Why We Sleep

Ah! The things we call sleep. It’s something we do every day (hopefully) but rearely put too much thought to it.

Overview

What if I tell you that there is a new tratment that makes your live longer? It enhances you memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food craving. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off cold and the flu. It lowers you risk of heart attack and stoke, not to mention diabetes. You will even feel happier, less depressed and less anxious.

And what if I tell you it’s free. Free stuff are the best, aren’t they?

That thing is sleep

Summary

• There are two main types of sleep: REM and NREM.
  • REM sleep is linked to creativity and neural connectivity. During REM, the body is temporarily paralyzed, and this is when most dreaming happens.
  • NREM sleep helps convert short-term memories into long-term storage.
• They happen at different times of the night.
  NREM sleep dominates the early part of the night, while REM sleep becomes longer and more frequent in the middle to later stages.
• Sleep is incredibly important.
  You should sleep more.
  (Wait… have I said that already?)

Index

• 12 Tips for Better Sleep
• Chapter 1 To Sleep
• Chapter 2 About Coffeine, Jetlag and Melatonin
• Chapter 4 Does Every Species Sleep?
• Chapter 5 Changes in Sleep
• Chapter 6 Sleep and Memory
• Chapter 14 About Sleeping Pills