Article: The quest for the essence of sleep.

INTRODUCTION

Sleep is a reversible state of reduced consciousness during which the processing of sensory input is minimal, coordinated behavior is abolished, and cognitive activities (thinking, planning, reflection) are suspended. Sleep must be exceedingly important, judging from the time that is spent in this state (for example, a sixty-year-old person has spent at least twenty years asleep). It must be important also in view of its ubiquitous occurrence in vertebrates. No human or animal has been shown to be able to dispense entirely with sleep, although the amount of sleep needed varies considerably. The drive for sleep is impressively manifested in ...

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