The function of sleep in humans is multi-faceted.

Sleep in humans is divided into two main types Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM). Many processes occur during sleep and throughout the different stages of sleep, such as “physical repair” with the release of growth hormone during stage 3 NREM sleep and “psychological repair” with the possible facilitation on memory consolidation and augmentation of subsequent cognitive performance during REM sleep.

What is sleep and why do we need it?

The answer to this question is not known, but we do know that without sleep we cannot live or function at our best. On average a person requires somewhere between 7 -9 hours of sleep per night. However in many countries, we are getting between 6 –7 hours, and if you work shiftwork or travel a lot, you may be achieving only 4- 5 hours per night. Sleep is similar to a fuel tank, what you take out you must restore. And while we wouldn’t dream of entering a competition on an empty stomach, many of us think nothing of struggling through the next match on an empty “sleep tank.”