Why do we sleep?

[WCCO-TV, November 06, 2017] Many families with little children know that “falling back” an hour can be a nightmare. Just a one-hour change can make a difference in the strict sleep schedule of a 3-year-old. They may go to bed later, but wake up at the same time – far earlier than Mom or Dad might like.

It happened at Heather Brown’s home this past weekend. So, she wondered: Why do we sleep? Good Question.

“We don’t know is the short answer to that question,” says Dr. Andrew Stiehm, a sleep specialist at the Allina Health United Lung and Sleep Clinic. “There are lots of thoughts behind why we might need to and I think the answer is broad.”

Dr. Stiehm says, despite beliefs to the contrary, sleep is a productive time for all complex animals. Our brains are very busy when we sleep, but in a different way than when we are awake.

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