Reply to comment

Why do we need to sleep? It's a question that numerous people have raised throughout the years, and I tried answering it myself a few years ago through online research about sleep deprivation. I've always understood the purpose of sleep to re energize the nervous system by allowing it a break from the outside world. An example I can compare this to is a runner: A runner can only go so far and so fast without stopping for a glass of water to rehydrate him/herself. But here's another point: Runners at least can condition themselves to run faster or further, hence changing their initial set point. Can set points for sleep be manipulated? Can a person train themselves to where they can function on less sleep?
However I still see sleep as a way to give the nervous system some rest from the outside. Without it, the nervous system suffers. I've suffered from insomnia and sleep deprivation and this usually resulted in drowsiness throughout the day and inability to fully concentrate. The worst story I've heard is where a guy decided to not sleep for numerous days and towards the end of his ordeal, he started to have hallucinations that he was someone famous.