Restorative Theory Of Sleep

Explaining a Concept: Sleep Have you ever wondered what happens in our sleep? Why do we even need sleep? Sleep is very unique as we are unconscious when it occurs. Most of our activity while we sleep occurs in the brain as it doesn’t simply shut off but instead keeps activity. The Brain’s activity during sleep can be put into 4 different stages and then we enter what we call REM sleep. This is the most Important part of sleep where our bodies recover for the next day. It is a very common belief in today’s society that our brains just simply shut off when we go to sleep and then it comes back on when we wake up the next day. This is not the case though, as our physical consciousness may not be on but our brain’s consciousness still is. While
There are many reasons why we need to sleep but here are three main theories. The first is the Restorative theory, “According to the restorative theory, sleep allows the body, including the brain, to rest and repair damaged tissue.” (Grison, Heatherton, Gazzaniga, 2017, pp. 93). This allows our bodies to get the proper recuperation it needs for a fresh day. The next theory is the circadian rhythm theory this theory states “Sleep keeps creatures quiet and inactive when the danger of attack is greatest -- usually when it is dark.” (Grison, Heatherton, Gazzaniga, 2017, pp. 93) Sleep not only is a way for us to recover but also a survival technique. This is the reason why big animals such as cows and deer get less sleep than a rabbit. The bigger the animal the greater chance of attack. The Last and final reason for why sleep is important is because of the consolidation theory. “Consolidation theory is that circuits wired together during the waking period are consolidated, or strengthened, during sleep.” (Grison, Heatherton, Gazzaniga, 2017, pp. 93). All three of these theories are important reasons to why we need
Not only does our brain activity keep going throughout each stage of sleep but it changes its activity as well taking us into REM sleep. During Stage one we experience theta waves and are easily aroused. After stage one we spend most of our time asleep in stage two and have K-complex’s. Stages 3 and 4 we experience slow moving delta waves. Then finally, we reach REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is the most important part of our 90 minute sleep cycle as it helps our bodies recover from the previous day and gets us ready to face the new challenges of the upcoming day. Sleep is essential for our bodies to operate and function