Why Do We Need Sleep?
I know two people who have never slept more than 4 hours a night in their lives. Regrettably, I require twice as much downtime. Think of how many theorems are unproved. How many novels are unwritten. How many blog gems are unposted. All because of the need for sleep. But not all creatures need sleep:
Tuna have high metabolic rates; they depend on constant swimming to survive. Even when a tuna is dawdling, it must swim roughly its own body length every second. The unceasing motion passes water—and thus oxygen—over its gills. If a tuna is prevented from swimming, it will suffocate. Plus, tuna have no eyelids, so they can’t close their eyes. Do they sleep? Possibly, but not in the usual sense of the word.
I agree with you. It’s too bad we need sleep.
Good question. Why can’t we be like tunas?
For many years scientists have wondered why mammals need to sleep. We take it for granted that it is normal for highly-developed life forms to require a sleep but it apparently isn’t that simple. The Pentagon has funded sleep deprivation studies and tested substances designed to keep soldiers awake for days on end. The studies have found people don’t function well after a day or two without rest. Babies need rest because they are growing. But why do some people function on four to six hours of daily rest while others cannot. There is even growing evidence that lack of sleep can reduce metabolism and prompt weight gain.
Most of the people I’ve met who need only 4-5 hours of sleep are highly inefficient. They think they’re being much much more productive than they really are.
I personally think there’s no greater pleasure than a nice nap. I could use one right now…
Think of how many YouTube videos not posted along with your blog gems. Do you think we could intake more calories for that extra 4 hours awake? Wow – to only be a tuna!