Sleep and Its Significance

 by Felix Roth

All too often we deprive ourselves of sleep. Maybe we have a mountain of homework to climb or we allow a distraction to manifest into an obstacle, blocking a bountiful nights worth of sleep. Whatever the reason, it is a fact that we do not get enough sleep. Our extremely distant cousins, the chimp, lives roughly 10 hours of every day in the deep stupor we refer to as sleep. 

 If I were to approach you and tell you that I can sell you a drug that will make you fitter, happier, smarter and more attractive, you would most likely think “why is this drug dealer talking to me”, shortly after dismissing this thought, you would then wonder what this “wonder” drug was and in what way it was too good to be true. In the forthcoming paragraphs I will give you my sales-pitch for the wonder drug. 

On the warning label for my wonder drug, I would write the following; “SIDE EFFECTS- may cause increased dopamine levels, better emotional connections and improved working life”. 20% of energy in the body is directed to the brain. The brain is the fuel hungry engine of the body. As such, my wonder drug is focused on primarily helping the brain to store, process and create new memories. My wonder drug causes the brain to go into 2 stages of function during it’s activity; non rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement. During these processes the brain and body accomplishes two vastly different tasks. NREM sleep is categorised by slow wave brain activity in which the body performs immune system functions and tissue repair. Furthermore, in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid is released, acting as a lubricant to remove harmful chemicals that may reside in the brain after a days work. Beta-amyloid protein, commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease, is banished from the brain during the cerebrospinal fluid sponge bath. In the period of NREM sleep, the body and mind are bathed in proteins that only serve to rest and relax the two entities. 

For the clients who aren’t looking for a sales-witch geared towards growth, rest and relaxation. I would give these clients another pitch detailing the efficient, creative work related part of my drug. During REM sleep, the eyes move rapidly as if you were observing a humming bird darting around a tree. In REM sleep the brain transfers short term memories stored in the cerebral cortex to the long term memory site of the hippocampus. In addition to this, REM sleep serves to strengthen memories. In one study, participants who took a mid day nap had significantly better recall for a series of numbers than those who spent the interlude awake. Anecdotally, pianists have often described an inability to play a piece before going to sleep and then waking up and being able to play the piece fluidly. This is a direct result of the memory change that has occurred during REM sleep as the weaker short term memory of the cerebral cortex has shifted to the stronger long term site of the hippocampus. Lastly, sleep acts as a canvas for the abstract thoughts of our mind. Dmitri Mendeleev, the creator of the periodic table said that he could not find the link between the elements but after arising from sleep, he could suddenly picture the missing link between the elements that make up the universe. 

Sleep is what we often ignore chasing the many riches of life however everything that we do in life is built on the basis of sleep. Sleep is the mechanic that checks wether the body is functioning properly. Sleep is the advisor of creativity. Sleep is the clerk of our mind. Without sleep we are reduced to beings that lack culture, ingenuity and the very essence of being human. We become grouchy marauders. I have barely scratched the surface of sleep however I will leave you with one last thought. 

 In order to live life to the fullest, we must first resign to living life in a partial slumber.