States of Consciousness Free Essay Example, 1250 words

There are two major theories of sleep: Repair/ Restoration Theory Evolutionary/circadian theory. Let us look at the two theories and see how the two evolved. Repair/Restoration Theory: The repair theory states that our activities during the day have a depleting effect on the key factors in our brain and body. So therefore the purpose of sleep is to serve as a recuperative purpose to the human body and allow it to repair and replenish itself. It should be noted here that according to the repair and restoration theory, not only is our physical body repaired but our emotional and intellectual demands are restored as well. The scientific proof for this theory comes from research conducted about the release of growth hormones during sleep which proved that during level 4 sleep a growth hormone is released inside the body which control functions such as metabolism, physical growth, and brain development (Huffman). Another key finding which supports the repair theory is that people tend to sleep for longer when they have been deprived of sleep for long periods of time. The 17 year old student who stayed awake for 264 consecutive hours in 1965 then slept for 14 hours the first time he slept after attempting the record as opposed to his average sleep cycle of 8 hours. We will write a custom essay sample on States of Consciousness or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now (Huffman) (Division of Sleep - Harvard Medical School) Evolutionary/ Circadian Theory: The evolutionary theory states that sleep is because of basic circadian rhythms. According to this view, sleep evolved because of the fact that humans needed to conserve their energy when they were not looking for mates or for prey to hunt. Sleep also allowed humans to stay still at times when predators are active. The main proof for the evolutionary/circadian theory comes from a simple look at nature. Opossums for example have no trouble finding food and safe shelters and therefore sleep for many hours each day. Other animals such as sheep and horses that have no other defense against predators than to run away and that have an innate need to constantly forage for food, sleep for only a few hours a day. (Huffman) (Division of Sleep - Harvard Medical School) As we have just seen, both theories carry weight and have scientific proofs. It is obvious that we need the physical and emotional repair and restoration that sleep provides after our everyday activities. However, we can also see that bears do not hibernate throughout the winter to simply recover and restore their bodies. It is therefore clear that a need to conserve energy when the environment is hostile exists as well.