and inactive sleep is
essentially to conserve energy. Conversely,
a counterpoint argues that being awake and conscious is vital for safety and
security.
The
energy conservation theory, considers that the main purpose to sleep is to
conserve one’s energy demand and expenditure during periods in the night and
day (Harvard Medical School). Some
scientists associate this theory with the adaptive/evolutionary one. The
research has shown that metabolism levels reduce by 10 percent in humans when
sleeping, and include body temperature and caloric demand (Harvard Medical
School).
The
restorative theory suggests that sleep revitalizes and restores our body and
physiological responses, such as muscle growth, tissue repair, protein
synthesis, and hormone release (Harvard Medical School). Moreover, this theory also factors in
cognitive functioning in the restoration and repair. A recent study in October 2013, the findings
had shown that the brain carries out a flushing of waste toxins during
sleep. The study purports that this
removal in turn relates to human sleep.
More specifically, neurotoxic waste materials that collect in the awake
central nervous system are removed through this restorative function of sleep.
The
last theory, brain plasticity, corresponds with the structure and
organizational framework of the brain (Harvard Medical School). This theory stresses that sleep is
instrumental in brain development, from infants to adults who are sleep
deprived and in relation to their learning and performance of tasks.
In
concluding, these theories do not fully evaluate the reason humans sleep, as
there is no research support for each theory. Scientists have, however,
construed that sleep has many important functions, namely sharpening one’s memory,
increasing one’s lifespan, better quality of life, decreasing inflammation
(e.g. that is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature
aging), triggering creativity, improving attention, concentration, and
learning, decreases stress, immune and metabolism, and other critical
functions.
Reference
This is a guest post by Ms.Darshini Shah
