The Mystery of Sleep: A Biological Ritual Beyond Rest

The Mystery of Sleep: A Biological Ritual Beyond Rest

DREAMS WISDOM / DREAMSWISDOM.COM

Why do we sleep? Despite decades of research and scientific advancement, this seemingly simple question continues to puzzle humanity. While most people equate sleep with rest, many researchers suggest that the true purpose of sleep may have little to do with physical recovery—and far more to do with dreams, brain activity, and biological rhythms.

Chicago University researcher Allan Rechtschaffen once proposed a provocative theory: that sleep may have no essential function at all. According to his findings, even when physical fatigue is reduced, the body does not require sleep to repair itself. Human cells are capable of self-repair without needing the body to be in a resting state. This claim challenged one of the most widely accepted beliefs about sleep: that it is nature’s way of recharging the body.

Meanwhile, EEG (electroencephalogram) recordings taken during sleep reveal an unexpected truth: the brain is far from inactive. Even in the deepest sleep stages, cerebral activity persists. This observation led British psychologist Dr. Evans of the National Physical Laboratory to suggest that sleep’s sole purpose may be to prepare the mind for dreaming. In his view, dreams are not side effects of sleep—they are its main objective.

Supporting this line of thought, Dr. William Dement of the Stanford Sleep Clinic emphasized the crucial role of dreams in maintaining physiological balance. He argued that dreaming helps stabilize mental and physical well-being. Similarly, Dr. Fred Rogers, a preventive medicine professor at Temple University, asserted that sleep is not a withdrawal from life, but a transition into a different kind of physiological state—where even the heart slows but continues to function rhythmically.

So, is sleep merely a nighttime habit evolved from ancient rhythms? According to Nathaniel Kleitman, considered the father of modern sleep research, the body must reach a critically reduced activity level to enter sleep. This idea aligns with a broader theory that the entire universe operates according to rhythmic cycles: the tides, the rise and set of the sun and moon, the rotation of the Earth, and even the seasons.

Dr. Franz Halberg coined the term “circation” to describe the 24-hour biological changes that affect body chemistry and energy. According to this theory, sleep strikes when our internal rhythms hit their lowest point—forcing the body into rest.

Sleep itself is divided into distinct stages, notably NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. NREM is the body’s quietest and most restorative state, where breathing is steady and brain activity is smooth. This is also when most snoring occurs. In contrast, REM sleep is paradoxically active. The body is immobile, but facial muscles and fingertips often twitch; breathing becomes irregular. Some theorists even compare REM sleep to a form of mild seizure due to its intense neurological activity.

Interestingly, we spend between 1.5 to 2 hours of each night in REM sleep. Each NREM and REM cycle lasts around 90 minutes on average. This active dream state is vital—especially for emotional health. Studies show that individuals suffering from depression often feel more stable during periods when REM sleep is suppressed. And although many people take sedatives or sleeping pills, they still enter REM sleep, which means that such drugs cannot completely block the dreaming process. In fact, many are designed specifically to suppress REM sleep for therapeutic reasons.

This leads us to a compelling question: Is sleep merely a passive state, or an evolutionary gateway to a deeper realm of consciousness? As evidence mounts that dreaming plays a more crucial role than rest itself, modern science may soon reframe our entire understanding of sleep—from bodily recovery to a necessary journey through our inner worlds.

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