Is Sleep Essential?

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Chiara Cirelli, Giulio Tononi

Primary Institution: University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America

No current hypothesis can explain why animals need to sleep.

The search for a core function of sleep, particularly at the cellular level, remains a worthwhile exercise.

Sleep is universal and tightly regulated across species.
Sleep deprivation leads to serious consequences, including cognitive impairment.
Evidence suggests that sleep serves essential functions for the brain.

Sleep is important for animals, but scientists are still trying to figure out why we need it.

The evidence supporting the null hypothesis of sleep being non-essential is not conclusive.

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