The Need to Sleep
November 29, 2012
Never apologize. Never explain. Just get the thing done, and let them howl.
-Agnes MacPhail
"Sleep is not
something to be left for when you've run out of other, more interesting,
things to do. Sleep is a functional activity of the brain, during
which stereotypical, well-defined processes occur. These include the
restoration and repair of brain tissue, the release of certain hormones,
and the reinforcement of learning and memory. Not getting enough sleep
has the negative effects on these processes. In the extreme, it can be
fatal."-Agnes MacPhail
These are the observations of Dennis Rosen, in The Optimist (November 2012). He concludes...
"Most adults need eight hours of sleep; teens need between eight and nine, and younger children need even more. By taking this seriously... we stand to reap substantial benefits in our physical, mental, and emotional well-being
