Some days you get enough of it while others days you do not. Some days you may look forward to it while other days you may be so busy that you wish you could just skip it. We are talking about sleep.
Love it or hate it we all must do it. In fact human beings are not the only ones who sleep. Have you ever noticed that your cat or dog enjoys his/her moments of slumber as well? All mammals sleep as do birds and reptiles.
The reason(s) why sleep is a necessity of life are not clear. Sleep is something that has not been studied at length and in fact sleep research is still considered to be in its infancy stage. What is clear is that sleep is important and so is getting the right amount of sleep on a daily basis.
Theories about Sleep:
Researchers have put forth a number of theories as to why sleep is an essential component of life. One theory is that sleep allows the brain an opportunity to regroup and process the experiences of the day. It also makes it possible for the brain to search for solutions to problems, properly organize ideas, memories and thoughts, and file away information that may need to be retrieved at a later date.
Another theory that has been proposed is that sleep may offer a type of “battery recharging experience” for the mind.
We often hear people talking about recharging their batteries. This theory is in line with that way of thinking. The brain does not need to work at as high a capacity during sleeping hours as it does during waking hours. It can then set to work exercising the essential connections for the neurons and repairing the ones that are damaged.
The body repairs itself when a person falls asleep. It goes to work to repair tissues, muscles, chemicals, as well as aging cells. It also helps the body to get rid of cells that have died off.
Still there are other theories that researchers are toying with. It has been proven that sleep gives the heart and the rest of the circulatory system a chance to slow down and rest. Heart rate is reduced by approximately 10 to 20 percent and blood pressure levels generally drop 20 to 30 percent during sleep. As well, energy levels can be conserved during sleep and the rate of metabolism also decreases at the same time.
For young children and teenagers, sleep is essential for growth. Growth hormones in children and teenagers alike are released in the body as soon as a person falls into a deep sleep.
Everyone has what is known as a circadian rhythm. This is a cycle consisting of day and night that is 24 hours in length. When a person falls asleep and wakes up is influenced by the circadian rhythm. In turn these rhythms play a role in the quality of sleep a person gets as well as how long they remain in a sleeping state.
That is why going to bed at the same time at night and waking at the same time the next morning is so vital to your quality of sleep. It allows your body and mind to get into an appropriate sleeping schedule.
Studies are ongoing but what we do know for sure is that a good night’s sleep is essential for health and well-being. Get your zzzz’s and you will find that it helps you to get through your day with a higher level of concentration, patience and a good temperament.
Becca
Alternative Health for Today 
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