Psychology: why do we need to sleep?

Question

so why do we need to sleep? and please explain the 2 theories why we sleep, repair theory and adaptive theory.

thanks :)

Answer 1

ok well i say we sleep as our bodies are exhausted and get really slow, as we sleep it gives our muscles a break from daily life, eg

we use our legs 90% of the time and they get very very sore and tired.

we sleep 2 stop our muscles from breaking down

i hope i helped

Answer 2

repair and restoration theory states that sleep is vital for reparing and restoring physiological processes that keep both body and mind healthy and functional. furthermore, during sleep, the body is able to increase its rate of cell division and protein synthesis.

the evolutionary theory, also called the adaptive theory, suggests that sleep evolved to prevent early humans and animals from wasting energy and exposing themselves to nocturnal predators. it states that sleep was derived to prevent and to store engergy when wakefulness is not hazardous.

there is one more theory (just in case you want to wow people ^_^), which is the information colsolidation theory. this theory originates from cognitive research and suggests that people sleep in order to process information they recieved during the day. it also states that sleep prepares the body for the next day. it takes the information we learned during the day and fixes them into our long term memory.  

Answer 3

I am no psychologist but our basic needs that need to be met above all others.. are food, water, shelter, oxygen and rest... if we don't have those needs met.. our mind will not be able if going without either one of them to concentrate on other matters..  if we had a lung disease we would be on an oxygen machine. if you are healty, you don't think about your breathing you believe you deserve it and take it for granted but if you had to struggle for breath then you would see it as a gift... and some people struggle all the time.. if you were without water.. after a while.. if you get nothing to drink.. your mind could not concentrate on other things.. only  on ''how do I get water. and your body would dehydrate and you would be in danger of kidney disease.. you need food to give you energy.. you need shelter.. a roof over your head.. because otherwise it's not safe at all out there. and there are homeless people.. and think how horrible it is for them on a cold winters night without shelter.. and sleep.. if you go without that for any lenght of time.. you start to hallucinate.. I had a friend.. he was in the navy.. they put him on a 38 hour shift.. straight.. and after about 24 hours he started to fall asleep whilst standing up. his mates told him and he was not fit to do any job.. the human body is not made to stay awake and to function and be alert to dangers or make decisions if you lack sleep.. you get hallucinations.. if you operate machinery.. you have no quick reflexes and you would be a menace for yourself and others if you would drive a car under such conditions... that is no less harmful than drunk driving if deprived of sleep.. even second sleep is enough to crash a car and kill a person or get killed in a traffic accident.. your mind is tired and your body.. you won't be able to make any ''sane'' decisions.. without enough rest.. some people do need less sleep but everybody does need sleep otherwise it has very bad effects on body and mind x*x