Sleep...

One of my friends always says, "You can sleep when you are dead." May not be the best quote, but how necessary is sleep? I don't think the answer is consistent amongst large groups of people, I think it varies on an individual basis. In a perfect world, I think that eight to nine hours of sleep is what I would want to get every night. Realistically I usually am all over the place during the week. Some nights I get four hours a sleep, the next night I may get six hours, on Saturday night maybe I get ten hours. The numbers aren't consistent. Obviously they vary from situation to situation.

The important thing to realize is that few people, especially my age get the recommended amount of sleep. Why? In all honesty, especially during the week, sleep just isn't a priority. Sometimes I just feel like there are not enough hours in the day! I enjoy sleep. I am sure most people do, but when you have the option to do something else that may be fun or beneficial it is often hard to convince yourself to pass up that opportunity to go to bed early.

I have a feeling that in the near future, someone is going to come up with a creation that allows people to subconsciously think that they slept for more hours then they really did. Or maybe something will be created that proves to the people that they are sleeping better, which in effect will lead to more productive rest. Sleep is definitely a necessity in life, but I honestly believe that the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. There is no question that typically when you sleep eight to ten hours at night, your performance is probably maximized that next day. Although, who isn't to say that a person who sleeps four hours won't out perform a person who gets ten hours of sleep. I am sure it happens all the time. Sleeping is one of the mysteries of our world. Everyone knows we need it, but why? Why is it so necessary? Does it really rejuvenate the body? I wonder what this world would be like if people never slept...